2026/27 - After the thunderstorm

 In this country, it either swelters or freezes, it seems. After two much too cold June weeks, we fell into a heatwave overnight, which ended after two days with a massive thunderstorm, but gathered steam within a day and then turned into the most sweltering week in the history of our country! In my tiny flat the night time temperature reached 29,5°C, so I spent three days in the dark, with everything closed, to try and keep out the 38° heat.

By 9 p.m. it was 31°C still, and the sky turned black. I made sure my largest plants were safe, and waited for what was to come with my dog Puck. Puck is terrified of thunderstorms.

Now this I had never seen before: a band of cloud moving from left to right, but another band moving straight up. Anyway, at 21.30 the first lightning appeared, and my old rescued doggie turned into a shivering, teeth shattering, sorry wreck.

She did not sleep. So I did not sleep either, since she paced the floor endlessly. At 5.30 a.m. we went out, to enjoy the peace and quiet, and it was as if that storm had never been.

I cycled to Hunky Dory at 06.30, to see if my greenhouse was okay, and if my plants were still upright.

And to my relief all was well. Absolutely sopping wet, but well.

My Hydrangeas are always happy with a good soak.

The first Hemerocallis in flower. At the top of this page is the other one.

The Hollyhocks, which self seed all over the place.

My Malaysian friend Li Ping with some Hollyhocks elsewhere in Brielle.

The Houttuynia, which I had planted in the raised bed, but who escaped and now is doing very well all around it.

The Fennel reaching for the stars. After I planted one three years ago, it has self-seeded all over the garden. I pull out the ones who are in awkward positions (right on the path, for example), but leave quite a few, as I adore the scent and save the seeds for cooking.

The Monarda is enjoying itself in the heat.

My attempt to keep out that scorching sun. It did not work!

Puck was not impressed.

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Have a good week, wherever you are!

Renée Grashoff 

2025/36 - Feeling hot, hot, hot!

 And yes, heatwave nr. 3 of 2025 is a fact! This morning I walked Puck at 06.00 a.m. with 18° already, and today it is expected to reach 31°, which is officially bloody hot for the Dutch Delta. That is 87.8 Fahrenheit for you on the other side of the world.

I know, I know, when you live in Mexico or South-West Asia (like many of you lovely readers do), 87.8 is peanuts, all in a normal day. But to us Northern delta dwellers it is the talk of the day. Emergency heat plans are unfolded. Old people in care homes are forbidden to leave the shade and get forcefed ice lollies, I kid you not. And for gardeners like me it means water your pots or suffer the consequences!

The Blackberries, which should be at their best now, are shriveling on the bush. There are not many birds about either, so they don't get eaten either. Such a waste! I pick them though.

My Daylillies are doing well, but I have to admit I water them. That border next to the greenhouse is dry as a desert, they would not survive otherwise.

And this naughty Bindweed is benefiting from the spillover water that drips from the tap when I fill my can.

The Lavatera looks a lot like its wild cousin.

Another plant that takes advantage of spilled water is the Nasturtium. This one is scrambling over a compost heap next to another tap.

And so is the Pumpkin.  They are in a plot which is a bit neglected, but do they mind? Not at all.

Meanwhile I rejoice in my perennial Lathyrus, which does not get watered, but is doing very well now. Mind you, I do deadhead! It is not the mass of flowers which I seek yet, but it will get there next year, it is still young.

The perfection of Scabiosa. As long as I deadhead this, it will keep going for at least another month. The bees love it, as do I.

Totally different location! This is the garden of De Bollaarshoeve, situated on the Bollaarsdijk in Oostvoorne. It is staffed by people with a mental disorder and I go there because their homebaked apple pie is lovely. And obviously because the concept appeals to me. But seriously, that apple pie!

And this garden I stumbled across when I cycled to Oostvoorne with a friend. Their Dahlias are beautiful. As you can see, their soil is very sandy, which is not surprising, as this plot is in the Oostvoorne dunes. 

It gladdens my heart when I see people making an effort to garden. Next weekend it is the next round of the open garden scheme again, and I'll be sure to show you what gardens I visited.

Alright, I'll love you and leave you. Do follow this blog when you like it. And if you want to read more of my musings, click on the link to my website: Renée Grashoff Schrijft A translation button is provided. Bye!

Renée Grashoff 

2025/27 - Heatwave! Yet again.

 When I was young, long, long ago, we occasionally had a heatwave. Not yearly, there used to be quite a few years in between. It was spoken of with awe, "do you remember, in 1976...". By now we shrug when the weather woman says the word. Yeah, right, another one, well, let's stock up on icecubes.

'Frog' and 'boiling water' spring to mind. Children of today think nothing of it that Brielle is as hot as the Spanish costa used to be thirty years ago. But I remember! Our summers were cool, and you were lucky if you were not washed out of your tent in August. My birthday is in August, and more often than not we had to sit indoors because it rained! Those rare dry sunny days were celebrated. When I huffed and puffed up a hill on my bicycle near Malmedy in 1976, I could not foresee that those temperatures would become our new normal in 2025.

Right. Back to Hunky Dory. I watered my Hydrangeas early this morning, because I know from experience they will suffer today. And just when they are so utterly gorgeous.

Look at that! They are so pretty when they are half in bloom.

My neighbour arrived after an hour, to water his veg. He is into veg. I am envious of his veg. My broad beans are a disappointment...the pods look great, but the beans are flawed.

So I console myself with my flowers. At least they compare well to his.

What's left of my Gaura is doing her best to defend her space against the monster Fennel.

The Hollyhock is towering over that Fennel though, it is huge. Just about as high as the apple tree behind it.

I think it is so pretty. Hollyhocks never grew for me in my previous garden, well, no worries here. They happily wonder through the garden, next to (and on) the paths.

Wherever possible I leave them be. You can see from the spilled pollen that they are constantly visited by the bumblebees and miner bees.

I cut back the mangled fronds of the Artichokes, as my neighbour had to do a sort of jungle wade through to reach his potatoes. They tower over the Lathyrus Latifolius. Which, I am very happy to say, is starting to flower. Yay! Result! Mind you, I watered it religiously, otherwise I would have lost it.

It will be blush pink. It is a perennial.

The Crocosmia underneath is also looking good.

There is something wrong with all my Buddleia though!! Every March I cut them back hard, and they are in full flower by June. This year all have stunted growth and are frankly looking terrible.

The Clivia is flowering in the hot border. Mind you, her leaves suffer from the sun, I should find her a better (shadier) spot.

My English Lavender is doing well though. This does not mind that heat one bit.

The Trachelospermum is in flower as well. It grows up a wild plum, which is not happy with the fact I topped it. But that plum is in the wrong place and I don't have the strength to dig it out! Where is Lee Burkhill when I need him, eh?

Ah... Yes. Eventhough I try to keep water in the frog pond, is is like carrying water to the sea. Topping it up is impossible, my waterbutt is empty. And I need the other butts to keep my plants alive. So, after long unhappy thinking I have decided to fill it in with soil. I'll leave a depression, so hopefully I can keep bogplants alive. I have a Stipia that does not like my balcony planter. The Waterlily I will take home, and try to keep it alive in my pond there.

Some you win, some you lose...

It it disappointing though, I so enjoyed my old (large) pond, with goldfish and dragonflies and many frogs.

It just would not happen in this garden.

So. Go with the flow, Renée!

I will leave you with some photos of my balcony garden, which is doing very well.

Have a good weekend, wherever you are!

Renée Grashoff