A cold day with a warm visit by Hannu & Aile

Yesterday it was really cold here: +5C, but I didn't really care, my garden/cooking inspirer & friend Hannu Sarenström & his beautiful Aile came for a visit, which really made my day

I got my favorite books by him signed at last: "Lundens Skugga" (in the shadow of the woodland) & "Sommarkalas" (Summer Parties)

I called the Gardener and pashionated historian at our village Greenhouse from 1735, Josephina Wesström Juhlin. She came, showed us Lövstabruks Trädgårdmästeri and told us the history and plants. Very grateful for Your time Josephina :D

The Green house a week ago:

We also had time to look at the Orangerie and Manor house

A great visit :D

In the evening the sun and the warmth was back and I was out digging until 21/9pm when it started to get dark and I had to go back in and eat "lunch" (totally forgot to eat today)

I continued with the Half Shadow Flower bed north of the barn, this is how it looked there for a month ago, the whole area have been covered for years and a storage area, now a mudbath with rocks:

I started for a month ago moving lawnpatches from the new flowerbeds here, and making a path along the wall up to where the rainwater coming down from the roof. Closest to the house, leafcompost and soon Ferns along the rockwall.

Now I'm making the rest to flowerbeds for flowers that need half shadow.

There is sun here until 9 in the morning and again in the late afternoon until sunset.

The bed will be divided with a path of the rocks I find in the soil: Plenty!

Have a great day, the sun is shining here again today and it's just to put on the Wellingtons and get out there!

Per!

Wonderful feeling of Spring & Preparations for Climbing Roses & Peonies

Back in my garden after a hectic time in Stockholm where I worked with Jewellery during the viewings at Bukowskis Auction house "Fashion and Diamonds".

And what a comeback, sun and around +15C, fantastic and I used every second because it's soon cold again.

Along the south end of my house where it's now just graveled parking, I want climbing Roses and Peones. The roses because it's a two storey empty wall, only with my bedroom window on the second floor and I need something with height.

I already started with a Pink New Dawn in one corner last fall and it survived.

My plan is to plant in pallet collars instead of digging deep down in the compact graveled ground.

First assemble the natural untreated pallet collars

I glazed them black to match the buildings

I took away the gravel and put down the collars, leved and screwed the in the wall and to eachother

It start to look great! Next is to cover the inside with black plastic and drape the botton to let water through plus stop the weed. I will also dig out pits for the Peonies that I have ordered to be delivered in the fall.

Meanwhile I will have a lot of summer flowers and perennial flowers for the edges.

 On the left side have I planted the reliable Climbing Rose "New Dawn" that already coming fine, and I have ordered the Rose for the right side, the new "Iceberg Clg".

Fika break in the warm sun

 The Post woman came with a great delivery while I had my coffee: From Gourmet Garage did I receive exciting seeds; Borlotto Beans and a rare Salvia "Nana Blue". 

And as a really nice moving in gift from Anna at Gourmet Garage I got Lemon salt from Italy "Fior di Sale al Limone"

After the break did I take the bicycle to the north side of the village, there outside the gates in the forrest can this amazing field of Snowdrops be found, amazing! 

In the Manor house park did I find these Chionodoxa/Vårstjärna with the first Bee of the season :D

Today's Fika/coffee break with a Semla was special, the Post woman came with the newest issue of the Garden Magazine and a book I've been longing for: "Lundens Skugga" (In the shadow of the Woodland) by my friend Hannu Sarenström

That inspired me to clean up in the area where I plan my woodland, it's a huge task and will take some years to complete.

Today I discovered this little Daisy/Tusensköna in the lawn :D

I prepared one more pallet collar for the Garlic, with Coldpressed Linseed Oil

Inside my house do I have some branches I found in the forrest by a pile of logs, they are the bearer of spring :D

I have a small Walnut tree in a pot that I bought at the Hellekis Manor in Kinnekulle, it's going for it's 3rd year in a pot and seems to like it. It's too cold up here to plant it outside, so a Bonsai it will be.

I have been busy in the evenings re-planting all the Pelargoniums/Geraniums for the summer and are very grateful for my deep windows with a lot of space!

Have a great Spring All!

Regards, Per!

The Dream about a Grove Garden

Dear all, as I wrote yesterday, after seeing my friend Hannu's wonderful garden last year did I get a dream of a Grove Garden (Lund in Swedish) on my mind! Hannu's free spirited attitude to his garden is really inspiring!

Hannu have done this fantastic book in Swedish: "I Lundens Skugga" about his garden and how to create a Grove.

His book and some of my photos from the visit to his garden will lead me on my way to realise the dream :D

My photos from Hannu's Garden in Kinnekulle-Sweden last year:

The obvious is that I need more trees in my garden to create more shadow

I Love his red ladder

The Copper colored Rodgersia is my favorite in his garden, love the way it lifts all the other plants

If You wish to see more of my photos from his garden, clic this link!

I can hardly wait until I get that shady grove with a lot of lush plants, I know, it takes time, but the road there is fun :D

Now I'm off to South Europe and will post some inspiration photos now and then, keep warm, Per!

Pondering a Pond

Back home at Leufsta 3 South after my trip to New York!

Since I did visit my friend Hannu Sarenström's beautiful garden last year have I got fascinated by Grove Gardens in Swedish called LUND! With this in mind have I ogled towards north in my garden where there is a djungle of Nettles/Brännässlor, and beyond them a little meadow.

The neighbor told me that the meadow sometimes floods in the spring, and I started to Pondering a Pond, with a surrounding Grove Garden off course :D

It will not happen anytime soon, I will leave it a year to see how the area behaves during the summer.

In the lower right is the beginning of my Kitchen garden and beyond the jungle of Nettles are the Grove.

Beyond those Nettles is a beautiful shaddow area, and next summer will I keep those Nettles down with a Brush Cutter to be able to study the behaviour of the area.

Looking back at my house / I made a path to the lower area

Down in the Grove, I have been dumping excess Maple leafs there

Looking back at my house, I love that shaddow under the tree

Under the tree I will probably put a bench where one can sit in the shadow and look back at the house, barn and garden.

Here shown now, and a couple of weeks ago, check those Nettles out

The green evidence of some wet ground looks promising for maybe a natural pond in the future

Evidence of less fun nature, the previous renter of the property have been feeding the Venisons in the area during the winter. There is still a Salt Stone here and a feeding table.

The Venison have been decreasing due to the increase of Lynx in the area, so it is a great thought, but not so fun for mine and others gardens in the area. It has to go!

Tomorrow I will show photos I took in Hannu's Grove Garden/Lund last year and You will understand my excitement!

Now I'm off to enjoy the fantastic unusual sunny and warm autumn weather with my camera, have a great day, Per!