Showing posts with label Earth worms. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Earth worms. Show all posts

Mar 31, 2014

A long Spring weekend & changes to Summertime

This weekend have been fantastic, a first real Spring weekend with a lot of sun and generous temperatures, topped with changes to Summertime (the sun now goes up at 6:14 and down at 19:30 here), all good!

I love when I'm in the garden all day long, working in the sun and fresh air, totally forget about time and food, and a nice feeling of satisfied exhaustion in the evening!

Since I already Linseed oiled the Pallet collars for the Veggie patches, it was just to start to dig.

The first box where already down, with the Red Garlic I planted in the fall! 
To the left Black Currant and Rhubarbs!
 Each square meter of soil had about a bucket or more of rocks, mostly Slag stone/Slaggsten since this village lived of Iron production since 16th century it's not a surprice.
The soil is incredible rich being ancient seafloor, hence I just don't cover the ground and put the collar on top of it which is the usual way. I wan't to use this soil, and check out the Earth worms/Daggmaskar, loads and loads of them, Fantastic :D 
The Saturday was just incredible!
 Done! I placed them with 80cm in between, exact the mesurement of a collar so IF I wan't I can put one more between them

The only breaks for "food" was besides the regular "Fika" breaks with coffe, a cold powerdrink (Broccoli, Spinache, Ginger, Chili, Cucumber & Apple), I usually just use what I have at home.

 The Black Currant "Polar Ribes" I planted in October coming strong
 The Ball Thistles I got from Ann-Cathrin (see Oct 2013) start to wake up with small fussy green leaves.

So, digging those Veggie pats, what to do with the removed lawn?
I added another 30cm to the front lawn (former graveled parking)
On the north side on my barn it's a naked big soil patch where the former renter had covered with Tarpaulin/Presenning to protect the ground from car parts.
Here it's shadow until 4 or 5ish in the afternoon, so yet another place good for shadow plants (which I LOVE).
 I decided to keep the area next to the wall free, plant a few Ferns against the rock wall & a climbing Hydrangea to cover the old electric cabinett (not in use). I also have my leaf composts here against the wooden wall.
 So I made a meter wide path with the lawn bits and kept the larger part open for a shadow garden plus a few trees and bushes.
The water falling freely from the rooftiles and I put all the Slag stone where the water lands.
Maybe I will have to put a stone path there later, but that's the day!

It's not all hard work, it's also important to enjoy the small sensations popping up here and there in the garden :D
My favorite little Tulip Tarda/Flocktulpaner
And here something where I enjoyed the color and shape of the leaf

I also oiled some smaller Black Pallet Collars, here I placed 3 on eachother, two larger and one smaller, where I will plant a Climbing Hydrangea to cover the electric unused cabinetts and somewhat the kitchen/Veggie Compost.
In the lover collar will I plant something bushy and hanging.
I put the compost here nere to the house since it's a warm compost for year around use, good when I need to shovel the snow in the winter.
As some of You remember from October, I planted a Lilac here that I brought from our summer cottage, I took it away to place it somewhere else.
 Towards the south part of the barn did I put the collars a little bit larger and 3 storey high for full sun, but also to create some room feeling of the former laaaarge gravelled parking
Here on the south side it will be a nice corner in the sun for coffee breaks/Fika.
In the boxes will I have Tomatoes, Chili, Paprika and Herbs, very close to the house/kitchen


Many beautiful hours outside will be continued inside where I have branches of Japanese Cherry bought in Stockholm when I worked there earlier in the week!

Hope Your Spring is as beautiful, Per!




Oct 7, 2013

Perennial Flowerbed & Luck in Auction

Digged, prepared and planted a 7 meter long Perennial flowerbed in the more formal part of my garden. 
My goal is that it will bloom all season, attract Butterflies & Bees and have a lot of bulbs of springflowers.
The flowerbed are visible from my kitchen window and will have sun more or less all day.

The back of my house have the entrance and the kitchen window, to the right is the "barn", with the hedge making a kind of courtyard with a seating area and there I will have a more formal garden
Here along the logs that separate the lawn from the gravel will I place the Perenneial flower bed
I decided to make the measurements after pallet collars, and it would be place for 6 of them, that makes more than 7 meters

A Coffeebreak or as we say in Swedish: Fika

 The soil is AMAZING, really dark and full of Earthworms
Decided against the Pallet Collars (Pallkragar) and digged the whole way to the logs!
 The first Perennial plants are down, doesn't look much, but they are mostly new plants bought in Autumn sales for 50% off:
My favorite Rose Louis Bugnet furthest away, thereafter; Steppe Salvia (Stäppsalvia), Smartweed (Pilört), Echinacea Purpurea (Rudbeckia), Anemone September Charm (Höstanemon), Salvia Sensation Rosde, White Astillbe, Echinacea Alba (Rudbeckia Alba) & Peony Edulis Superba (Luktpion),.
And off course spring bulbs, the symbolic flower of our county is Fritillaria Melegris (Kungsängslilja) and a lot of "Wild" Tulips (Vildtulpaner); Tarda, Little Beauty, Little Princess & Little Wonder
 Anemone September Charm (Höstanemon) & Echinacea Purpurea (Rudbeckia)
 White Astillbe

My Village Lövstabruk are famous for the Auctions that have been going on every summer since I was a kid, I was lucky there was a auction the other day.
 I do not need stuff, but I'm always looking for the Swedish stonewear pots from "Höganäs", originally used to store food like Lingonberry Jam. They are heavy, sturdy and perfect for larger Geraniums, Fuchsias and large plants that You don't want to fall over. I usually put Leca in the bottom, then a plastic container with the flower, in that way You have the support, but also a water reserv.
I was lucky, there was ONE and it's a large one, 12 litre!
 I got it for for 100Skr approx usd$15 :D
Next year I will put my small Walnut tree in it! I got the tree at Hellekis Herrgård last year and up here it's too cold for them so I have to take it in every year!

Thats all for now, tune in again next time, Take Care, Per!