2026/4 - Memories of gardens past.

 Most of us gardeners never forget our previous garden(s). Which is logical; you have spent hours and hours of your life tending and shaping that garden, right? Sometimes you move on to an even better garden, sometimes you reluctantly can't.

Our first garden, 1969, hugely significant, for there I fell in love with green things. Especially with the meadows, where my mother kept goats, whom I adored. And the weeping willows, where a family of screetch owls lived.

She left the upkeep to others...who all accepted my interest with indulgence (and roped me in when nails and gardening tools had to be handed up, etc.) and gave me rides in the wheelbarrow.

This first home in the Dutch countryside, miles from a village, formed me. Eventhough I enjoy visits to cities, before long I need to get out.

My first garden

In 1987 I started my very first garden, on a balcony, so life has gone full circle by now. I again have a balcony garden now, as well as an allotment.

I was very proud of my garden, and quite disappointed when folks came round for drinks and did not even notice my pretty flowers.

The first proper garden

But then! In 1993 hubby and I moved to a corner house in a council row, so we had a front, side and back garden. Oh joy of joys! Hubby threw himself into the hard landscaping, and into keeping ornamental doves, and I spent every free minute shaping my dream garden.

Sorry for the blurry photo, this was pre-computer or mobile phones. But you get the gist of the lay-out.

I am still trying to duplicate the lush greenness of this garden on my allotment, but the soil is very different there, unfortunately.

For example, those Japanese Anemones,  the shining stars of my previous  garden, simply do not do well in my present garden. I keep trying though...as I really like them.

The side garden as seen from the fence. We had just planted a plum tree.

My daughter's rabbit Honing (honey) perched on his 'mount'. He had the run of the garden, and sat for hours on that pile of roofing panes, surveying his kingdom. The dog, cats and doves all respected him, as he was quite feisty.

The greenhouse was a great addition. Finally able to grow proper tomatoes and cucumbers was wonderful.

The last addition we made to that garden was a large pond...and I have no photos of that, unfortunately. Life took an unpredictable turn and I had to leave my old life and this garden behind.

I have no regrets about leaving that house, at all, but the garden...I still dream about that garden regularly.

Present day

I am nothing if not a pragmatist, so my present garden is very different. I try to go with the flow of my allotment garden, and some things work out better than others. The one thing that has not changed, is my love of emersing myself in my plants, both on my balcony and on my plot. I feel happiest when they tower over me...it must be the willows that imprinted on my early youth.

I already have made plans for both balcony and allotment for 2026, that is the sheer fun of gardening, isn't it?

So from Puck and me, a very green, happy weekend!

Do visit my website at Renée Grashoff Schrijft

Bye!

Renée Grashoff 

2025/14 - Going up, up, up!

 So far climbers have not done very well in Hunky Dory...but I am nothing if not extremely persistent. ( Or stubborn. Call me foolhardy, in fact you can call me anything you like except boring)

After some lovely sunny days today started foggy and then turned misty. I swear I was driving in and out of clouds that were hanging on the fields, on my way to the nursery. Very atmospheric.

I wanted to get some climbers for that frame I built some weeks ago, and for the frame I built two years ago. You know, the one where all climbers I have put there so far have died within months. Why? Frith knows.

The idea was that I would have somewhere to sit in the shade, as there isn't any in my garden. So I built the frame, put the chair in and waited for the plants to scramble up. Instead they all died, two years in a row.

This time I put two Lonicera against it, a red one and a yellow one. Fingers crossed!

This time I used a pot!!!

   As you can just about spot, the Trachelospermum is yellow with brown spots, definitely ailing. There used to be brown beans in that plot when I took over the garden...I blame them by lack of a clear culprit.

   So this time I put the Lonicera in pots! It means watering them, but hey, anything for a green canopy.

   

   The other climbers, the ones against the new frame, are in large pots as well. At least that way I can control the soil. My summer concrete is not very friendly to some plants.

Front left is a plant I had never heard of before, it looks very fresh. It is a Stephanandis Tanakes.

Next is my sugarsnap, which has doubled in size in one week, goody! Next to that is a kiwi. The large pot in the back on the right is a Schneewitchen rose. I used to have one years ago and it shot up the pergola then, so hopefully it will now as well.

The kiwi. It is a self-pollinator, so that's handy.

That grass needs mowing already!

I've moved the obelisk from the frog pond to here, and will put two perennial lathyrus against it, but first I want to give it a new coat of paint.

My veg and seedlings. It has been quite hot already, so they are shooting up. But the beans will have to stay in the greenhouse until May, so I'll need to repot them.

My spring bulb border next to the greenhouse is looking good. A lot of those seedlings will be put out in here when those bulbs are spent.

The lime green of the Euphorbia makes the back bed zing! Especially next to the fresh Artichoke leaves, which I adore.

I cut off the spent flowerstalks last week, and managed to hurt my knee in the process. I thought I'd push over the largest stalk, and did, but lost my balance and twisted my knee. I have been hobbling for a week, such a drag.

Right, I'll leave you with another pic of my Artichokes.

Have a lovely weekend, won't you?

Renée 

2025/3 - Don't believe everything you read

 Last week I told you I plan to prune my 'olijfwilg' , or olive willow to you (Elaeagnus Ebbingei), but that I want to make certain I do so in the right season.

The top branches of the olijfwilg

   So I looked up the information on the internet, as one does these days, right? Well, that was quite confusing. Most sites

 (not all, mind) told me to do it twice a year, in February/March and June/July, but "not during the growing season!"

Excuse me? Shrubs do not grow during June/July? News to me!

  Only after looking up at least 6 sites, did I think to look at the label of my olijfwilg, which I had kept.

   

Here you are, proof!

The print is a bit too small, but is says 'pruning in February/March'.

So there you are, you should not blindly follow information you find on the internet.

The last few days we are having thick fog along with near freezing temperatures, so it is not a pleasure to be outside. Foggy conditions are a given so close to the sea. I don't mind walking Puck though, as it makes our early morning walkies quite mysterious. The moorhens are awake at 06.00, and they usually make their presence known by squawking very loudly, and this time my brain registered an oak leaf fluttering up from the grass to a branch. That is weird, I thought stupidly, before I realised it was a tiny treacreeper.

Anyway, because I have nothing new, let alone cheery, to show you here is a photo from last June, again with my olive willow, verbena bonariensis and in the background the monarda.

And I'll finish with my favourite rose.

This is it, Desdemona, in the planter. Just imagine a few of these against my new frame, eh? I can't wait!

Right, have a lovely weekend wherever you are.

Renée