A Whiff of Spring

Today was a lovely Spring day with lots of sunshine. In the afternoon I had time to work in the vegetable garden, garden and greenhouse.

In the garden I did a bit of pruning and Maine Coon Vita (blue, cream and white) was supervising the whole operation. Every branch I took off was checked to see if I had done it right. It's nice to have a little helper like that when you're gardening.

After the pruning I got my vegetable seeds from my nifty box and started sowing them in my greenhouse. It was nice and cosy in there because it was such a sunny day. It felt almost like summer in my greenhouse, so it was a pleasure to work in there.


I've sown tomatoes, courgettes, red hot peppers, peppers, pumpkins, spinach, lettuce, radishes and rocket today. Some of it in pots, the rest in my cold frames.

Last week I had sown broad beans and sweet peas, after which I had put the pots in a cold frame. Today some of the seedlings were poking their heads through the soil. Result!

And while I was working in the garden Dolly and Vita were following me around.

Merlijntje and Kadootje also kept an eye on me from their windowsill. And of course, just a I took the picture, Kadootje decided to look the other way. Cats!

It was such a lovely day today, hopefully more will follow.





And in green underwood and cover
Blossom by blossom the spring begins.
A.C. Swinburne

A Birthday Present From My Garden

On my birthday in November 2005, even though it was not a warm day, I decided to do some work in my garden as I was feeling very sad and restless. The day before, my beloved Russian Blue Bebop had been put to sleep, so I felt I needed a bit of garden therapy.

As I opened the door of my conservatory, I saw this cute little kitten sitting on the tree bench in my garden. She had been eating the bread crumbs for the birds. When she saw me, she came straight to me and started to purr and rub her little body against my legs. While I was doing some weeding she started to play with me. She was purring away, rubbing her little head against my hands and she loved being stroked and petted. I didn't know what her name was, so I decided to call her Kadootje (which is Dutch for small present) because it was my birthday.

Kadootje cheered me up - something I really needed at the time - with her friendly, playful way, her purring and the gentle kittie kisses she gave me. As I held her in my arms, I noticed how thin she was and, while muttering under my breath about how some people don't know how to look after a little cat properly, I got her some cat food. She ate it all and then looked at me for more. So I gave her some more food and she finished that quickly too.

After her 2 meals she decided that she wanted some quality time with me sitting on my lap. As it was November and not very warm I could manage half an hour with Kadootje, but then it got too cold. Reluctantly I put her down and told her to go home. And away she went.

The next day she returned, and the next and the next. And every day I gave her food which she ate, and slowly she put on a bit of weight. In the meantime I had been enquiring in my neighbourhood if anybody knew to which people the cute little kitten belonged. Everybody seemed to know the charming kitten, but no one knew where she lived. I had phoned the local vet and Amivedi as well, but to no avail.(Amivedi is a organisation for lost and found pets.) I was very surprised that I couldn't locate her home, as Kadootje was such a friendly little cat and so used to being around humans. Was she really a stray, this pretty little thing?

Kadootje came to visit me at least 3 times a day, every day, and started dropping large hints about wanting to come and live with me. And she knew me and my ways very quickly, because every morning as soon as I opened my bedroom curtains, there she was. Then I would open the curtains in my living room that has 3 windows and she was behind each window in turn as I opened the curtains, very funny, a sort of peek-a-boo. Then she would run to the conservatory because she knew that I would open the door there and come out to feed and pet her. And I would play with her for awhile too, of course.

If I was in the conservatory during the day, she would climb on the roof just to be close to me and to see what I was doing of course. We are talking about a cat here and curious is what they all are. I discovered that, as soon as I was anywhere near my garden or a window looking out on the garden, Kadootje appeared. And every time she told me she wanted to come inside the house and live with me.

In the end I decided to put a collar on Kadootje with a note saying: if this kitten has a home please phone me at ......... Kadootje wore the collar for a whole week, and was very proud to wear it too, but nobody called. And that was that, Kadootje got her wish and has been living with me and my other cats ever since. And she is a joy to have around, she is such a gentle and sweet little thing.

It's not very often that you get such a wonderful present for your birthday, and from your own garden too!

Feeling Blue

In the same area of the Netherlands where you can find the gardens and nursery of Piet Oudolf , the gardens of Voorstonden and those of Spaensweerd, you can also find the Gardens of Life of Groot Hontschoten.

These western gardens of life are designed in accordance with the Zen principle. When you enter the garden you are born again and then follow your path in life (there are many options) throughout the garden.

This path of life gives a whole new dimension to the garden experiences that you normally have. I was invited by some very good friends of mine, who know the owners of this garden very well and the garden too, to come and visit this wonderful garden. I had a very lovely day there, immersing myself in this garden, enjoying everything it threw at me. This garden comes highly recommended and they are open to the general public. More information can be found at their website. For my German garden blogger friends click here and for my English speaking garden blogger friends click here.

The pictures today were taken 2 years ago during the summer, in the blue part of the gardens of life. I have many more pictures of this wonderful and interesting garden and will post them at a later date.

Lord Illingworth: The Book of Life begins with a man and a woman in a garden.
Mrs Allonby: It ends with Revelations.
Oscar Wilde

Galanthus Galore

Ah my garden friends, let's pay tribute to the bravest of all flowers, the modest snowdrop.

The snowdrop is one of the first to arrive each year in our gardens and to gladden our hearts with their perfect bells with pretty green markings. And they are such brave souls as they stand firm in frost and wind and snow and rain until the others come to join them.

And the others have come, the cheerful daffodil, the dapper crocus, so tiny and neat, the shy hellebores, who mostly hide their pretty freckled faces, the blossom on the trees.... And they all say the same thing: Spring is here! It has come, at last.

And the arrival of Spring brings a fond farewell to our friend the snowdrop. Thank you for staying sweet snowdrop and brightening up those sombre winter days with your presence. And please come again next year, you will be most welcome dearest snowdrop. Until we meet again!

The Snowdrop

Already now the snowdrop dares appear,
The first pale blossom of th' unripen'd year
As flora's breath, by some transforming power.
Had chang'd an icicle into a flower,
Its name and hue the scentless plant retains,
And Winter lingers in its icy veins.
Ted Hughes

March

Dear March, how are you?
And the rest?
Did you leave Nature well?
Oh, March, come right upstairs with me,
I have so much to tell!
Emily Dickinson, Complete Poems, 1924

The Gardens Of Spaensweerd

Spaensweerd is a small castle built in 1650 on the remains of an earlier building dating back from 1326.

In 1835 the castle was renovated for the last time, in the empire style, and this is how it remains today. Here endeth the history lesson and we move on to the fun bit: the gardens!

The gardens are very romantic in style with many lovely old fashioned and fragrant roses, arbours, topiary, over 200 meters of colourful borders, long vistas, striking views of the surrounding countryside and, set like a jewel in the crown, the castle itself.

Several old and even rare trees grow in the lovely gardens, some trees were planted around 1835. The gardens are privately owned but open garden days are held every year. More information can be found on their website.

Spaensweerd is situated in the province of Gelderland, the Netherlands, not all that far away from Huis Voorstonden and Piet Oudolf's nursery and gardens.

Two years ago I visited the gardens of Spaensweerd on a beautiful, sunny summer's day. The pictures I took are not what I'd like them to be because of the too bright daylight. Anyhow, we went on our bikes (how very Dutch) from Voorstonden to Spaensweerd and the trip took us about 20 minutes. By the way, Piet Oudolf is about 1 1/2 hours' drive away by car.

They do B&B at Spaensweerd, so if you want to experience what it's like to (pretend to) be lord or lady of the manor, here's your chance. Hmmm, I'm beginning to sound like the tourist information board (VVV in Dutch).

Although Spaensweerd has large gardens, they feel very intimate and personal. I loved the old fashioned roses and their wonderful scent. We spent over 2 hours there and it was absolute bliss. The gardens are very tranquil and they clearly have been designed by people who just love to garden and are not made to impress but to be enjoyed. And that's exactly what I did, to my heart's content.

The castle hath a pleasant seat; the air/
Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself/
Unto our gentle senses.
William Shakespeare, Macbeth

Artistic Arrangement With Pumpkins

Materials:

- 7 pumpkins in different shapes and sizes
- 1 Maine Coon kitten, red tabby and white
- 1 big bowl

Instructions:

- arrange pumpkins in bowl
- add kitten
- stand back and admire.

Bliss Productions would like to thank Camelot's miss Polly Pumpkin McMain for her charming assistance.


A garden should be rather small,
or you will have no fun at all.
Tradescant's Diary, The Garden, June 2005