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!

Slow sunny sunday & Favorite Pelargoniums

Today it was sunny and bright, but still pretty cold, so in order to take care of my own cold I decided not to dig vegetable beds as planned, but prepare the pallet collars for them instead.

Sunny view over to the neighbor, they have the same little barn building as I, and two beautiful Larch trees/Lärkträd that hasn't got their needles yet.

At my one and only vegetable bed, so far, have the Red Garlic Rossi di Sulmona survived 3 surprise snowstorms so far this spring

On the top floor in my little barn did I prepare 4 more pallet collars with Cold pressed Linseed oil for the coming vegetable beds

Inside my house, up in the flower room with skylights, does it grow rapidly of seeds, bulbs, cuttings and others, such a pleasure to check in there every day. I still keeping the heat pretty low up there.

On the photo under supervision of my Chilean Tomte; Fuchsias, Pelargoniums, Hollyhocks, Ornäs Birches, Maple, Peones,.......

Can not help experiment with Bonsais, a remain from compact living with a balcony.

These are Maples, the "larger" one from the Lilac hedge at our cottage and the new small ones from Maple seeds I found around the garden a couple of weeks ago.

I have a few favorites among my many Pelargoniums

This is a "Pelargonium Carnosium"

When it comes to my favorites, I also make sure they get special pots that fits their peronality, to this one I got a cool black pot with spikes around the adge from Turbin Konsthantverk in Wij Gardens Ockelbo

Well I also got the Pelargonium from very special people a few years ago, the Pelargonuim experts Margareta & Mats Asplund at Pelargonfönstret in Örbyhus, very close to here. Love them and their personalities :D

My other favorite is this Suckulent "Pelargonium Cotyledonis" from ERA gardens, I have two from them

The personal pot for this one I found here in the village Lövstabruk at Hantverkets Hus by Susanne Thurfjell, in nice matte black with the old "L", that in the old days where stamped on the Iron made here.

Since it was sunny, even if coolish, did I grab my camera and ventured out in our village (to get the pot above), found that the Snowdrops still going since a month!

Hope You all had a great Sunday!

Per!

New home for New Dawn, Saving Rhubarbs & making Ramson Pesto

Yet another great day before the cold weather are back!

The pallet collar that I oiled yesterday are dry and put in place around the Garlic Rossi di Sulmona from Gourmet Garage

Continued the preparations for the Rose and Peony flower bed, digging deeper holes for where the larger plants will be placed later.

 Filled the holes with soil

 Covered the ground with barksheets that let the water through, made a opening for the deeper parts

 I covered the wood with plastic & The Climbing Rose New Dawn is the first down.

 Filled with more soil

 I trimmed the plastic and voila, New Dawn in the New Home

On the other side of the road/stream are the old areas for vegetable gardens, with two of my Black Currant bushes. Between them and I are a area where I struck gold ;)

 Rhubarb Buds was sticking up through the weed here and there :D

 After hours of work, taking away loads of weed like the horrible "Ground Elder/Kirskål" a nice bed for the Rhubarb!

I know there will be much more work weeding in the future, but after checking this season how the Rhubarb grows I will cover all areas around with Bark sheets to make it easier next year.

My friends Susanne & Evy here in the village made me aware that the 1st Ramson/Ramslök in the English Park is ready for harvest.

I went there at once, and ohh, they where everywhere :D

 I picked large leaves and filled a bag, and took the bicycle home with the gold.

My own recepie is with Ramson, Almond, Chili & Olive oil!

 The day brought the Best in the end: Ramson Pesto, Yum :9

Hope Your Friday is as good :D

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!