Summer Flowers of Provence

When Spring arrived in Provence, I remember being very excited one day as I passed my first Poppy field. It was the month of May. I was on my way to Cucuron to enjoy the Tuesday market and as I drove along, I just gasped when I came across this field of red that appeared before me.

Of course, I had a few friends come to visit and I didn’t hesitate to drive them by the same field. Well, the next time I drove by about one week later, the red was so red that it was almost blinding. There was just an enormous blanket of red as the poppies had finally bloomed in full. At this, I pulled over and jumped out of my car to take some pictures. Before I knew it, I saw one car after another doing the exact same thing. It was too beautiful not to stop.

Where did I stop?

In front of “La Cavale” on my way to Cucuron. They are just in front. These fields kept our eyes alive for about one month. It was exciting to see and I sometimes would just go out for a drive to look for more poppy fields. It is so beautiful around here.

Just when I was beginning to feel sad about the poppies disappearing I was once again filled with excitement when I passed my first lavender field in bloom. It was almost as if the poppies passed the baton over to the lavender and as one faded, the other was popping out to say hello. The lavender is as beautiful as you can imagine. The rows and rows of beautiful purple plants (the French say they are blue) seem to go on forever. It is breathtaking and the biggest bonus is the beautiful scent that wafts over you as you drive along these country roads.

Lavender is everywhere in Provence but many people choose to head out to the Plateau of Valensole where the largest fields can be found. This is the most visited area of Provence for those on the lavender hunt. I like to stop at Angelvin. It’s one of the first stops along the route. They are very friendly and I like the way the fields have a bit of a rolling effect. It’s a great spot for photos. The season is very short so be sure to plan your trip starting at the end of June until the first two weeks of July. It comes and goes so quickly so you don’t want to miss out.

As I write this, the lavender is now gone. It is the second half of July and again, was feeling sad to say goodbye to the symbol of Provence when before I knew it, I was out for a bike ride this week and what did I see?

Sunflowers! Woo hoo!!!!

Excited again. The sunflowers looked like little babies at the beginning of last week but when I went out last night, they had already grown. We have a little more time before they get razed down as the sunflowers grow quite high. I believe they can even reach 12 feet. Right now they are about 4 feet high so we have a little more time to admire these beautiful fields.

Where have I seen them?

I live in a little town north of Aix-en-Provence called Le Puy Saint Reparade. We have sunflowers!

So, if you’re heading over to Chateau La Coste or Chateau du Fonscolombe, take a little spin through the village and I promise that you will come across the sunflowers. They seem to be everywhere at the moment. In fact, there’s a field to the left as you enter Le Puy Saint Reparade.

You will not be disappointed.

It is summer and it is hot.

The most beautiful time to get out and visit the fields is in the early morning or at the end of the day. I was out for a bike ride last night at about 8 pm. The temperatures had dropped a bit, the breeze from the bike was soothing and the sun was in just the right place to take some nice photos.

Drive, bike, walk….it’s all beautiful – Enjoy the flowers of Provence!

Do you know Provence? Have you visited this area? Share your experiences with Suzanne in the comments below.