You have everything set up so nicely for the guests - clean, neat and tidy!!! Maybe a few more decorative items or wall art to make rooms look a little more cozy and finished???

Testing the coffee maker also allows for a nice breakfast wake-up smell in the room. That’s something I really love when on vacation. ❤ Everything is beautiful and what a great hostess you are!

Love the way you try so hard to make the experience so good for guests, shows you really care. I bet in a years time after constant guests, you will be advising others the best way to organise preparation of guests routine before arrival& departure, whilst living your life! Just a suggestion that is used for us from the linen company, all bedding is white, but on them is a little tag, yellow is king, red is double, blue is single...helps when you just have to quickly grab them. Towels bath& hand towel plus mat thats,all needed. Shelf for pillow case protectors.xx

Hay is dried grass and straw is the stalks from all cereal crops ie wheat straw or barley straw for example, once the crop is harvested. Straw is tougher and better for mulching. I put a layer of cardboard first which rots down gradually. Great start as a beginner gardener. Keep planting and learn as you go

Move some of those iris to your bed. If you don't have a nursery to get plants from ,you will have to start from seed in the orangerie. Move the sister's someplace where you want it to drape. If you don't have a book on gardening flowers ,I recommend you get one. The Floret books are good.

Hey Karen I have a suggestion. When you get boxes from deliveries break them down and save for the early spring. Since your plants in the front beds are spaced out lay the flatten boxes down in your beds around your plants then put down the hay it will help a lot killing off the weeds. I love the big storage cabinet it is perfect for your linens. Lots of hugs, Kathy USA 🇺🇸

You can get stakes to put against your peonies so they don’t flop. The foliage will hide the stake. The tulips are a beautiful colour. Great vlog x

Working hard! All the linens look amazing in the new linen laird! So much work but so much satisfaction! Well done! Cheers!!!

...plant more tulip rows in front and behind the ones you have for next year... they will help hold each other up...❤

Thanks for bringing us through your morning ❤. The flower bed looks so tidy now!

🇨🇦 It looks perfect! 😊 You show so much love and care in everything you do and it really shows.😊 Love your videos, best wishes always ❤ oh, and your gardens look great! Tulips unfortunately don't last very long and especially with all of that rain. I know it is heartbreaking to see all of the dead tulips but they will come back stronger every year. Take good care! 🌷🌷

It is so satisfying see it all put away in a nice orderly fashion. Beautiful linen cabinet.

A sure sign of growth for your business when you have to expand for linens. Congratulations!! And we love watching the changes as you grow.

Very neat flowerbeds! An exhausting job. Well done!

I suggest getting hangers with the clips and hanging them in two rows to prevent wrinkles.

You are so lovely and a good hostess, no doubt. Your video certainly gave me a good start to my day. Thank you!

Use basket for small items on your bottom shelf, you can pick it up easily to fill with maybe 'facecloths'/ Love your vlogs

Peonies and tulips are beautiful choices for spring. You may want to add other perennial flowers that will flower throughout the ssummer.

If you buy flowers of shrubs in with large blooms you are going to need to support them. There are other type of tulips that in my opinion look better in groups and not in a row. When they are done you need to leave the leaves to die back. It is unsightly to have to do that in the front of your garden bed. Tulips can be grown behind things like your peonies so they are blooming before they get to big and then they will hid the dying leaves. Don’t move them until the fall or you will loose them. Groups of plants always look better than rows. English country gardens are easier to look after however their climate is different. It is going to get really hot for your plants there. At least the peonies will look like shrubs. Peonies can be single bloomers so no staking is required and if you want something really beautiful (although more expensive) are tree peonies. Amazing plants that don’t die back. Can be really effective. If you are buying perennials (suggested) buy three and put in groups to make larger plants more quickly. Move some of your Irises into this garden, they love it hot and dry. You can get mini ones that don’t blow over in the wind. You need to look into when things bloom so you have something flowering all season. Be careful you don’t buy plants that need shade. Looks like you need more loamy soil to hold moisture and mulching will save you so much time weeding and helps to hold moisture. Pansies are not good plants for hot areas or pots and will not bloom all season. Spring plants really that’s why they are available very early.. Hope that helps some. Research your area and talk to the locals. Roses might do really well for you. Get weeding and mulch as much as you can. Good luck. We admire all your effort. Thanks. From Canada.

How perfect the linen cupboard looks. Lovely. Do keep it locked though!

I suggest really fluffy mattress covers. They can stay on the mattresses unless a spill, etc. they make the mattress better.

We call that a linen press. For storage of sheets, towels pillowcases etc.

I love your attitude.! "I'll try"!!

Take wet carboard and lay between plants you can overlap, helps keep weeds under control. The cardboard will dissolve over time. Put mulch over top. When planting new grass seed its good to put hay down so the birds don't eat your grass seed and wash away the soil also helps keeps the soil moist after the rain till the grass grows. I t doesn't look like you have a problem with the grass. Hope this is helpful.

I so admire you. Your willingness to try anything, and your ability to do the hard work. You inspire us to never thing a job is too big without trying to do it first! Good job! You shine!

Oh such beautiful tulips! Leave the plants as they continue to photosynthesize and the sugar will help the bulbs to grow.

The tulip season is almost over sadly there just not long lasting its peony time hurray you most likely won't need to stake peonies this year Beautiful breakfast set up So glad your rotary iron is working great for you

Placing a couple of layers of news paper down before mulch keeps weeds away for the summer and longer.

A few things first year for your tulips the bulbs will grow stronger stems as the years go by also instead of planting in rows plant in clumps that way they can support each other a bit better🇦🇺🌷

The rotary iron must be a great help. As a suggestion on developing the garden find local gardens open for visits and check grows well. I would certainly plant more hydrangeas, irises and roses which all do well in the Dordogne. I have seen agapanthus in a garden but we were told they take them inside in the winter, however here in the UK the wider leaf varieties survive outside. They love growing in pots.

Love the phrase, beautiful pity!

For the spots on your glasses and cutlery, check the bottom of your dish washer for a place to add salt to soften your water. When I lived over in Europe mine had a compartment in the bottom and all I did was dump a box of dishwasher salt and it did the trick. I hate spots 😝

The thicker the better with mulch for both weed suppression and moisture retention. Well done you.💐

A good idea is to label the front of the shelf with the size of the sheet. I have house sitters from time to time and I did it so they would know which stack is which item.

Everything looks very accommodating, clean and pleasant, a beautiful place to stay. I love gardening, I don’t class myself as a gardener though but I prefer to use a bark mulch on my flower beds it’s dark and sets off any colour in the beds. Weed suppressing and save a whole load of digging during the year. When planting new plants scrape away the bark once planted push back around the new plant. If you do a deep mulch 2-3” it will last a couple years . You’re doing a grand job, all the best 🥰🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🇬🇧

Always lovely to see you vlogs pop up, your enthusiasm keeps me going for my much smaller project.. thank you for sharing x

Wonderful centre piece of tulips.

I enjoy learning your process of hostessing! Love your vlogs.

Karen You Very organise Thankyou. For Sharing 💕👌💐🇬🇧

I have a large glass bowl like a goldfish bowl, and I float the heads on top. They would be better next to the wall or a low hard wire fence in front, you could always pull it out when they finish. I have bought the hard wire circles so the peonies can grow through them and give them support, they come in a few sizes. They also do half ones that might work for the tulips.

Absolutely love your Vlogs the smell of fresh bread in the morning is so wonderful and yes, you have to pull the weeds out before you put the straw down 👍🥂🇨🇦

Karen You Are Doing A Lovely Job. Keeping your Guests Happy. It Has Been Very VeryWet In Uk 🇬🇧 And Cold 🥶💕

Should put little bags of lavender in ur cupboards helps with keeping moths and critter away gives a lovely smell when u open the doors

Loving All you are doing, achieving and sharing 👏😍Thank you so much 👌.. Two things I thought of : 1/ maybe 2 large plastic square clear container for bottom of linen wardrobe - they will easily slide out this makes getting things at the back easier. 2/ a nice flower or greenery bouquet sourced from your garden and woodlands for breakfast table? Congratulations on your garden successes 🪻🌷 Cheers Catherine (Brisbane Australia) 🇦🇺🪃🦘

For broken tulips you can use long stem shallow vases (for pastry and candies) or cake stands. You can also decorate these with foliage to break up the colour a bit. I had the same problem with my double tulips after the rain. I still love double tulips :).

Tulips are normally not immune to rain. Snapped stems are signs of rabbit attack; they chew the center of the stem - the tender part- and leave the rest - flower at one end, plant at the other. Beautiful color though! A suggestion for the jam "pots". With your computer, design a cluster of the fruits with the French and English name like so: Bluets/Myrtilles (cluster of fruit) Blueberry; Fraises (fruit cluster) Strawberry; Abricots (fruits) Apricot; Pommes (fruit) Apple; Gelée de pommettes (fruit) Crabapple Jelly; Marmalade aux oranges(fruit) Orange Marmalade medley, etc. Eventually, as your business grows, you could have a labeling business design a lid for the jars with the Tuilerie name or Queen's Escape and sell this as a souvenir or gift to guests. I love the "pain au chocolat" in France as the flour used is very different from North America flour!

Love your videos. Happy I recently found your KZfaq channel, just as you were starting your adventures moving into the chateau. I love peonies. As yours become more established and larger, I would suggest using peony cages, similar to tomato cages, only wider. They support the stems and the large heavy blossoms, keeping them upright and looking beautiful in your flower beds. From a fan in Regina, the capital city of the province of Saskatchewan in beautiful Canada. 🇨🇦😊🖐

I hate to say this but I think you’re supposed to use straw on flower beds, it doesn’t contain weed seeds. Hay is what they feed the horses and contains the seeds. Maybe I’m wrong. I sure the laundry press is so nice! Love the linen closet!😊

May I suggest that you put a light coloured gravel on the terrace to dress it up.

Put labels in your new closet for the placement of sheets. So there is no guessing or having to remember where you put each size..

Next time remove the weeds by hand. Then use wood mulch over the ground. Keep any mulch away from any part or stems of the peony. You will cause a fungus on your peony with hay or straw when it gets wet. Fungus will kill the peonies. Peonies still need to be watered when dirt is dry. You don’t cut off leaves until late fat. If you do they won’t bloom the next year. Plus you need to fertilize your peonies with plant fertilizer and then water well. And weeds will grow up the straw.

They make a wire peony ring that I use on mine. Hay inattentive the best option for mulch. Hay is grown to feed animals & contains seeds. If used as mulch, these seeds germinate and create a weed problem. A good quality straw contains few seeds.

I am sure everyone enjoys their stay with you. That use of the hay was a good idea and looks great too. Sorry about your tulips, but the arrangement looked pretty.

Karen, You are such a hard working lady😊. I admire You so much! Your videos are a joy to watch. BTW, I loved your purple flower arrengement for the table💜💜💜💜💜a Big hug from Guatemala 😊

Hi everyone. Bo and Karen I will be in the region in the end of May and I will do my best to pop by and say hello and give you a face to one of your followers. The best to all of you out there from a Swed in France.

Make sheet packs, flat,fitted and pillow cases folded together. Each sizes..takes up less space

You could always float your tulips in a large brandy snifter or trifle bowl.

Bravo! Beautifully done! I love all the extra touches you care about. Wishing you all the best - personally and business-wise! You have made this a most beautiful chateau.

Use clear plastic bins for the linens with labels !!! Easier access for top and bottom as well as the back of the closet as it is extra deep !

I enjoyed this video very much. Lots of choices and possibilities which I’m sure you’ve heard enough of…..but, you’re living the dream and I won’t put my oar in. Wish I could visit.

Karen the first layer of the hay can sometimes be moldy as it really is rolled quite tight and moisture can get in the first few layers otherwise you should be good to go. One thing to know is that hay can hold moisture and can cause fungus or rot on your peonies so best to be careful about putting it on them I think. Also not sure about France but you can buy hoops for your peonies to keep them upright! Keep up all of your hard work I'm sure everything will be gorgeous! Good for you. The new Linen chest looks fantastic! Cheers

I think the old hay may make young grass come through once wet , in the end either sawdust shaving mite be the best or more weeding . Tulips seem to do that mine just break off too but making use of them like u have is great dont steak them tho . Once u fill the garden up with more plants the weeds wont show so much . The new cupboard looks great thank u for the update ❤🌺🌷🌷🌷🌷🌺❤

Try outting the napkins thru the mangle iron when they are still damp. That may work much better !! ❤️❤️❤️👏👏👏♥️🥰🇨🇦

You can drive them and use them for popery as well .

Thank you for the update!

Tulips need support and the only way to do this effectively is to plant other plants in front and behind - maybe lavender

Just finished binge- watching your channel. Thoroughly enjoyed it! Don't be alarmed if you see ants on your Peonies. I've always heard (not sure if it's true) that they don't bloom without them. Anyway I always have ants on mine. BTW.. my mom had a Mangle! As a child I would beg her to let me sit on the floor under it & work the knee pedal for her. :) Nice memory.

Tulips are beautiful - you don't need to stake them...its natural for them to droop a little. Take trash bags (unless you want to purchase a flower bed weed liner) and put down before you put the mulch down..the weeds can not get through the plastic - so "no weeds - or at least "less weeds"...you cut an "X" and feed your planted plant through the "X cut" then tuck the four flaps of the "X" down...its wonderful ! Some people at some other chateaus that I follow use "broken down cardboard boxed - lay it down on the soil - put the soil/mulch on top...less or no weeds! I went to bed thinking about the cave at the Orangery (?spelling) ... it would be a great "photo" spot there in the middle in front of the cave with the wedding attendants or family standing on both sides of the steps there - perhpas install a light - only with an "unobvious" cord inside the cave to create more atmosphere there and it will cause the couple to be a "silhouette"..just an idea.

So organized! Inspired to do the same.

Offer the English fry up breakfast- soft boiled eggs or scrambled eggs, plus bangers, and fried onions or hash browns… charge more… English, Americans, Aussies, Portuguese will love it!!! Good business

Would it be helpful to put baskets or plastic containers on the bottom shelf to store the linens in? I saw someone else had the same idea! 😅 😊

You are not just a pretty face woman. Great job!

the tannins from the wood will leach into fabric. always line your shelves. it can be a costly mistake.

Someone might have mentioned this already, but hay is food. What you have there is probably straw.

The breakfast looks nice, but as someone who is lactose intolerant those buttery breads would not work for someone like me. Maybe add something less buttery, fruit or cereal with almond milk? The tulips are so beautiful, it looks like you got lots of good suggestions about preserving them and how to organize the bed visually for a multiple season garden. You might consider buying some bushes for the back of the beds that already have some height for scale, it will make a more interesting garden if it has variety of shapes and sizes. (Edited to say I should have watched the whole video first, you do serve regular bread ☺️).

No stakes for tulips they will rebound on their own. Honey what you can do as the tulips die back, you can dig the bulbs up like every other tulip and plant the bulb you dug up start a new row. Also what would be pretty is daffodils white or yellow in between the tulips. Tulips and daffodils multiple every year. I think you should have used a hoe or rake the weeds out before putting straw on. I think the weeds will still come thru the straw.

Get a label machine. It will be very helpful.

Just a thought, do guest past this linen cupboard on route to rooms? I had to put a lock on mine as things started to disappear… just saying 😊

Take the dirty mini end down when you make that check do you aren’t wasting time and effort.

Is it hay or straw? You've mentioned both, but there IS a big difference. Hay is typically made from meadow flowers and grasses, edible for livestock. It's likely to contain seeds, which will defeat your purpose of using it for mulch. Straw is not used for feed and is mostly used for bedding. To me it looks like straw, and that's what you want for mulch.

Using hay will create more weeds, because of grass & weeds in hay. Clean wheat straw would be better, or woodmulch.

Have you thought about using volunteers to help you out with all the work there?

Do you have any photos of the original gardens?

Dear Karen, hay is with seeds? You have literally sown a lot of new grass

Do you put salt in your dishwasher? The first time we rented a house in Province, we had no idea what our landlord talked about when he told us we needed to put salt in the dishwasher🤔

Oops, Hay is full of seeds and not a good thing to mulch with. Staw is better even though you will get seeds by they will die back. Hay seeds will create a big problem. You need to weed before you mulch. Wood shavings are the best. It’s clean and will last longer. You need to dead head the tulips or the bulbs will not be as strong for the next year. The leaves nourish the bulbs for next year’s bloom. 😊

Bonsoir, you don't have the protection for the pillows?

Using hay for mulch is problematic because of the seed content. It should be spoiled hay for mulching, no seed growth !

I was going to suggest Rose of Sharon for background height in your planter garden. I don't know if they would do well, but something to look into. Also some flower micro fertilizer. ❤ What is your growing zone?

Karen, did I hear you say (a while back) that the Tour de France will go by your place?

Est-ce de la mauvaise herbe ce qui couvre le sol en arrière des tulipes?

Never saw a staked peony. Buy a variety that is sturdier;

You need a stanley knife.

I wish I had known you planned to use old hay for mulching. 😮 Been there, done that. BIG mistake. If it was well rotted, you could have gotten away with it. You just planted grass/weeds into your flower bed, because there are hidden seed heads in there. It will be a big pain in the butt if you don't immediately get that off your beds. Throwing it on top of existing weeds, isn't going to smother them. They will grow up through the hay. I know it is a lot more work, but I would remove the hay, hoe the existing weeds and throw them on your compost heap. Weeds are a lot more tenacious than cultivated flowers. Once the weeds are out, spray a pre-emergent, to prevent any seeds from germinating. Cover large bare spots with cardboard or old newspaper. Then mulch. I did as you did, to save money. But I ended up fighting weeds for YEARS. Another thing I found out about using hay from camping. We had tons of mud after rain. We used hay in high traffic area to control the mud. I learned that when hay gets wet, it stinks. Like poop. And it draws flies like poop. Get rid of the hay.

Get rid of that hay! Sorry to say this, but that stuff is not the way to go! My first few years of establishing flower and shrub beds - ruthless early troweling and pulling out weeds, yes, every day! Layering in newspaper, punching through them for planting. topping off with pine straw, which I add to twice a year. By year 3 - virtually no weeds poking through! With your woodlands, a wood chipper would be a good idea - use natural wood chips for your beds. I vote for various daylilies - these are just fabulous! Come in early, mid and late blooming varieties and loads of colors. Just go with them to add color and greenery both. You will have continuous color. For peonies, I just take paint stirrers or small stakes and drill holes in them, tap in the soil, string through the holes with string or fishing line. For your breakfast, I would put out a large bowl with some ice in the bottom, plop in a variety of yougurts. A box of granola to the side. A small stack of bowls to mix yogurt and granola if someone wants that option. Simple, but a nice no-cook add-on to the petit dejeuner. By the way -- "pan au chocolat" should be "pain au chocolat"!

Sorry am shouting, nooooooo, please cover the are with cardboard first then cover with the hay and topsoil…..sorry, xxxx

I enjoy learning your process of hostessing! Love your vlogs.

Suggestion... organized the sheets by room instead of size!