2026/16 - Murphy's Law in Gardening

 We Dutch don't have an equivalent of Murphy's Law. We do have the saying 'an accident sits in a small corner' (yeah, I know, ponder on that for a while), but having one thing go wrong, and then the rest will go to pot...nope. And yet that is exactly what happened to me this week.

The day started very well. I had planned to go mow my grass paths in Hunky Dory for the first time this year, so had thought to recharge the battery for the trimmer. Preparation is all, right? It would not be the first time that it died on me within a few minutes. Nor the second time, come to that.

So. Freshly charged trimmer, no need to go home again (no electricity on our allotment).

I got as far as my rocking chair, so let's say I had trimmed merrily away for...two minutes? And with a whrrrrrr sound my spool was empty. Now this means a car ride to the next village, to get a full spool plus the strong hands of a guy in the farming equipment shop, as my artrosis fingers will not get the bloody thing undone.

Always looking for the bright side (whilst fuming), will you just look at my Kiwi, which has survived the transplant and the frost?!

The struggling Honeysuckle next to it is sort of alive...but I will have to do something about it. Anyway, I'm hoping the Kiwi will solve the problem for me and cover that fence.

Meanwhile the second thing that could go wrong had already done so. The latest storm (two weeks in a row) had again blown down one of my obelisks, and this time had destroyed the Latyrus it had spared the first time.

In the greenhouse my Rettich had grown well. But so had Monster (read post 15), now totally covering my newly planted Broccoli completely.

I dug up the Broccoli and moved them to a new, better, place. Did I pull out Monster, you ask? I did not. It is about to burst into flower. I know...I'm a pussy.

The bee on the Wallflower was in my balcony garden, totally off topic, but so sweet.

Anyway. I removed the algae from the frog pond, did some other small jobs and then prepared one of my tin beds for the wildflower patch I have decided to grow there.

In the one there are some Tulips, and a mass of just about to come up Monarda.

In the second there is my beloved Desdemona Rose, and there used to be a huge Fennel for three years, but that had blown over by another storm, and passed away.

I had been given a few small bags of wildflower seed, by various people. My experience with these bags is that the result is disappointing. Hunky Dory is definitely 'wild', but mainly because of my tolerance for wild plants that blow in. Wild plants that I sow...hardly ever come up. They are out competed by the real wild ones.

So this time, I decided to give it a go in this bed. If the wildflowers are yet again a disaster, I can always plant something else in it. This soil will not turn into concrete. There are some perennial Nettles and Asters in there, but they can stay.

I promised you my orange Broom. It has been cold this last week, so it has not got very far, but you get the picture. Bear with me, there will be better photos soon. 

The same applies to the Apple blossom. Just about to really show. I pruned very brutally, so I am pleased 3 out of my 4 trees are showing blossoms.

My willow branch planter is falling apart, a total waste of money, but the Raspberry in there is looking good. And that Artichoke, which had been devastated by an autumn storm, is happily doing its best to dominate that corner of the garden again.

Anyway, back to that trimmer and effing Murphy! I got a new spool attached by a nice guy in Oostvoorne, and when I started trimming the grass it broke within the first 5 minutes. This time I swore at it, loudly, and repaired it with duct tape. Sod you, Murphy, you will not beat me!

Here is the proof that duct tape works.

Look me up at my website at Renée Grashoff Schrijft , where my latest blog tells you about the mysterious dicks that appeared all over Brielle on March 31st. Have a good weekend!

Renée Grashoff 

2026/15 - First Harvest!

 Well, sort of...I have been eating my own Endive all Winter...But now it was possible to harvest the first Rhubarb (recipe below), and that is a festive moment every year, as for me it means the start of the months of plenty.

Plenty of veggies, plenty of fruit, absolutely fabulous!

Also plenty of watering, plenty of battles with slugs, and plenty of tiny disappointments, as there are always those as well.

Still, today I was chuffed. The sun was shining, the storm had only blown over one of my obelisks, but it was fine and hurray, my resident mouse had not been able to get at my fresh batch of sown seeds.

I looked at my shiny, fresh Broccoli and Paksoi, and wondered at the huge plant that Really Likes my veg bed.

It works! Ha!

The first seedlings coming up are the Physaelia, which I have sown especially for my bees. The Candula and Wild Carrot are not showing yet.

Do you see that monster? It is a Ganzenbloem, or Glebonis coronaria. And no, I did not invite it to my veg patch, it gate crashed. Me being me (read: unable to banish a perfectly healthy plant that is full of flower buds), it can stay.

The first of my tulips. It is Tulipa 'Pallada'.

The rest are all still in bud. We've had a very chilly couple of weeks. Which is normal for this time of year. The citizens donning their shorts just because the sun is out, are MAD.

You can see by my garden they are. It is very much an early Spring garden. And the air is definitely chilly! I am still in my thick winter coat.

I pruned half of my Buddleias, still have to do the other half, and it is time I trim my grass paths as well.

Nothing says 'allotment' better than stakes waiting for the climbers, right? There are roses against these. The Broad Beans there last year were a disaster, so I will stick to flowery climbers.

Oh, by the way, here is my recipe for Rhubarb compote:

- as much Rhubarb as you like

- wash, then cut into 1cm thick slices

- add some water (some!)

- add some sugar (it's up to you how much...I try to be careful with the stuff)

- add a small handful of dried fruit (to make up for the sugar)

- boil, then simmer until all the Rhubarb is soft

- add cinnamon if you like that

This time I used some raisins, cranberries and apricots. It will keep in the fridge for a couple of days, but in my house it never lasts that long!

Oh...you'll have noticed I am a very nonchalant cook! Meaning I assume you know the basics, and know something about measurements. Mind you, people that eat my food are always extremely happy to do so.

This, for instance, I prepared to share at our April 1st celebration, to commemorate the town's liberation from the Spanish oppressor in 1572.

Many Brielle residents dress in 1572 garb, and re-enact a battle between the Spaniards and the Gueux (Geuzen), ending with the public hanging of the Spanish commander, but mainly it is a great day to eat and drink and be merry with your neighbours. I think it is great!

This golden retriever sat in that window for hours! It watched the parade, but mostly it watched his human having snacks on the pavement below.

Two of my friends and me, eating my wraps. It is tradition to 'chalk' the windows in the night of March 31st, keeping out of reach of the police, as it is forbidden, but that's the fun of it. Traditionally the young would write funny local political statements, but lately it has turned to personal stuff. For example, on this window, which belongs to my friend who was a teacher, it reads 'learn your sums'. But I also saw so many dicks, visibly drawn by the same hand! I swear, there is some young man in our town who is extremely frustrated, poor guy.

This is it for this week. Have a good weekend!

You can access my website by this link Renée Grashoff Schrijft

Renée Grashoff 

2026/14 - Spring blossoms and early flowers.

 I know, I know, it happens every year...But to me it never gets old! When I walk my dog I enjoy the sight of all the trees and shrubs that have sprung into Spring with abandon.

The tiny white flowers of the Amelanchier, which we call krentenboom, are always the first. The cherries have the reputation for being wonderful, but I think this blossom is just as fine.

By the way, not a blossom tree at all, but look at this Willow. It has put on its spring finery as well. The wild mallards that use this 'sloot' like to fly up to the top of this particular tree, as it has a nice bowl-shaped top, which seems to be custom made for ducks. They made their nest there some years ago.

The Rapeseed under this bank of blossoms is just about to burst into flower as well. And when the Amelanchier has turned green, the Hawthornes which also live on this bank, burst into flower alongside the Cow Parsley. This is my favourite bank near my house, by far!

In Hunky Dory there is slowly some colour creeping in...I have two Broom bushes, the ordinary yellow one, which does very well, and a much more temperamental orange kind. Last year it hardly showed any colour, such a disappointment. But look at the buds on it now! It is very promising, and I will make sure to show you it in all its glory soon.

Next to the frog pond I have planted some Grape Hyacinths I had in pots indoors. They seem happy and are slowly spreading themselves out along the path.

The Wallflowers were some of the very first plants I planted in my garden 4 years ago. I planted 3 together next to my (tiny!) 'mound', and two have given up by now. But this one is still going strong. What I adore about this one is the variation in the colour, not one flower is the same.

Totally different from the one on my balcony, which is very uniform. It was sold to me as Erysimum yellow, well...It is very large, and has taken over the entire trellis planter; but the Clematis that is also in there takes no heed and simply climbs up from behind it.

Talking about the balcony, this Brunnera macr 'White Zebra' is showing her pretty leaves in between the Maroccan Mint. I thought I had lost it to the invasive Mint, but no, thankfully here it is.

And remember this plant? And me moaning about it, how I had lost all the seedlings of it three years in a row? It seems my Erigeron Profusion (Mexcian Fleabane) has taken a shine to this pot, for here it is, her third year in there and wow, covered in new flowers. Mind you, I made the soil in there extra gritty by mixing in sand, and then covered the base of the plant with 3" granite rocks that I stole from the boring ground cover next to my apartment. It seems to have done the trick.

The huge Grape Hyacinths never cease to amaze me. They are a bit later than their ordinary cousins, but when they do finally show colour, they look great, and they last for ages too.

I wouldn't mind this one in Hunky Dory, but my green gut tells me it will not appreciate the heavy clay and icy winds there. 

Despite near freezing temperatures and a storm, the plants I brazenly put much too early in the railing planters are doing fine. All my Pelargoniums have given up the ghost, so I had to get new plants. Oh well, I like a change from time to time. Now I simply hope my yellow Grape, which is against one of the trellis, has survived. The climbing rose Schneewitchen (the other trellis) is looking good, but the Grape looks...dead, frankly. I'll leave it for a bit though. After all it is early days yet.

Okay. Have a good weekend, take a look at my website Renée Grashoff Schrijft or subscribe to my newsletter by leaving me a message. 

Take care,

Renée Grashoff