Garden - getting ready for summer

It is that time of year again.   There is a spring in my step, because it is time to open the little shed, put on the gardening gloves with the hole in the finger and get the tools out.  I also need to check the compost bin to make sure that it has plenty of lovely crumbly soil in it, rather than lots of weeds, grass clippings and vegetable peelings (and mice?).  And most importantly get the garden back into some resemblance of order.   

Luckily I gave everything a massive cutback before I went to Australia last October.  All I have to do is lightly trim the hydrangea bushes.  But all that seems a long time ago.   So much happened in between October and March.    Late Spring and Summer in countries down under, lots to see and people to visit.  And now we are well and truly into Spring here.   Wonderful.   No winter.   

Scott has been busy while I have been in Holland.  He dug out all the bamboo roots which I had poisoned last October.    A rotten job as the roots went down very deep into the soil.    They were very reluctant to come out.   And the day was extremely hot.  The remains of this fork gives an indication of a ghastly job, now completed.  Thank you Scott.   I love you.  

No bamboo now.    Fantastic.

A new concrete path beside the house, to replace the 1929 rustic path.  Put in the week before we left for Australia.  But no time to enjoy it then.   And no slipping over now, when we put the rubbish bins out.  I love it.

The gardening gloves are out.  New ones, as the hole in the old gardening gloves ruined the finger nail polish on my thumb nail.  I cannot have that.   The fork is there.   Not the one that Scott destroyed.   Luckily I had two forks.   And the plants I bought in Holland.  Now to get into it.

First I had a look under the shrub beside the patio. I think a fox has been resting here all winter.  A large hole.   No one at home in the house during winter to disturb it.  

Back to the garden.   A bit crowded I know.   But I am inspired by the gardens in Holland where everything fits in, and drastic pruning is a must.  I am in that frame of mind too.

The two new thornless blackberry bushes are behind the blackcurrant bushes.  I just hope they don't go completely mad.  The raspberry cane is behind the three gooseberry bushes.   The potatoes are in the black potato bags.   The two apple trees are in front of them.   I have put the cabbage plants in one tunnel house, and in the other tunnel house there are lots of runner bean seeds (I am inspired by the huge crops of beans in Rudolf and Conny's garden).  The tomato plants are encased in left over pieces of triple glazed roofing material from the conservatory.  Very clever thinking there but a problem if we get some wind.   And then there are rhubarb plants.   All from one piece that I broke off from Emma and Steve's garden.   Thank you Chris for planting such delicious rhubarb when you lived there.   In the corner there is the clump of silver beet, which has survived the winter. The seeds I bought in NZ in 2010.   And at the front of the garden, but too delicate to see, are the three blueberry bushes.    I am being very hopeful as they are acid lovers and I the soil is not completely acidic, even with the old horseshoe planted amongst them.

Another view of my petit little garden.   So neat and tidy do you think.   So Dutch.   I am going to throw seeds into the edges just to give the garden a flowery edge.    Beautiful.   But who will look after it when I am away?   Scott, are you listening.

The herb garden.  I planted all the parsley plants (20c each from the garden shop in Houten).  I sorted out the chives, so that I will no longer have to pick the pieces of grass from the chives I have cut for the salad.  Grass does not enhance a salad.

And finally we cleaned up the patio and put down our green outdoor carpet, which will enhance the area, I hope.   That's if it dries out from the recent rain.

And now the temperature has plummeted.   Typical.  I hope my new plants survive.