tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72749250309720140732012-02-03T06:05:41.727ZYolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.comBlogger3131100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-58641282207260577332012-02-01T14:17:00.000Z2012-02-01T14:17:06.164Z

I like setting myself goals to achieve in the garden. My first goal was to have something in flower in my garden all year long. That proved to be a very easy goal to reach as I garden in zone 8 and winters are mostly pretty mild. Even the odd very cold winter doesn't put a spanner in the wheel flowering wise. We are going through a cold spell at the mo but my Winter Yasmin, Hellebores, Viburnum

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-83818679383285617492012-01-05T14:11:00.001Z2012-01-05T14:11:34.129Z

Amaryllis Alfresco Russian Blues Merlin (l) and his Mum Delia Tasty & colourful salad from my potager today My tree is still there to brighten up my day Harvested last October and still going strong Winter Jasmin Colour your garden with vegetables The potager today . Hellebore Emma, named after my beloved Russian Blue kittycat Cheap and cheerful! Witch hazel

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-25517632740259096162011-12-25T12:40:00.000Z2011-12-25T12:40:14.435Z

Merry Christmas from all of us at Bliss: Vita, Pippa, Dolly, Willow, Delia, Merlin, Surprise, Kadootje, Macavity & Jeeves, doggy Tara and me. XX copyright 2011; Y.E.W. Heuzen

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-34793400648003376062011-09-29T13:54:00.001+01:002011-09-29T13:54:52.570+01:00

Comedy culinairy capers are very easy to make and you do not even have to have a Capparis spinosa aka a Caper bush growing in your garden. Just plain old Nasturtiums will do. You do grow them, don't you? Nasturtiums are dropdead gorgeous, even more so when you add a beautiful Maine Coon kittycat like my Dolly Daisy into the mixture, and by doing so crank up the comedy capers content a notch or

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-18408806478514369542011-08-18T15:34:00.002+01:002011-08-18T15:35:26.783+01:00

After waiting for 10 years, I finally have my pond. Huzzah! *does Snoopy Dance Of Joy* Next up will be fish, I cannot imagine a pond without them. I've missed the fish in my old pond very much as the little whatsits ate out of my hand. That's right, not only am I a cat whisperer and a dog whisperer but a fish whisperer as well. *takes bow* What can I say? I love animals and the feeling, as they

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-61838891481992032482011-07-28T13:18:00.002+01:002011-07-30T12:11:13.793+01:00

What a difference the new fence makes. Where once there was an extremely ugly and very, very large Leylandii hedge there is now a fence. An edible one. Pretty too. Before After All in all, the bit of the fence that borders the potager is about 20 meters long and in a strip of soil that's no more than 40 cm wide there grows an amazing amount of stuff. Most of it edible, some of it just because

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-44395573687930288182011-07-14T13:32:00.002+01:002011-07-14T13:40:57.390+01:00

A few years ago I wrote a blogpost and was very surprised by the response I got about 1 particular picture I had posted of a slice of bread with radishes. Eating radishes on bread is something that is par for the course in Dutchland so I hadn't realised that perhaps not everybody on this big blue beautiful planet of ours was aware of this culinary delight. Now there are radishes and radishes and

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-84614533940752267752011-06-30T13:15:00.001+01:002011-06-30T13:18:45.338+01:00

Get a wildlife pond, they said. I did It will be easy to make, they said. It was. A wildlife pond will look ever so pretty, they said. It does. It will attract loads of wildlife to your garden, they said, such as frogs, newts, toads, hedgehogs, birds, dragonflies and much, much more. Yeah, riiiiight! If you'd like a wildlife pond too, and who knows maybe you will be lucky enough to

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-27397280432419249852011-06-23T14:28:00.003+01:002011-06-23T14:32:35.009+01:00

When I tell people that I grow my own food most of them seem to think that I grow rows and rows of leeks, spuds and cabbages in my kitchen garden. I don't. What's the point? Firstly I don't need to grow food to feed an army or an orphanage stuffed to the gills with hungry kids, and secondly I don't even like leeks, spuds and cabbages all that much to grow them in vast quantities. For me the

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-52132864029642714452011-06-08T13:25:00.001+01:002011-06-08T13:26:06.227+01:00

And thems are rich pickings, very much so. This extraordinary weather we've been having since late March has been a great help in making the pickings extra rich. It's not every year that Summer starts in April, it mostly starts end of June and also not unheard of, it sometimes never starts at all and from Spring we go straight to Autumn. This year we have managed to miss Spring altogether.

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-18187959490755469532011-05-19T14:29:00.000+01:002011-05-19T14:30:34.887+01:00

so consider yourself warned. Can't say that I've found much, if any evidence of bad-temperedness when I read the book but o well, the title is a gentle snook cocking at the book The Well Tempered Garden by Christopher Lloyd. I'm of course talking about Anne Wareham's book The Bad Tempered Gardener, of which I was sent a review copy. And although James Alexander Sinclair waxes lyrically about

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-72152030723243325092011-04-14T13:50:00.003+01:002011-04-14T14:49:16.732+01:00

There's a rat in me garden - what am I gonna do? There's a rat in me garden - what am I gonna do? Surprise admiring the Springflower meadow I'm gonna fix that rat - that's what I am gonna do! I'm gonna fix that rat!!!!!! For those unfamiliar with the catchy ratsong by UB40, click the vid. And she did. Surprise lived up to her name and caught a young rat in me garden before I was even aware

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-49828049572448179762011-03-23T12:47:00.016Z2011-03-23T12:59:54.592Z

We've been having the most delish weather lately so I'm making the most of it while it lasts. It's finally Spring and I'm loving it because it looks good, it smells good, it feels good and it tastes good too. Last February I had sown a pot of mixed lettuce leaves and today I had my first taste of it and it was devine as nothing tastes as good as Spring does. My Springflower meadow is a feast for

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-20626603286937152452011-03-16T13:50:00.001Z2011-03-16T14:27:59.101Z

And it's not what you think. It never is, because after all, this is Bliss, don't you know? Before I show you the bananas thingy, first some gratuitous pics of the potager where yours truly has been working her widdle hot hiney off these past few weeks. Looking good, wouldn't you say? I'm talking about the potager here, not Jeeves, handsome kittycat though he is. Some irrefutable evidence that

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-50038747882133589902011-03-08T09:33:00.000Z2011-03-08T09:33:58.579Z

Those of you who visit Bliss regularly, know that I'm very keen on wildflower meadows. And frankly who wouldn't, as they are so incredibly beautiful. You have to be a real sourpuss indeed not to love them. A while ago I wrote a post about wildflower meadows and how Blissfully wonderful they are. In that post of July 2008 I also demonstrated that anyone can have a gorgeous, bee-magnet wildflower

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-25068156364596786212011-02-15T13:15:00.000Z2011-02-15T13:18:35.804Z

It's Bloom Day, but there is nobody here but us, chickens! That's right, 10 cats and one small dog were not enough so now I've added a few chooks to the mix as well. They are Australorp chickens and hail from the land of Oz originally. There's 3 of them; Kylie (the blue one) and Possum and Skippy, the black grrls. Pretty, aren't they and great egg producers or so I'm told. They arrived chez

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-5218313008160290202011-01-20T14:52:00.001Z2011-01-20T14:53:07.683Z

Every year I'd like to try something new and this year is no exception. As you have gathered from the title I thought I'd try my hand at growing my very own mushrooms. I'd seen starter kits in a shop in my little village and as the price was very reasonable I'd thought I'd give it a go. I love to experiment, that is one of the bonuses of being a gardener, isn't it, you get to experiment every

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-66210740277888148012011-01-06T14:01:00.000Z2011-01-06T14:02:36.377Z

We are in the midst of winter and not much is going on in the Bliss garden. The Viburnum Bodnantense Dawn is in flower and fills the garden with a delightful scent, the Winter Jasmin is doing its best to cheer up a bleak winter's day with its golden trumpets. And there is of course the stalwart Viburnum Tinus, bless its brave little heart, about to burst forth in flower but apart from that, it's

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-12678097256626472592010-12-23T13:50:00.002Z2010-12-23T13:58:01.913Z

The Mora clock is ticking the hours away. Not long now before it's Christmas. It's going to be another White Christmas this year, same as last year. Very unusual as we've had only 7 times a White Christmas in the last 100 years. Aren't we the lucky ones to have 2 in a row? If there's one who's extatic about the snow it's the Ickle Pup Tara. Tara? Tara! Get your widdle face out of the snow! Dogs!

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-75997089995855719372010-12-15T14:40:00.002Z2010-12-15T14:44:28.992Z

 Tara and Merlin (R)  This year I had to face two of my worst fears concerning my cats. You've read about one of them here but in March of this year another of my worst nightmares came true: Merlin was diagnosed with Diabetes. I have friends with diabetic cats and known for years that that's not a picnic. My vet was making rather light of the whole thing but I've known for a long time that

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-67501353817942913362010-12-07T10:10:00.015Z2010-12-07T10:14:59.448Z

In a land far, far away, there is a garden where magical creatures live. Somtimes, if you are very lucky, doubting Thomas, you'll find a sign that those magical creatures truly do exist, like this: And from time to time they even leave more tangible evidence of their existence in this enchanted garden.  Of course the garden is enchanted, where else do you suppose magical creatures live? The

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-87924590895427066222010-11-09T14:04:00.001Z2010-11-09T14:13:33.014Z

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire ..... Don't worry Christmas isn't upon us. Yet! Just trying to capture that image that says Autumn like nothing else. Roasted chestnuts is one of those images and so is this and this. Autumn is such a cliché, isn't it? One hoary old err chestnut after another, but fun though and pretty spectacular colourwise. And fun was had by all. Recently yours truly went on

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-66539292718018045842010-10-19T15:30:00.000+01:002010-10-19T15:34:03.840+01:00

I'm nuts about ferns as they are so frilly and have such a fab green colour. I love watching fern fronds unfurl in Spring. And because I love ferns so much I decided to make a stumpery in a shady part of the Bliss garden. For a stumpery you need, no surprises there, stumps and quite a lot of them. But where to do you get your hot little hands on them?  Fortunately, as we are now in the process

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-72390141155092799102010-09-21T14:27:00.001+01:002010-09-21T14:27:29.598+01:00

Granted I do indulge in the odd topiary ball or two and even have a few cone shapes as well, but that is where I draw the line topiary-wise. Not everybody feels that this is where the topiary thing should stop as is evidenced by this and this. They have simply gone ape-doo-doo with topiary. Fun but totally OTT. To make matters worse, not everybody is content to clip their box, yew and goodness

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-78863186878193427172010-09-07T11:35:00.001+01:002010-09-07T11:37:19.659+01:00

Shortly after Vita's return (see previous post) we built the feliary. It's right next door to the conservatory so the cats can go into the feliary whenever they want. Which is often as they love it. And why shouldn't they, it's got all the mod cons any self respecting kittycat could hope for:  the feliary is spacious, has a fabulous view, a great outdoor dining space,  loads of green stuff for

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-35497852745048983972010-08-26T14:29:00.004+01:002010-08-26T14:34:05.937+01:00

Haven't blogged much lately but not for lack of material to write about. Last July, for instance, my worst nightmare came true when my oldest cat Vita disappeared from the Bliss garden. Since I moved here I was in the habit of letting some of the cats play in the garden while I was working outside so I could keep an eye on them. My old garden had been cat proof; no cat could escape from it and no

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-47406721085348969742010-06-30T11:47:00.001+01:002010-06-30T17:45:07.618+01:00

 A view of the border from the wildflower meadow Summertime and the livin' is easy berries are poppin' and the cornflowers are high Summertime is certainly easy, not to mention fab when you are a gardener and it's even better if you are a potagerer as well. At this time of year my garden certainly lives up to its name: Bliss! My big border (17 meters long) is jam-packed with flowers to my utter

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-46430387600430997852010-06-10T14:25:00.003+01:002010-06-10T14:29:46.488+01:00

 My own front garden I moved house a couple of years ago to an area where I didn't know a soul. What to do? To meet new people you are often advised to join a club. As I love to garden a garden club would be just the ticket. So I searched high and low but was unable to find a local garden club. Hmmm  Rosa Blanc Double de Coubert at the back and Sombreuil in front, both have a divine scent At

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-73442351660453446152010-06-02T13:00:00.002+01:002010-06-02T13:00:03.993+01:00

I went abroad recently, all the way to Belgium, to visit a Peony nursery with my garden club. Fun was had by all and we really were in Peony heaven that lovely Sunday morning.  Their collection of Peonies is vast and quite a few were in flower. If you are into spectacular blooms, ones that really hit you in the eye with bells on, then you can't go wrong with Peonies.  Some have flowers as big as

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-30059367318043797572010-05-27T08:22:00.003+01:002010-05-29T08:05:55.582+01:00

After a cold Malvern I was happy to find that Spring had returned in full force at Bliss. In the potager veg simply jumped out of the ground overnight. From 8 C to 23 in one fell swoop, no wonder everything was growing its little socks off.  My soft fruit is growing like the clappers too, soon it will be time to harvest and, far more important, savour the fruits of my labour although with

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-35491005864719211412010-05-20T14:45:00.001+01:002010-05-20T14:52:06.887+01:00

When I told my friends I was going to the UK to meet up with people I had never clapped eyes on before they were a bit bewildered and concerned as well. Even more so when they found out that I would spent the first night at Michelle's house whom I had also never ever met before. But what if she's a crazy person, my friends objected. Michelle? I said, hardly! But you don't know her. Well, I've

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-33636140071702594362010-05-13T13:35:00.000+01:002010-05-13T13:36:59.391+01:00

Back To The Future is the name of this wonderful garden and it was designed and built by the pupils (groups 5-8) of the  Parkside Middle School in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire.The garden theme was reduce, reuse and recycle and they certainly did. Just look at that fantabulous greenhouse made from plastic bottles. And if you think they threw away the bottles tops, think again!Isn't this the best

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-44784562643355060452010-04-30T09:29:00.002+01:002010-04-30T09:53:40.027+01:00

That's right, there is a riot going on in my potager because I've had it up to here *points to a place 10 feet above her head or would do if her arm was that long* with colour coordinated borders. Because frankly why bother? Why should you have colour coordinated borders? Who says so and who are they when they are in the garden dancing the polka? Exactly, there is no such thing as the Garden

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-3720384735692587942010-04-13T09:40:00.001+01:002010-04-13T09:40:13.645+01:00

You have heard of speed dating before, unless you've been living under a rock for ages, but speed weeding is a  different kettle of fish altogether, you will be happy to know. With speed weeding you will not be introduced to a new weed every 3 minutes nor are you expected to chat it up and take it out for a meal. And no hanky-panky either.  Phew, what a relief! Speed weeding is something to be

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-57830620302463330832010-03-30T11:50:00.001+01:002010-03-30T11:56:02.674+01:00

Five Four Three Two One Springblooms Are Go! In a garden near you International Springbloom Rescue is there to save you! Gone are the winter blues the moment springblooms appear in their droves. Smiles light up on many a face, puppies are frolicking, kittens are purring, birds are singing, bees are buzzing and suddenly all is right with our widdle world once more. If your world is still devoid

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-47186244837800989492010-03-18T15:15:00.001Z2010-03-18T15:16:05.756Z

Potagers are fun, anything goes. You can mix vegetables with flowers and herbs and fruit trees and whatever else you care to throw into the pot of potage (soup). Mix and match people, don't be scared, simply mix and match. Kitchen (victory) gardens have become all the rage lately but not every (would be) gardener is the proud possessor of vast acres. Many have to make do with just a tiny plot of

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-51544820445794913702010-03-11T14:00:00.002Z2010-03-11T14:01:37.288Z

At what o'clock is Spring? That's a question I ask myself as soon as the last leaf has fallen from the trees. Spring is my favourite time of the year as it's so full of promises of things to come. Whether those promises will be fulfilled remains to be seen, but often the promise of something good and the anticipation thereof is something to treasure in and of itself. Spring is late this year; for

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-3493189487933612192010-02-25T11:55:00.001Z2010-04-15T09:52:55.368+01:00

That's right, it's time for an elocution lesson. As a garden connoisseur you are bound to have heard of  Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf but if you are non Dutch speaking do you also know how to pronounce his name correctly? When I talk with non Dutch garden geeks who are raving about Mr Oudolf I often have to ask them to repeat that name as it's mostly so badly mispronounced as to leave me

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-80303237546575936142010-02-10T09:35:00.000Z2010-02-10T09:41:38.696Z

Spammity spam, wonderful spaaaaaaaaaaaaaaam! That seems to be on the menu lately and frightfully often too. Is it me or has there been an influx of spam recently? Comments is something we bloggers love so please dear reader, keep them coming.  But spamments? Not so much! It's very annoying when your blog gets hit by spamments. At one time a fully paid up member of the SadPeopleRUs society

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-73813642680920464322010-02-01T11:20:00.000Z2010-02-01T11:21:09.794Z

Outdoor space, the final frontier These are the voyages of the Bliss Gardener Her continuing mission to explore strange new worlds To seek out new life and new civilisations To boldly go where no gardener has gone before Quite some time ago it struck me that embarking on a journey in space is strangely akin to starting out as a gardener as you never know what will happen next, who you'll

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-5623906919607210412010-01-19T10:45:00.002Z2010-01-19T12:13:04.660Z

Dolly: I can't watch this anymore, I really can't, that dog is so bad. Bad, bad, really, really bad!Tara: who's bad?Tara: when we went shopping the other day I just popped into the butcher's while Yolanda wasn't looking and helped myself to a string of sausages.It is self service in there, isn't it? So who's bad?Dolly: but stealing sausages is not the only bad thing that pup did. I won't look but

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-80283825650137336632010-01-12T12:54:00.008Z2010-03-18T21:38:44.546Z

Gardening outside is not an option when my garden is covered in 15 cm of snow so I've opted for a spot of indoor gardening today. First off I went to buy a nice bouquet of tulips. After I had turfed out the Christmas tree I felt in dire need of some floral therapy. Gorgeous, are they not? I think so anyway, and they seem to get even more beautiful as time progresses. I've put my tulips on a

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-46588785481143910772010-01-07T12:31:00.010Z2010-01-07T14:01:03.146Z

Snow...................gently falling inch by inch, transforming the dreary, bare landscape into a magical placewhere any moment now, the Ice Queen will make a frosty appearance.Wreaking havoc, polar bears and all, on the purity of the driven snow.Stop this nonsense immediately Ice Queen, so we can enjoy this pristine blanket of snow that has turned our dull and drab winter world into something

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-37800564473275361122009-12-31T12:23:00.004Z2009-12-31T13:39:39.499Z

Tick tock, the old Mora clock ticks away the seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, decades, centuries.She was made a long time ago, round 1850, tick tock, in the Swedish province of Dalarna. Bad weather and poor soil forced the farmers in the Mora (town) area to look for other ways to supplement their income. The villagers of this area turned around 1750, tick tock, to

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-47926697246454263582009-12-25T15:30:00.001Z2009-12-25T15:45:18.188Z

is what we're doing this Christmas. We are frightfully comfy and toasty in front of a roaring fire. And we are loving it. A lot.Outside it may be cold,bitterly cold, but Tara doesn't mind one bit. She loves snow and she is not the only Kooiker doggie that loves it.After the first snowfall about a week ago, Tara and I went for a nice long walk with Tara's breeder Margo and 4 of her doggywogs. It

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-47007883659346115492009-12-17T13:40:00.000Z2009-12-17T13:43:18.336Z

but we have snow. Rather unexpectedly as we very seldom have any.It's just a very light sprinkling as you can see here; it does not even cover the lawn properly.But pretty nevertheless,it's turned my garden into a magical winter wonderland.To enjoy this unexpected pleasure to the max I decided to go for a walk with Tara.And we were not the only ones out and about: hi, Jeeves!O look, a pretty

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-75344549223480535132009-12-09T09:40:00.001Z2009-12-09T09:49:03.246Z

Bulbs are so delicious you could eat them with a spoon. Well, not eat perhaps - although this has been done in the Netherlands in WW2 during the Hunger Winter of 1944 - but certainly plant them with it.I do, I plant most of the small bulbs like crocus, muscari, fritillaria, some alliums, snowdrops, winter aconites and anemones with a spoon.I love bulbs, they are such powerhouses, aren't they, and

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-82281192715476961252009-11-25T11:10:00.000Z2009-11-25T11:12:28.584Z

Autumn has so far been a rather sparkling affair with gorgeous jewels dotted about in the garden.The beauty of flowers is especially poignant at this time of year when every day could be the last day on which they can display their rich glittering colours of rubies, emeralds, sapphires, amethysts, gold, silver, diamonds, pearls and jade.Here a colander full of precious jade with the taste of

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-80185442273888172172009-11-15T12:24:00.005Z2009-11-15T13:32:35.067Z

Those of you who follow me on Twitter already know how unseasonably clement the weather has been over here these last two months and it has led to a bountiful Garden Bloggers Bloom Day today. Of course I'd love you to share in this bounty and feast your eyes on all that Blissful glory. So dear reader, start feasting:Never before were there so many blooms in November in the Bliss garden, a very

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-65364851550943538592009-11-03T08:59:00.001Z2009-11-03T09:13:26.708Z

The winter here is cold and bitter It's chilled us to the bone We haven't seen the sun for weeks Too long too far from home I feel just like I'm sinking And I claw for solid groundI'm pulled down by the undertowI never thought I could feel so lowAnd ohhh darkness I feel like letting goIf all of the strength and all of the courageWill come and lift me from this placeI know I could love life much

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-90696948272162973832009-10-27T12:48:00.006Z2009-10-27T14:06:49.261Z

I said hello, Dolly, ...... well, hello, DollyIt's so nice to have you back where you belongYou're looking swell, Dolly, I can tell. DollyYou're still glowin' .... you're still crowin', ... you're still growing strongMy glorious girl is 12 today! Happy Birthday Dolly Daisy, long may you continue to glow, crow, grow and delight us!My sweet Dolly who has the most easy going and sweet tempered

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-30857968844641352802009-10-20T11:17:00.006+01:002009-10-20T12:33:43.069+01:00

It wasn't all that long ago when we would call ourselves lucky, very lucky indeed, if we had 2 or 3 days of glorious sunshine and balmy weather in October. Nowadays we have come to count on such wonderfully mild and sunny weather at this time of year. Global warming has many drawbacks but this isn't one of them.I love being out and about in the garden and enjoy these special days as they are

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-21689587534307466862009-10-13T09:30:00.000+01:002009-10-13T09:39:52.121+01:00

Multimedia is the name of this game, so if you want to get the full fun instead of only half of it please click on the video to start the music. By the time you've grinned yourself through this post the song will have finished. Enjoy!I'm gonna be round my vegetables Vita: do I really have to sit here?I'm gonna chow down my vegetables Tara: what is this, can I eat it?I love you most of all, my

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-14686471602643568712009-10-06T12:50:00.002+01:002009-10-06T14:08:51.774+01:00

the garden path. Or up it as the case may be. And a very unusual path it is too. I found it last year in the Botanical Gardens of Wageningen and I have been meaning to blog about it ever since. But you know how it is, there was always something else to blog about, but today I finally managed it. If ever you are in the neighbourhood of Wageningen go visit the Botanical Gardens there as they are

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-32900681590744129612009-09-29T10:15:00.001+01:002009-09-29T18:57:05.074+01:00

Be smart, indulge yourself and click the vid, you know you want to!Autumn is upon us and although I'm hardly Mother Mary I do have some words of wisdom on the subject of your garden and what is to be done with it at this time of year. Many gardeners feel compelled to clean up their garden and make everything look neat and tidy. Well don't, get a grip and Let It Be!Sure you can remove the fallen

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-29625282584108614772009-09-23T11:40:00.000+01:002009-09-23T11:50:51.629+01:00

That's quite a question, isn't it? And what, fellow blogger, would be your answer? I'd really like to know and you can tell me all about it on your blog if you decide to join in the fun that is this meme about writing. But it's rather up to you to decide whether you want to do this meme or not. If yes, consider yourself tagged.Yours truly was tagged by the Hatman, well sort of, and he's got a lot

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-25546399539744034032009-09-16T10:05:00.003+01:002009-09-16T10:05:00.278+01:00

September, and a lot of pottering gets done both in the garden and potager.There is the daily picking and savouring of woodland strawberries,these strawberries may be tiny but their taste is great, not to mention scrumptious.At this time of year there are blackberries, oodles of them and the picking is great,and so is stuffing your face with them, or making jam, but they do have one slight

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-66549489868443868672009-09-10T11:59:00.000+01:002009-09-10T12:26:15.556+01:00

A showstopper in your garden? I do, and it's a real winner in my eyes. It even flowers in August, the month when most gardeners complain that not a lot is going on, flower wise. Well this little gem does and how, so yours truly hasn't been complaining about August being dull and bloom less, not a bit of it.This wonderful plant started flowering in June, it's still going strong in September and it

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-10186810079363400182009-09-02T11:40:00.001+01:002009-09-02T15:55:24.526+01:00

Gardening is, to coin a phrase, multimedia baby, but I'm appalled and horrified by the fact that not all gardeners seem to realize this. Frankly, any fool can have a garden in technicolor and with surround sound. It's not that difficult to create a garden like that; just bung in a few colourful plants and the surround sound you will get without any effort on your part whatsoever, courtesy of the

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-75788137098231630422009-08-25T09:00:00.002+01:002009-08-25T09:51:56.059+01:00

always take the weather with you. I did, and it worked!As you can see I had a wonderful holiday in this beautiful country of mine,we all had. So, going Dutch is actually much better than many people think. ;-)copyright 2009 Y.E.W. Heuzen

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-59224705292341879752009-07-30T10:35:00.001+01:002009-07-30T10:42:11.288+01:00

Well there is Bliss on the menuAnd you don't know what you are missingGentle reader make a meal out of BlissTake a big biteOr a nibbleTomato entree, bon appetit!Gentle reader, never stop your commentingNever stop, have a good vintage wineCome, let's eat outside and have ourJust dessertsTea and sympathy, with a hint of mintI'll be the knife if you'll be the forkI'll try the saladIf you'll try the

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com43tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-74439781782524496052009-07-21T11:11:00.002+01:002009-07-21T11:18:49.231+01:00

Oh what a beautiful morning .....Oh what a beautiful dayI've got a beautiful feelingEverything is going my wayHang on, I feel a song coming onThere's a bright golden haze on the meadowAukje (l), Tara's sister and Jeppe, Tara's daddyThere's a bright golden haze on the meadowAnd the corn is as high as an elephant's eyeSSCRRRRRRRRRRRRRRREEEEECH!!!!!We're coming to a screeching halt here cos The corn

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-89567254298688088822009-07-13T12:11:00.000+01:002009-07-13T13:16:28.923+01:00

That's what my lovely Russian Blue girl Delia is today.It doesn't seem all that long ago when she was like this, teapot sized. And now look at her.Here Delia is with her son Merlin. I was making the bed so the cushions where on the floor and when I wanted to put them back on the bed I found they had been claimed by my delightful dynamic duo.So I rushed out to get my camera and started taking pics

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-8891894773709854862009-07-07T07:20:00.000+01:002009-07-07T07:26:03.265+01:00

Lately we've been experiencing aWell, what passes for it in this neck of the woods, but pretty hot it has been and still is.45 C (113 F), baby! Granted, that was in the conservatory but outside it was quite uncomfortably warm too with temperatures around 30 - 32 C (86 - 92 F). And that is pretty hot as it's very humid here as well.Poor Dolly is stretched out as far as she can go in an effort to

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-53618992576152262462009-06-30T08:45:00.006+01:002009-08-25T19:18:55.503+01:00

Jaguar Mark ll (Morse's car)It's surprising really that for such mundane tasks as transporting oneself from A to B and back they've designed such spiffy little gadgets as the ones shown above and below.Emma Peel with her Lotus ElanWhereas when we enter into the exciting world of hedge trimming we're fobbed off with this.Why?Trimming hedges can be so very exhilarating, especially when you grow

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-48276298057214509922009-06-24T07:25:00.002+01:002009-06-25T13:49:47.810+01:00

Jeeves in the potagerBecause that's what I've been doing lately and am still at it as a matter of fact.There was much picking of the strawberries,and raspberriesthat are growing over an arch in my potager.Also doing the arch thingy is my Japanese wine berry but those berries are not ready for picking yet. But picking there will be, and much of it.And I'm not the only one who's been doing the

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-68610203991096805372009-06-15T08:19:00.001+01:002009-06-15T08:37:17.482+01:00

You've heard of that old hoary chestnut "fighting like cats and dogs", right? But is it really true? I'm thinking: not so much! Why? Well, take a good hard look at the next few pics and then make up your own mind.Tara: Hi Jeeves!Wanna play?Jeeves: Sure!Jeeves: Hang on!I just rememberedI've got an important phone call to make. Must dash, toodle pip!So, it must be us who are barking as both Tara

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-77084946090041593872009-06-09T10:21:00.002+01:002009-06-25T13:59:21.050+01:00

Recently I went on a garden tour to Britain. Why? Well, that's actually a good question as we all know that if I want to look at scrumptiously gorgeous gardens I can do it here at my leisure in my own country, the Netherlands, where we have oodles of them as every gardener knows. Well, every gardener worth his/her salt, that is.So why did I bother to be bussed and shuttled across vast distances

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-13405376709174064752009-05-26T12:05:00.002+01:002009-05-26T15:47:42.586+01:00

It's not easy being a little doggywog. You get taken on holiday without so much as a by-your-leave. This is where we went recently, some humble abode in the country.Havezathe VoorstondenReally, what is that all about? See those big trees? What is a girl doggy supposed to do with them? Not a lot, you got that in one.I liked the garden as it was very large and they had birds there, lots of birds. I

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-68840351662813058882009-05-21T08:56:00.000+01:002009-05-21T08:58:06.034+01:00

Designing a garden is something that quite a few gardeners find difficult to do but it isn't, really. Today I'd like to blog about how I designed my front garden on what was quite an unprepossessing and impossible plot to start with.This is how the front garden looked originally; a few humongous shrubs pushed against the front wall of the house and a bit of law with a very narrow path leading up

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-76029911484231733412009-05-14T09:40:00.001+01:002009-07-25T11:43:03.420+01:00

Perhaps you've heard of the movie Driving Miss Daisy and maybe even seen it, as I have, and such a great movie it is too. Both leads, Jessica Tandy and Morgan Freeman, know how to act and for me it was a joy to watch them. If you somehow inadvertently managed to miss Driving Miss Daisy, watch the vid of the trailer above.Some movies leave a lasting memory and this one did for me so it became the

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-48157681678958858362009-05-12T09:06:00.001+01:002009-05-12T09:09:50.275+01:00

Mine is a paltry 3 minutes and 7 seconds. It's sad, I know, but that is all I have managed so far. This year I aim to improve my record by a whole minute. That's right, I want to better my personal best with a full sixty seconds.You know how it is when people come to visit your garden and say stuff like: Oh, what a gorgeous garden you have, you must spent hours just sitting there enjoying the

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-2481596948130011152009-05-07T09:02:00.002+01:002009-05-07T09:02:00.751+01:00

It's time for our Whistle Weed Walk, are you coming? You will see some things on our walk that are quintessentially Dutch, which is of the good. Come, Tara is waiting, chomping at the bit so to speak, so let's go. First we'll go to a field nearby where we can play with Tara for a while. Would you like to throw first? Here you are. Tara fetch!Just look at her go!It's fun to see her ears flopping

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-40237078036264011042009-05-03T11:25:00.001+01:002009-05-03T11:28:42.392+01:00

is what we are at Bliss. We're also berry busy, which explains why I haven't been blogging at all lately.The Bliss potager is a frightfully berry affair at the mo with ever-bearing strawberries andwoodland strawberries that I've sown myself.It always amazes me that from a humble packet of seeds can spring such bounty.Woodland strawberries are my favourite strawberries as they are the

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-52780541577398778322009-04-22T08:05:00.001+01:002009-04-22T16:39:34.035+01:00

You've seen this movie:But have you seen this one?Have you read this interview?Or read this?Inaction is inexcusableAre we living in the Age of Stupid?Is it Time to Say Goodbye (por ti volare)?Goodbye to our big, beautiful blue planet with all its living creatures who sail on her in this infinite universe?Is it?You decide!LiterallyAnd especially for many of my garden blogger friends this message:

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-70152842762948544342009-04-20T10:11:00.000+01:002009-04-20T10:11:04.640+01:00

That's where Jeeves is right now. Literally!He's another victim of the Credit Crunch. I'd found a new owner for him and he was supposed to go to his new home last January. Unfortunately his new owners were unable to sell their old house and they had already bought their new one. Not of the good. Since then we've been waiting for them to sell their old house so that Jeeves can move in with them

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-58660644151221719022009-04-14T11:15:00.002+01:002009-04-14T13:26:07.861+01:00

Jeeves, my feline gardening friendIn the garden quite a few plants get on with each other swimmingly. Well known examples are corn, squash and beans grown together in one bed. They are known as the 3 sisters as they get on so very well and form a tightly knit family. If you've never heard of them before you can read all about sister bean, sister corn and sister squash here.In the Bliss potager we

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-15619802800849884742009-04-09T10:25:00.000+01:002009-04-09T10:31:19.922+01:00

that's how my inner gardener is going through life at the mo, feeling like a very happy bunny. Why? Well, look around you, grasshopper, and tell me what you see.Here, in the Lowlands, Spring most definitely has sprung, we could even say that it has suddenly gone all kablooye after that looooong, cold winter we had.Bang!!!!Spring has not only exploded here but it is blossoming as well.And how!

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-76655947112447196052009-04-06T14:30:00.001+01:002009-04-06T15:02:57.651+01:00

At this time of year things can't grow too quickly in the garden. After a long cold winter we're desperate for something green, to show us a stem, give us a leaf. Anything, something! How maddeningly slooooooooow everything grows, what's a desperate gardener to do? We can't force the plants to grow more quickly. What would you have us do? Twist their leaves behind their backs? Give their stems

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-31159974944596777992009-04-01T09:50:00.001+01:002009-04-01T09:54:50.337+01:00

Hardly, I was there long before I started and will probably still be there long after I've stopped blogging. For now I blog and I enjoy it. Recently I was interviewed by Ewa about why I blog. Today ( and no, it's not an April Fools Day joke) Ewa has published it and you can read the interview here.Why do we gardeners blog? I think it has a lot to do with the fact that most of us garden on our

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-87985171642814393152009-03-26T10:50:00.000Z2009-03-26T10:52:45.809Z

in big cardboard boxes stuffed to the gills with garden-y goodness!They say money can't buy you love, but it certainly can buy happiness and loads of it.Last Saturday for slightly more than 20 euros I bought these plants for my garden.Some were put into containers to enhance the enjoyment that is gardening. These plants above not only gladden the eye but the nose as well. I love scented plants

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-90862221103132263602009-03-23T12:10:00.001Z2009-03-23T13:04:43.410Z

For all my visitors who have never done a spot of sowing before, here follows a simple demonstration of how to go about it. Cue my charming assistant:Tara : Got seed, can I sow now?YE: Yes Tara, this is the time of year when many seeds can be sown.Tara: What should I do first?YE: Prepare the soil by removing all weeds, then lightly rake it and water it.YE: I said lightly rake it, not make a

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-51264879781737003232009-03-18T08:18:00.001Z2009-03-18T08:35:47.948Z

is what my garden is today. Such a relief after weeks of being cooped up inside, desperate for the garden to show us a leaf, give us a bloom, anything, something, if only a smidgen, and now it has, and how!If you are in need of some uplifting play the vid and don't be ashamed to do the Snoopy Dance of Joy because you are alive and kicking too!For those of you who are not quite sure what the

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-23124130501617006452009-03-16T12:50:00.002Z2009-03-16T13:07:01.845Z

is what you are if you don't grow peas in your garden this year. What's that you whine? You don't have a vegetable garden? And what does that have to do with the price of teabags these days? Haven't you heard? There's no law against growing veggies in amongst your flowers. On the contrary, it's often very beneficial to both and the gardener as well. Fresh veggies are tasty and healthy and, if you

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-75498099541397225732009-03-10T11:11:00.000Z2009-03-10T11:07:44.685Z

Yesterday started sunny and bright, if a touch windy, so I decided to take advantage of the sunshine and do a bit of work in the potager. Dear Jeeves came along to lend me a paw every now and again.I planted some leeks,harvested a few winter leeks,checked on my garlic that I put in last November, and yes they are coming oop.The onions I planted last year are wearing perky green Mohawks,and the

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-56483783636657949612009-03-05T09:28:00.003Z2009-03-05T09:51:41.112Z

I have to write a post today but I don't know what to blog about. This is bad, really really bad because I've read on the Internet that you should blog regularly, twice or trice a week otherwise visitor numbers will be dropping.And we can't have that, can we? Well yes actually, who cares about numbers? Not I. And another thing: do I really have to blog? Who says so? When I turn round there is no

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-3655431874097956252009-03-02T11:30:00.000Z2009-03-02T11:40:23.661Z

Spring is slowly creeping, inch by inch, upon us poor, unsuspecting gardeners. Before we know it, it will pounce and devour us in one fell swoop with its breathtaking blooms.Slowly, o so slowly it's drawing nearer, bloom by tiny bloom.Softly, softly it comes closer and closera sudden flash of colour and thenall is calm and peaceful again.And with soft pastel coloursand lovely white bells tinkling

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-22010269676536961042009-02-26T09:10:00.000Z2009-02-26T09:19:09.010Z

This post contains an update on Dutch Spring Fling.We all of us are busy people with lots to do. I write to-do-lists to make things easier. On my most recent list :- check if my white crayons have turned into a lovely bunch of snowdropsCheck!- show on blog that Tara not only had chosen devil chicken, but angel chicken as well.Check!- do all the February seeding. Do not forget as next month's will

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-25849580770323302332009-02-23T09:30:00.004Z2009-02-23T10:32:05.443Z

Step 1: buy nifty mini greenhouse kitStep 2: read detailed instructionsStep 3: pop soil in, press down and lightly moisten with lukewarm waterStep 4: sprinkle seeds on top. These are Petunia seeds so they don't need to be covered, yet.Step 5: write label and stick it in, don't forget to write down the dateStep 6: pop the lid on and place somewhere warm to germinate (20 - 22 C)I've put my mini

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-25000027190964274962009-02-19T10:59:00.000Z2009-02-19T11:40:04.705Z

To experience the full blast of seductive Bliss, please play the video. Trust me, I'm a designer!Tempted right into the wide open arms of Spring is what's happening here. A few mild and sunny days andso many things are coming up in the garden.Even quite a few plants and bulbs are in flower, luring poor innocent you into thinking that Spring is already here.Just look at those winter aconites who

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-84746637212874089432009-02-15T10:06:00.014Z2009-02-15T17:02:22.067Z

Once upon a time there lived in a certain village a garden fashionista, the prettiest creature that was ever seen. Many people were excessively fond of her and one of them had a pretty pink riding hood made for her. It suited her so well that everybody called her Pretty Pink Riding Hood.PPRH was very fond of cats and gardening but one day she decided to get a puppy too as she thought that

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-7817753795242676402009-02-10T08:40:00.004Z2009-02-10T10:14:00.278Z

As you probably know the US garden bloggers held their first Spring Fling last year in Austin, Texas. This year they are having another one in Chicago. But what are we having, the European garden bloggers? So far, nothing and that got me thinking, an activity I seldom indulge in as it gives me a splitting headache. ;-) However, I have come up with a cunning plan; why don't we have a Dutch Spring

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-1705322222734243512009-02-05T08:04:00.010Z2009-02-06T14:39:41.599Z

about the Bliss team but were afraid to ask. ;-)One thing that is often asked about the Bliss team is: How many cats are there? Rumour has it (thanks James) that there are 43,000 cats at Bliss. That figure is ever so slightly wide of the mark. There are merely 10 at Bliss, no more no less; 8 indoor kitties and 2 outdoor ones. Let me introduce you to them:This is Vita, a female Maine Coon cat,

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-71100249336424694262009-02-02T08:54:00.007Z2009-02-02T09:43:31.416Z

Two, that's how old my blog is today. Two years of Bliss blogging, never thought it would last that long and still going strong!Four is what I was challenged to by Min Eden in Finland; to show the fourth pic in the fourth map on my pc. So here it is and the fun thing is, it's a pic of four crocus in flower in my kitchen kitchen garden today.One. As you know it's very pc nowadays to recycle things

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-53724810404954368812009-01-29T08:25:00.009Z2009-01-29T10:25:52.380Z

I popped over to the Rant the other day and found this link about an interview with Amy Stewart who, among other things, is the woman who's entirely to blame that I'm a garden blogger today. If you have the time, do pop over and read the interview, it's fun and Amy's vid about her new book is quite amusing. In the interview Amy was asked what her very first garden book was and that got me

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com44tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-46471104979326317032009-01-26T08:14:00.009Z2009-01-26T09:19:32.499Z

Yesterday it was an unexpectedly but very welcome sunny day. And of course Dolly Daisy made the most of it by taking a snooze in the sun in the conservatory. If you want to know what the best place in the house is, look where the kittycat is having a nap. ;-)The same applies to outdoor spaces. As soon as the sun appears on my front porch, so does Macavity, one of my rescue kittycats.As it was

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-81253091296008316592009-01-22T08:41:00.006Z2009-01-30T09:44:19.754Z

Is what we all have to make from time to time and sometimes it is difficult to decide what to do or which one to choose. Today I'll have 2 things to decide about. I've joined my friend Shirl'sand I'll have to make a decision about something else as well, more about that later.My 3 choices of plants are:1) Rosa Fisherman's Friend, a David Austen rose with a most wonderful scent and with big (

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com43tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-57365217430350064472009-01-18T09:33:00.006Z2009-01-19T08:33:48.692Z

No, yours truly hasn't suddenly developed a stutter, I am talking about my new kitchen garden that is situated in my kitchen, hence a kitchen kitchen garden.In my kitchen kitchen garden I grow lettuces and rocket salad, all of which are very yummy and taste well in a salad or on a sandwich. About a year ago heads of lettuces in pots and such started popping up in supermarkets.This yummy lettuce I

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-28935574596530096732009-01-15T09:04:00.011Z2009-01-15T22:05:17.378Z

TaraLast Friday Margo, Tara's breeder, and Hanny, who has Tara's sister Aukje and Tara's daddy Jeppe, came for a visit. They had brought their dogs, Hanny both Jeppe and Aukje and Margo had brought Renske (Tara's Mum),RenskeCobus ( a handsome 10 year old male Kooikerdog) and the latest addition to her dog family; little Fija.After a cuppa tea we went for a walk with the Kooikerdogs. Quite close

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274925030972014073.post-53211300663927233162009-01-12T09:42:00.011Z2009-01-12T11:35:46.094Z

is what we have been experiencing lately. The painting is by Hendrick Avercamp and dates from 1609. And here are some pics of ice skating fun dating from 2009; 400 years later and not much has changed.Young and old are still to be found on the ice, even baby in its pram.Quite a few people came by bike, a very ordinary way of transportation if you live in the Netherlands. Even our Prime Minister

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506031220151023088noreply@blogger.com32