Lupines everywhere & first Salad harvest

Just now there is Lupines everywhere around, and I also have a few in my garden but plan to have a small field of them together with Poppies, Digitalis and others next year.

Lövstabruks Manor House Park

Along the forrest roads

With The Early Bumblebee/Ängshumla in my garden

Yep, pretty much everywhere, it's a invasive flower in our landscape, but oh so beautiful

Excited over that I'm able to harvest my first greens from my garden (beside Rhubarbs), this is Salat and Spinache that I just topped with Basil infused Olive Oil, mmmh

The salad to the right is a mix from Gourmetgarage and to the left is the Spinache, somewhat nibbled on by Venisons, but I put in more seeds and hope for more.

Borlotto Beans, also from Gourmetgarage

Beet root, massacred by the neighbor cats, also here I put down more seeds :(

My Red Garlic Rossi di Sulmona from Gourmetgarage planted in the fall as the first veggies in my garden, so excited to see how they turn out. I have never had Garlic before and Anna at Goutmetgarage have been a patient supplier answering all my novice questions, like it was a heart surgery I was performing :D

My Potatoes growing quickly and to the right Red Onions

I have planted several Irises, what the neighbor cats haven't killed, some of the frostnights did, but there is still 7 kinds that survived, but only one blooming so far this year, and like a Paparazzi I did attack it from all angles and in all lights

But I also have wild Irises along my stream and in my Wood/Wetland in the back of the property

Most of my flowers are choosen to support the Bee & Bumblebee populations, but also for photography!

The Great Globe Thistle/Bolltistel, a long time photo favorite I got last fall from my friend Ann-Cathrin start to have beautiful green buds before they turn magnificent purple

And with that do I end today!

Have a great day, Per!

Mid Easter Report from my garden

It's amazing weather and Art weekend (Konst på väg) at the opening of the season here in our village this Easter!

Great to see all galleries, Inn, Café, Garden Nursery, church, Orangerie and the village full of strolling people. There is 8 galleries open here this weekend.

Besides being busy with that, there is still a lot of time for the garden now when the sun going up at 5.14 and down 20.20. Last afternoon we had as most +22C in our microclimate here in Lövstabruk.

Here is whats going on just now:

It rained on Friday, much needed, it will kickstart the growth, so I had to burn of the dead grass in the rough area

After the rain I could start to see whats going on in my woodland, and see a lot of Lillies coming up. I will not bother to much about this area this year, just check whats going on.

The Climbing Rose "New Dawn" coming quickly with small delicate leaves

 Close to "New Dawn" by the South west house wall have I now also planted the Chinese Peony "Hong Zhu Ying Yu" (Jade with Red Pearl)

And in the Half Shadow flower bed the Black Snake Root/Höstsilverax "Brunette" found a home

Next to my favorite Birch/Björk: Ornäs

I loooove the leaves on this Swedish Birch

My belowed apple "Signe Tillisch" are crowning the garden on the highest point. Already after being in the soil for a few days the Flowerbuds start to show.

(I did not have poles to put down around her, but will fix that today)

I don't really know why I got this fast growing Danish braided Willow, but anyway, I planted it in the lowest point of the garden where the water was staying last this spring, since it love wet around it's roots.

Around it I put two Bergenias that hopefully will cover the area around the tree pretty quick.

There is 2 more days of this 4 day holiday (in Sweden) and I will enjoy both gardening and art gallery visits.

In the Orangerie there is some amazing artists having their exhibits, in my dreams this beautiful building would be a permanent Gallery & Café.

Enjoy the rest of your Easter weekend, Per!

A slight interuption in the Gardening

Oh well, it is March after all :D

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!