2025/15 Driest Spring in history

 One year ago I was complaining about the incessant rain we were having, months on end. Flooded streets, and my poor flooded flowerbeds. This year we are experiencing the driest Spring since weather recorded history. 

Hello, my little friend!

   My garden soil is parched. My water butt is almost empty (luckily I have 3 more). And, grumble grumble, it is hard to get a spade into to the ground already. That should not be happening before June!

   How I am going to get my seedlings into the ground, I don't know. For the time being they are still in the greenhouse, as we have frosts in the night. But they were struggling, because it already gets so hot in there! So yesterday afternoon I hung up a shade for them, I hope it is enough to keep them alive.

The first Tulips are showing colour, always a nice moment. I have various kinds, but they are mostly the shorter botanical ones. That wind that whips through my garden on most days has taught me a lesson in the first year I was gardening here.

Sorry about the sunglasses, but I need them

And the other bulbs are showing signs of life as well. My Alliums are up, only the green stems so far. The Grape Hyacinths are looking chirpy next to the frog pond.

I planted Camassia as well, they are above ground. I have high hope for them.

My pruning is almost done. Just one more bed to go, as well as the Teasels in the apple orchard. They can go now, there are plenty of other hiding places for the insects by now. I have three compost heaps, but two are already full to capacity. 

There is a bud! But you can see how dry that soil is, can't you?

Another thing I did was paint the two obelisks; I chose black, as the colour of the flowers that will (hopefully!) scramble up them will pop against the black. As I had some leftover paint, I also painted the top of my rickety wooden fence. I am already looking forward to the dark yellow of the Tansy against that black.

The previous colour (grey) disappeared next to the Artichokes, this is much better.

Oh, I have two flowers in my struggling Viburnum, two! As it seemed doomed last year, this is a happy event!

Right. I'll be leaving you with a photo of last summer, just to give you an idea what Hunky Dory can also look like.😎

We'll have to practise patience...

Have a lovely weekend!

Renée Grashoff 
 

60 - Oh my, March was terribly dry! And April started with snow.

 Spending time in my garden is one of my favourite things, on a level with making music, painting, reading and eating. But these weeks it certainly takes up almost all of my free hours.

My romping Digitalis

And the thing is, most of that time was spent watering, for it was like the Sahara desert in Brielle. In March we normally enjoy 60 mm of rain, and this year we had 1 mm. Watering on my plot means carting watering cans to and fro, and as my go-to waterbutt was empty by the end of March, it meant an extra 10 metres every time.

This afternoon  (I write this on March 26th) I planted 30 Crocosmia bulbs, and I was that worried the poor little things would not survive the desert conditions (extremely dry and sunny during the day, but freezing at night) that I decided to plant half in pots in the greenhouse, just in case the same thing happened as with the Narcisii...namely they could not push through that rock hard soil. I did put my giant Lilies in though...fingers crossed.

Cup and saucer vines

Greenhouse

I salvaged the slightly nibbled but not completely destroyed vines and put them on my highest shelf. The others I composted. And I showed my greenhouse toad, Mr Waddles, the way to the pond. He was slightly bemused, but then swam to the nearest pot of Carex and perched.

Planted 6 Cauliflowers, 3 Parsley, and 3 rows of salad leaves. I still aim to sow my Spinach, Courgettes and Chard in between the flowers outside, but will have to see what the weather does in April. So far we've had snow, frost and yet another two storms.

And I treated myself to a Tillandsia usneoides, which we call Spaans Mos.

Why? Just for fun.

As I said, I read a lot (approx. 50 books a year), and that plant evokes the Southern plantations of books I practically devoured. Ever read The Vampire Chronicles (by Anne Rice)? I only have to gaze at my Tillandsia and I am in Louisiana.

I managed to keep my obelisks upright during the last storm by putting heavy paving slabs on the bottom rungs.

That made me heave a deep sigh of relief, I tell you! You can read lots more about my gardens on Instagram@songsmith2962,  and in the meantime love from Mr Waddles and myself, enjoy your hours in your garden!