What’s in bloom in Provence in June

We are traveling and currently in the Rhone Alps region of Provence. For Sunday favorites, I thought I would share a few photos of everything that’s in bloom in June. We have been to this area a few times, but never in early summer. This seems to be the time when everything from roses, hollyhocks, and poppies to lavender is in bloom.

Roses are in bloom in Grignan

The roses seem to be ancient. Even in places where they seemed to bloom without any help, and the only water was from the rain, they were so beautiful. All of the above photos are from the village of Grignan. It is a member of  Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (The Most Beautiful Villages of France) Association. I think the roses might have something to do with it!

Hollyhocks and Bear’s Breeches

We also saw hollyhocks and Bear’s Breeches that seemed to be growing out of the cracks in the stone.

Wild Poppies

Spanish Broom

The first thing we noticed as we drove from Beaune to the Rhone Alps region of Provence was the bright yellow flowers. The hills and fields were full of yellow. I had to use my iPhone’s Visual Look Up feature to identify the yellow flowers. Spanish Broom…it’s quite something to see it everywhere!

Lavender

I think the lavender is actually on the early side, but it’s still gorgeous! I’ve never seen lavender at its peak. I’m guessing it’s a bit like trying to time the leaves in Vermont at their peak.

We are staying at the same place we visited two years ago. You can read more in this post. If you’re looking for a place to relax, unwind, and explore the area, the place we’re staying is lovely. The hosts, Alexandrine and Philippe, are fantastic and will help you find whatever it is you are looking for, from wineries to restaurants. They have also kept us informed about the local market days in each of the towns in the area. We have loved going to different markets, some quite large and some very small, but all lovely.

Our French Finds

As many of you know, the reason for our trip is to buy for our shop, Our French Finds. We return to our favorite vendors at our favorite flea markets, and each time, we manage to discover new ones. The photos below are from our first two days. I’m eager to get home and photograph it! Well, not too soon…we still have two more weeks!

Wearing linen every day!

This is the place to wear linen every day. To the market, to the pool, and out and about exploring, and to dinner. It washes beautifully, and with a good shake or two, it’s ready to wear again when hung to dry. In between washing, I’m spritzing my clothes with some vodka in a spray bottle that I brought from home.

Read more about spritzing your clothes with vodka in this post. It’s also great to spray inside hats when worn on hot days when you’re likely to sweat. It freshens them up without washing!

A few of my favorite linen pieces I’m wearing in France include this skirt and jacket from Eileen Fisher, as well as these pants. I also have some Old Navy high-waisted linen pants and shirts that I bought with this trip in mind. They come in several colors and stripes!

And poplin!

Next to linen, I love wearing poplin. It’s light and looks crisp. I have a few favorites that I wear on repeat. This big shirt from GAP, and this cropped poplin shirt from Quince. I also love this split-neck poplin shirt that is back in stock. I ordered it in white.

I wear this poplin shirt dress from Quince. Poplin is incredibly easy to care for and requires only a gentle press or no pressing at all, provided you wash, shake, and hang to dry.

Let’s see what Cindy and Mary Ann found this week!

Cindy Hattersley Design

Read Cindy’s Sunday post here.

Classic Casual Home

Read Mary Ann’s Sunday post here.