My Lottie/Garden

1 May '06 4:33 am

Yeah Moosey...it's a looooooooot easier and cleaner, as you say; however, I still do hand and knee work in certain patches...like with bindweed and shch things. The thing with a schoffel is that because of the tilt of the blade, you have to have the correct handle. For instance the handel on my new schoffel is too long for my wife-- the anfle is wrong for her..so that she has to hold it mid-shaft if she wants to use it. When you buy a schoffel, you choose the correct handle, Sometimes you have to buy them separately, then screw the blade onto the handle. There is nothing worse than a schoffel that doesn't work for you. Our lottie is about 265-270m² and I can run through the whole thing is less than 45 minutes once the spring cleaning has been done, and barely raise a bead of perspiration! It is my basis tool. I have a couple of different tools that are my favourites as does my wife. I know that sounds not possible..."several favourites", but the favourites are for different tasks, if you know what I mean.
I'm surprised that you get so dirty- your garden is behind your house, isn't it? I get good and dirty when I work... but we have what we call a lottie (volkstuin). It is about a 10 minute bicycle ride from our flat.
It isn't really a proper lottie because it isn't just for veggies, rather it is divided into two sections: veggie plot and flower plot. Very Happy

...I like eating fresh veggies, but I HAVE to have my flowers. Wink

3 May '06 12:09 pm

Well after a few days of working on the veggie patch and the flower section we have come this far...still a long way to go before it's nice and clean. My wife wants me to leave the forget-me-nots and other spring-bloomers for a while, so the final push has been put on hold for a while...I am still moving some plants from here to there. I have also included a couple of intirim fotos of the "Tulip Project".
This Tulip Experiment is new for me. There are a few bulbs here and there in the garden but nothing serious. I didn't really see the need of having alot of flowers that bloom during the weeks that I would not often be on the lottie. That is to say, when I am there I'm working hard and not taking notice so much. I had seen these particular tulips at the Keukenhof a few years back and found them on the floating flower market in Amsterdam last year and liked their uniqueness so much, I thought I'd fill the point of a patch with them and see how they would turn-out. Hopefully in a coupla of weeks I shall be able to show you some blooms that impressed me some years back.

3 May '06 5:36 pm

I was SO happy when I saw these new photos of yours!! You made my day! And it is 7.30 am, my two "men" have just left... Your awakening tulip! Isn't she a darling! She has variagated leaves! All Sjoerd's awekening plants are super! Well, I'll never-never stop feeling this interior happiness and rebirth , whenever I see Nature's awakening in the Spring!

What are those tiny red lovely flowers at the veggie patch? Tiny tulips-maybe?

I'm waiting for your tulips' photos! You promised! Thank you so much!

3 May '06 6:40 pm

It is so special to see a story taking place in front of us .From Sjoerds bare, icy Lottie ,there emerges promises of newness of life in each picture .
Dixie.

3 May '06 8:52 pm

Thank you Liza ansd Dixie.
Those red flowers that you see are in fact anemones...I had planted a long line of them down the front, Liza.
The garden really is fun to watch unfold--and to help it a little. heh heh. I get that feeling too, Liza. It is wonderful and you sort of get a feeling of "self-renewal"...if this doesn't sound too crazy.. It's like the you feel all- energetic and awakened. hahahah. Now I AM sounding silly. Well, the feeling is difficult to describe, but it's a nice one.

3 May '06 9:58 pm

I absolutely agree, it is a hard feeling to describe but I also have this awakening feeling each Spring.I think most real keen gardeners all feel like this wouldnt you agree?
Sjoerd please keep us up to date with your pictures .. I just love your lottie... I dont think we have anything like this here in NZ, Do we Dixie??

4 May '06 1:25 pm

A glorious day at the lottie. And we heard for the first time this year... the sound of the frogs in the sloot small canal). There are at least three present. I like that sound when they are all chirping and kwakkeling...there's something cosy about it.
I did more cleaning but am honestly to a stopping point now until the forget-me-nots are bloomed-out.
There is a blue titmouse couple nesting in one for the birdhouses on the lottie! I always get a little excited when they do. Very Happy

I will just post a coupla more pics then give it a rest for a while.

5 May '06 10:23 am

5 May '06 12:51 pm

I love the way the paths wander through your garden... its so inviting, even in the photos! Its really lovely. Please post lots of photos as everything grows! I am so inspired by seeing gardens others have created!

5 May '06 9:33 pm

Hiyah CottageGarden,
I'm so glad that you like the fotos. It's one thing to be happy and satisfied with one's own work...but if another also finds it nice then it's a real bonus!
I like to wander over our gardening complex and chat with others but also to have a look at what people are doing in their gardens, and how. It is a source of inspiration for me.
The thing is that most people don't "do" flower gardens here. The volkstuin, or lottie was and actually is ment for thre growing of veggies. Having said that, there are numerous plots that have an abundance of flowers. Almost every plot as a few. The amusing thing to me is that in those gardens where primarily veggies are grown and the member wants to grow flowers he often plants them in tidy, straight little beds- sort of like they are being presented (as in the Keukenhof)...or as if the wife said "we're going to have some flowers!" and he just marked-off a bed as he would for veggies, and there they stand--lovely but without feeling. You know...like because they HAD to be there. chuckle.
You can see what I mean in the foto below. They are beautiful, but quite ordered.
p.s. I will add the tulip piccies above with the others as they begin to open.

My Lottie/Garden

Mijn Schoffel

Progress Is Slow

Dear Sjoerd!

Spring story

Awakenings...

Awakenings

Summer's On It's Way

Re: Dear Sjoerd!

Inspired