The Leufsta Peony in many forms and a strange onion at our cottage

In my village Lövstabruk I often visit Josephina and her Lövstabruks Trädgårdsmästeri/Garden center from 1730's.

I love the athomsphere plus it's a pleasure to chat with Josephine the Gardener/Owner which is passionate about old plants and old garden traditions.

She have a lot of older Pelargoniums in the greenhouse

There is some traditional plants from Lövstabruks Manor house and garden that have been there for many, many years and it is hard to actually say where they come from and when.

One of them that atleast have been here from the end of 1800's, which then where pictured in the then German style garden and that is whats now called the Leufsta Peony.

You can find it here in the Manor House garden and green house, but also in many of the gardens in the village.

It's actually a few different versions of it and Josephine think it has been 7 variations from the beginning.

I have one of them planted in my garden this spring, but will not know until next year hopefully what colour I got. Exciting!

Beautiful settings

The colour of this Lupine is breath taking

So is this Geranium Magnificum/Kungsnäva

Lamium/Rosenplister

This light pink Geranium/Näva I have in my garden as well, bought here.

I planted them in my Iris flowerbed to accent the sharp Iris leafs

Yesterday I wen't to our summer cottage by the Baltic Sea & the river Dalälven to re-dig the composts.

On the way there do I pass these beautiful fields of summer flowers, Blue bells just now.

Well at the cottage I'm always enjoying my mothers cottage garden and it's flowers

We composting everything here, from the garden and the kitchen, with great results. It's such a satisfaction to know you're doing the right thing, and get rewarded with brown gold!

Down by the water we recently discovered a new plant down there in the edge.

We first thought it was a weed, but it looked strange and tasted/smelled Chives/Gräslök but is much sturdier and longer.

Yesterday I discovered a small thicker opening high up on the grass not bigger than a cwntimeter, and out looked small small pinkish onions and a very small yellow flower!

It tastes like mild onion!

Is it anyone that can tell me what it is?

Well with some sparkly water I leave You for now!

Thank You for the visit, Per!

Spring cleaning at our Summer cottage Perstorp

Many people think I live in the paradise, this beautiful village of Lövstabruk, and I do!

But since 25 years does my family have another paradise as well, just up north here in Uppland-Sweden where the river Dalälven meets the Baltic Ocean. We have a smaller waterfront cottage with a garden in a area call Kopphuslandet.

Yesterday it was warm enough to go there for some raking of the garden, general cleaning and check up.

I left my village in the early morning (South gate with Gate house) with a fantastic sunrise

to arrive to our other paradise by the water

To the left a shed, the old cottage in the middle and my newly built guest cottage with bathroom, laundry, workshop and carport to the right that we call "Perstorp" (Pers Cottage). Crowned with this Ceramic tile from Amalfi.

The view is of our own little bay and half island, then the river Bodaån, and behind the forrest/island is the river Dalälven. Up river to the right is the Älvkarleby waterfalls, and to the left the Baltic Ocean and all the beaches.

Down at the water we always had a thick trimmed hedge of Alders/Al, but after years and years of fighting agaisnt the bugs that sometimes ate all the leave did we at last take a way all of it.

Troughout the years have I sneaked in healthy sticks of Lilacs/Syrén here and there, and we kept all of them. The ones to the far right I planted there as just sticks for over 20 years ago, the smaller ones the last years.

This one I put in the soil a year ago, and then added a lot of compost, looking healthy :D

I brought with me a lot of Snowdrop plants from home, they come from where my new flower beds going. It was 12 small rugs that we place around the border in the bushes and similar areas

We like and encourage the natural flowers to establish around the border.

We have three (3) white forrest Anemones, but also a lot of Primroses & Lilly of the Valleys coming later.

In our flower beds it moving quickly now

 Peonies/Pioner

 My favorites Tulipa Tarda/Flocktulpaner

Bergenia

The Lupines leaves are striking when they coming up

Columbines/Akleja

 Primroses/Vivor of all kinds are my mothers favorite and we have many

Orpine/Kärleksört

Chiondoxa Siehei/Vårstjärna

 Anyone know the name of this? Chionodoxa/Vårstjärna (Got the answer from another Blogger: Helena)

 White Crocus

 Even the Clematis is coming strong

On the food front we don't have much, but here is Parsley

 And off course, the obligatory Rhubarb

Along the border do we have mixed hedges and trees.

Here a Lilac/Syrén hedge that we trimmed hard last year.

Weaping Willow/Hängpil

 Bird Cherry/Hägg

 And these lovely two Birches/Björkar that only where two small twigs for 25 years ago

Indoors in my cottage my mothers Pelargoniums thriwing, we keep +10C inside through the winter

On the forrest road to the cottage is this bench, I have never seen anyone sitting on it, but I love to take photos of it through the seasons

After a great sunny day at the cottage with many Fika breaks I'm back home in my village Lövstabruk

Have a great weekend ALL, Per!