2025/25 - You should be careful what you wish for...

 I have uploaded a new blog to my website: Renée Grashoff Schrijft is the link.

Yesterday it rained so hard that Puck ran to the nearest patch of grass on the corner, did her wee, and ran straight back home.  Yep. The rain we have longed for for months has arrived, and stayed.

Mind you, there are brief periods of respite, due to the very heavy wind that is also staying. Welcome to the Dutch Delta!

The photo above is from my excursion to the next island over, Goeree-Overflakkee, to take a walk. In the sand dunes next to Ouddorp beach I came across this field. The rain does have its benefits!

Say goodbye to the last of my Iris. They are finished, and have done wonderfully. 

The spring flowers are done with their display and the summer flowers are slowly taking over.

Every year it is a surprise where these cheerful chamomile-like flowers will shoot up. They are doing a tour, having started in the orchard, and have now arrived next to the path. They are called Tanacetum parthenium, are perennial, (Moederkruid) and are used as a herbal remedy against migraines. Apparently you can eat the green leaves in your salad, but I haven't tried, as the strong scent puts me off eating it. 

Talking about the orchard, the Teasels are shooting up again.

The apples are looking lovely at this stage, but they do so every year, and then by the time I should be able to eat them, they have turned rather disappointing. But I enjoy looking at them, and the blackbirds are very happy to eat them.

I picked the first of my broad beans... before the snails got to them.

Say hello to my little nemesis... She has come out of hiding from the drought and has brought all her friends. Unfortunately they have invited all the slugs as well. Many of my leafy plants are rapidly turning into something resembling Swiss cheese.

From a distance the Artichokes look fine, but close up they are holey and the tops are covered in blackfly. But: there are whole herds of Ladybirds having parties, so it is okay I suppose.

A pristine wet leaf.

I was worried about my red Elderflower, it looked so sad, but now that it has had a week of rainshowers it has perked up.

This year there are not so many flowers in the Phlomis russeliana, but the plant looks healthy enough. Slugs and snails stay away from her!

And the Salvia is going strong - this is such a dependable plant!

The Prunella vulgaris (Brunel) is spreading underneath the Salvia. Such a sweet little flower, and bees adore it.

Right! I spie, I spie with my little eye, something beginning with...?

I will not blame you if at first glance you think this is a giant spider. It is actually a Calendula, isn't it gorgeous? All the others in that bed are the normal ones (well, to me they are) but this one plant has these long, long petals. I'll make certain to collect the seeds!

And that's it from me this week folks. Have a lovely weekend wherever you are, but especially you lovely people in Singapore and Mexico.

Renée Grashoff 

2025/24 - May flowers, what's not to love?

 Website: Renée Grashoff Schrijft for the latest blog about my novel.

Three days of rain (and one storm unfortunately) and my parched desert garden has rediscovered her oomph!

Even the frog pond has filled again, rescuing my beloved Waterlily from a nasty thirsty death. 

This is the view from the other side. All those aquatic plants you see were wilting in the drying up slush.

My Iris are happy as well, eventhough they were alright with the lack of rain. This is called 'Sultry Mood.

The Bearded Lily was the first to bloom, and is still going strong. I hope the three new ones, babies really, I planted in the border next to my greenhouse in October will be as lovely as this one. Their colour will be a surprise, they didn't come with a label.

This is that border (to the left; to the right is the plot of my neighbour who lets it go to ruin). In spring my border is gorgeous, filled with spring bulbs, but then there is a huge gap until the Hydrangeas start to flower. So I thought to fill the gap(s, literally) with Hemerocallis and Bearded Lily. Smart, eh?

Look who greeted me on that path. There were two, but the other one didn't want to pose. In Dutch this butterfly is called a Kleine Vos (little fox), Aglais urticae. They lay their eggs on nettles, so I make sure I leave them a patch near the rhubarb. They are one of the most common butterflies in my garden, but I am always chuffed to see them.

Sorry, my camera could not deal very well with the glowing white of Schneewitchen... But I wanted to show you anyway. It makes a lovely combination with the Valerian and Nigella, don't you think?

The giant Fennel has self-seeded on both sides of the planter, but I'll leave it. I love the scent, and I save the seeds for cooking, so three are better than one. All plants on this patch are self-seeders, and I let them do their thing.

This Sisyrinchium striatum (Bieslelie in Dutch) or Carex flava, is looking better than ever. Two years ago it struggled to establish, but look at it now, eh?

The Valerian has made itself at home all over the garden, both in red and white.

It tolerated the lack of water. The Aliums did not...they have failed to show themselves, there are only three left. But the spiked leaves of the Crocosmia are promising.

The Heuchera, looking brittle and sad, have rallied. Such a lovely colour, this 'Palace Purple'. I am on the fence about that latest colour to come from the nurseries though, too unnatural.

Here you are, one of the three Aliums in amongst the Sweet William.

And thus ended my gardening, as the next shower blew in very fast on that SW wind...

Have a great weekend, won't you? And check out my website when you have a moment.

Renée Grashoff 

2025/23 - Rain! RAIN!!

 First of all: I made a typo last week, sorry. It was blogpost 2025/22 (and not 12). And I have uploaded a new blogpost to my website Renée Grashoff Schrijft

And here we are: it has started raining - finally!

I woke up to the sound of rain lashing my bedroom window on Friday, and I rejoiced. No other word for it. My plants were very happy as well, I could tell. The only thing is, it not only started raining, but the temperature plummeted as well. Going from 26 to 10° degrees C during the morning, was a bit of a shock to my system. And I bet to the system of my tomatoes as well, poor things. Suddenly I was back into sweaters and wearing a mac.

And then disaster struck. I hurt my left knee. Again. My arteries in that leg are bad, it's a family thing...Not that that knowledge helps.

Anyway... going gardening has had to be postponed for a few days. So the photo above was my balcony on Sunday. And the rest of the photos below are as well.

But hey, my frog pond is saved, it was on the brink of having dried up completely. So I am not complaining!

Still, last week I told you I am thinking hard about my plants. If this Spring drought is going to be a yearly given, it makes sense to take out the ones most affected by the dry spell. 

I did a round in the pouring rain Friday  morning to see which plants looked drab, and which had done well despite getting no water at all for three months.

It is about 50/50.

Which have done worst? My veg. Such a waste of money and above all: time.

Still, I did get two meals out of my two sugarsnap plants. And the curly endive did well, as well as the lettuce.

But the cabbage? Disaster!

I have high hopes for this grape though, it seems to be doing well so far, as does the one in the garden.

So now I am waiting for the berries: strawberry, yellow raspberry and red currant all have survived.

I wish I could show you the lilies and roses in Hunky Dory though...they are all looking absolutely wonderful!

Hopefully next week.

Have a good time, wherever you are.

Renée Grashoff