2026/18 - Naturalistic gardening

After 4 years of blogging about the same two gardens, there is a tendency to repeat myself. The foundation of the gardens stays the same, obviously, as in both I cannot change it. A balcony stays a balcony, and on an allotment you are bound to rules.

 But still, I do try to renew and rewild.

On the balcony, I have changed around the climbers in two of the planters, from cucumbers and tomatoes to roses and Achillea. I have decided to keep the veg to the allotment.

I've told you the frog pond is a failed project, right? So I have given up refilling it weekly, and now let it get naturally soggy by occasional rainshowers. It means the plants in there will change as well...I will miss my Waterlily, but I hope the Papyrus will stay. I have removed the two gutters I used to direct the waterflow from my water butt to the pond. At least I will not stumble across them anymore... always a good idea not to break my neck.

This is no more...

I'll see how it evolves now, and wish my salamander good luck!

 I promised you a better photo of the orange Broom, and here it is. A lovely colour, I think!

Its white sister has grown into quite a large bush.

One of the strong, healthy plants that provide colour alongside the Broom and Tulips, is the Centaurea. I started with just a single plant, and by now it has spread all through the garden. Bumblebees love it, and so do I. 

Another 'spreader' is the Euphorbia. Again, it started with just one plant, and by now it is slowly marching away from the Artichoke patch (and who can blame it?) towards the dead hedge. My Rosemary is in flower, but my neighbour has a Rosemary bush that makes my pretty one look like a dwarf!

How about this one then! The photo does not do it justice, it is as large as a Toyota Aygo.

The last of my Narcissi to offset the new Tulips I planted in November. The yellow flowers are two cabbages I left in that border last Autumn, to give some nectar to the bees this Spring. There is a mass of Aquilegia in this border as well, that's new too, originating from the plants near the greenhouse door.

Some more Tulips, Apeldoorns Elite.

The Bergenia is doing its best to stick its head above the grass that is trying to take over this border.

This Tulip is called Miranda.

And this one should be Apeldoorns Elite, but frankly I think they put the wrong bulb in the sack, as A&E is orange with yellow edges...

Now, off-topic, look what Puck and I walked into...The entire harbour was filled with these small fish, approx 3" long, and leisurely swimming around in circles. I was amazed. So many fish, it must have been thousands! My fish knowledge does not reach far enough to be able to tell you the name, sorry.

You'd think the seagulls that are always hanging around the harbour would have a party, a rave, but funnily enough there was not a gull in sight.

I'll leave you with a photo of Brielse Meer, just before sunrise. We stumbled across four hares who were chasing eachother, and who were so into eachother that they only spotted Puck right at the last minute. They raced off, but one got so confused it ran in the wrong direction and crashed into Puck. My dog (always on leash because of the nesting waterfowl and the beavers) was so flabbergasted she just stood and stared. Well, she'll have something to dream about today!

Puck and I wish you a good week, wherever you are!

Renée Grashoff 

2026/17 - Blooming balcony garden

 After some chilly weeks, the weather turned mild, so I could cheer up my balcony garden with some less hardy annuals.

Every year there simply has to be Lobelia, as I love both the colour blue and the shape of the flowers, Lamiaceae. But I also got some Petunia and some yellow ....Hm, I will have to look up its name. There was no label. They look like yellow Daisies. Anyway, I buy them in a small plug and they grow into a satisfying pot-full within weeks, flowering their little hearts out until late October. As long as you water them, that is. They are thirsty plants.

There they are, in the large planter, in front of the Schneewitchen Rose that is getting its leaves, and together with the Lobelia in the hanging basket.

The other two (reddish) plants in the left planter are Gaura, another favourite of mine.

My Puck is always happy when the weather turns mild enough for the sliding doors to be open all day. She wanders in and out, slobbering water from the tiny pond, and keeping an eye out for other dogs and cats to bark at. She loves a good bark, but she never barks when indoors, which is a thing to be very thankful for. It makes me laugh, for I can see the dogs three floors down in the street look around them bewildered...where is that bark coming from?

The yellow upright plant on the bench is a Daphne, covered in sweet smelling flowers and very attractive to the early bumblebees. We have had three heavy storms lately, and I got up twice in the middle of the night to make certain it would not be blown to smithereens.

Meanwhile in Hunky Dory the first Calendula are enjoying the sun, when it is out. I have sown a new batch, as last years got all eaten by my mouse. These ones next to my mound have sown themselves out from last Summer's.

I told you I had planted quite a lot of various Tulips, right? These ones I have not had before, their stems are quite short, and the flowers very spikey. Hm. I like the colour, but am not sure if I really like that shape. Their name is Tulipa 'Dolls Minuet'. 

The frog pond to the left is unrecognizable by now, almost completely swamped by vegetation. It has a leak, and basically I have given up. Even the torrential rain we've had has not managed to fill it up, it is like carrying water to the sea! So I will leave it to do what it wants to do naturally. The frogs I hoped for have never come, and the salamander that does live there will hopefully migrate to the ditch. Obviously there is a hollow there, so moisture loving plants will like the occasional wet feet. Sometimes you will have to simply give over to nature.

I'll leave you with a view of the town's ramparts near my house. Old Brielle fortress is surrounded by ramparts in a star shape, this is part of the star's leg. It is a lovely place to take a walk, especially now with the yellow Rapeseed. The waterways are the domain of feisty moorhens, blasé blue herons and huge carp, and are covered with large patches of Waterlilies in summer.

Do take a look at my monthly blog about Brielle at Renée Grashoff Schrijft and have a lovely weekend, wherever you are!

Renée Grashoff 

2026/7 - Tricky Times

 It is the 3rd of February today (writing and actually posting do not happen on the same day, as I'm sure you'll understand), and we are at that point when nature seems to be shaking off the winter fast.

Puck is feeling the approach of Spring as well, and wants to sniff out the balcony...just to make certain all is still as she wants it to be.

But appearances can deceive...Yes, in my neighbourhood the snowdrops are showing, and some even have buds, and just look at the buds on that plant in the photo with Puck! But experience tells me we could still have frost and snow in the weeks ahead.

And the many buds on my pretty absinthe plant could all freeze.

It's too late for my Pelargoniums, I'm afraid. In the previous very mild Winter they happily grew on, and saved me a lot of money, but this year they are as dead as doornails.

I simply have nowhere to store them at home  over Winter, and carting them all to my greenhouse is too much work and useless anyway, as it is unheated.

Oh well...it gives me the opportunity to sow some different plants for the balcony planters this year.

I do have something special though...no filter used! This is the third time I witnessed the Northern Lights this year, and this time I had the brilliant thought I'd take a photograph. The other two times I was so in awe I forgot.

Well, no need for me to fork out thousands of Euros to travel to Lapland, eh? All I need now is for a herd of elephants to appear on the abandoned football field at the end of the street, and a pod of dolphins in the Brielse Meer. 

I drove to Hunky Dory to pick up some chicory and sow some new seeds, and took a quick tour of the garden. Very quick! It was 1°, but the Eastern wind made it feel like -6°. But hey-ho, the bulbs are showing themselves!

Thanks to the rain my frog pond is full for a change, and I hope the resident salamander is fine and sleeping in the mud.

The Helleborus is waking up, no more sleeping for her. She is five years old now, and getting a bit tired. I really should get some fresh ones to keep her company.

The Tradescantia is lighting up that entire corner on the other side of the frog pond. Have you ever seen something that red? In a few weeks I'll give her some support to scramble up against. It blew over in a storm and I haven't got round to it yet.

This baby is holding its own so far. It is a Cyrtomium falcatum, and I simply cannot remember that name, so I call it 'fern', which is not too bad, as it is from the Dryopteridaceae family (niervaren in Dutch). It is a rock plant...so totally out of its comfort zone in my soil. I really should provide it with some crushed brick or something! I'd love to build it a brick folly, so it could hang down gracefully...and be the belle at the wall, so to speak. But as I garden on an allotment, that is out of the question.

My other fern, nameless, is also still alive. Totally out of place as well, but I pamper it with my leafmold and put sticks around its base, hoping that it gets tricked into thinking it is in a forest.

I bought 3 little Cyclamen this afternoon, but could not face that wind on the balcony. Tomorrow should be better, so I'll put them properly into a pot then.  They are so sweet!

Alrighty, this is it for this week. Do look me up at my website Renée Grashoff Schrijft, where I hope to have some exciting news about my second part of the trilogy about murder in Brielle soon. I cannot wait myself, and I hear from some of you that you cannot either, which is pretty cool!

Take care!

Renée Grashoff 

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 

2026/2 - Hunky Dory Dormant? Not quite!

 January is a month when your garden is dormant, when you live in my part of the world. At least, it used to be. When I was a child, we had night frosts, and often day frosts as well, and sometimes weeks of snow. And if it didn't snow, it would pelt you with freezing rain. But those times are gone! Nowadays, the garden is taking a bit of a rest, sure, but there are lots of plants that do not go to sleep at all.

Take my beloved Desdemona rose for example. She says "what do you mean, it's January?" I always deadhead it, but wait with really pruning until March. This year she is refusing to go to sleep. You can tell by the yellowing leaves that she is a bit confused about it all.

The Malus Red Sentinel which I planted especially for the birds (who ignore it) is hanging on to its apples, and keeps on looking gorgeous. If ever I have the opportunity to move to a house with its own garden again* (instead of keeping an allotment), I will make certain I plant a larger version of this super tree.

* I will need to win the lottery for this.

Going strong as well is this Pyracantha "Teton". I treat it with great respect, as its thorns are so vicious that they pierce my leather gloves with ease. I used to have one that covered the front of my old house, and every year a pair of blackbirds would make their nest in there. They were totally secure, my cats did not dare climb the shrub and brave those thorns.

The Ixia are still blooming all over the garden, they will not give up. But from a pale pink in October, they have gone to a hard pink. It makes them stand out against the brown and green. They spread themselves, I planted 10 bulbs I think, and now they are all over the place, and very welcome.

This 'weed' is pretending it isn't winter either. It belongs to the same family as the Fleabane and can be a terrible thug. I tend to pull it out in Spring, otherwise it would dominate my entire garden, leaving no room for other plants. But now, in winter, I am happy to see it, as it brings sunny joy.

My silver Pinus is showing it is very healthy and happy. Although it is growing at an enormous pace, much too fast for my plot really, I love it. It goes to show you cannot believe all information given on labels...this was supposed to be a dwarf variety suitable for rock gardens. It towers over me already.

They are a bit nibbled, but very welcome all the same, my Primula. They appear in our shops in February, and go as a typical spring house plant, and usually I get gifted one or two. Very much appreciated, as I tend to enjoy them as long as they flower, and then move them into my garden to live on  there.

This shrub has gone through some name changes. I used to know it as Veronica as well as Hebe. It is from New Zealand and tough as old boots. Eventhough I cut it back hard every year, as it is getting much too large for the border it is in, it flowers all year long.

This calendula has self-seeded and doesn't take any notice of the chilly, wet weather. Such a cheerful, dependable little plant. It is a great starter plant for children, as the seed almost always grows successfully. Mind you, the allotment mice love to steal the seeds out of my seed trays, as I have found out to my dismay. So it is a lucky thing the plant spreads itself around.

Another plant I really like, or a shrub really, is the Viburnum Tinus. Very dependable, and it flowers just when you need it to, in the gloomiest, bleakest winter months. This one did not like my cloggy clay much, so it took three years for it to find its feet, but now it grows and it looks lovely. I need to help it a bit against the Artichokes, that is true. I planted that entire bed too close to eachother, not realising that some plants would dominate the others. Those Artichokes! They are the garden bullies, they really are.

Garden ivy, common as muck. But look closely at those glossy leaves, with their lovely veins! I deliberately planted it against my fences, for the birds love to nest in it, and insects use it to hide and hibernate. And when it grows too vigorant, I simply cut it away some. And, also very important in January, it stays stubbornly green. I use it for my Christmas decorations every year as well.

I'll leave you with Puck, as she also brightens up my January days. This was when she was in her prime, she is a lot older and greyer now. Next month she has shared my home for 7 years already. She was an adult when I got her, age unknown, and very traumatised. She will never be a happy-go-lucky dog, but she is a great friend.

Every December she gets progressively stressed out by the fireworks, up to the point where on Dec 31st I cannot drag her out any longer. So she holds her pee until all goes relatively quiet (this year that was at 04.00!) and then we race outside. Every Jan.1st we joke together that now WE will make some noise, but she never does, she is much too polite.

Have a good weekend, wherever you are, and bye bye from Puck and me.

Renée Grashoff 

Have a wonderful weekend, wherever you are.