The crocuses

Lots of crocuses throughout the garden

Crocusses

It is going fast with 8 degress and a bit of sun shine.

Ideas

I went for lunchtime shopping at the garden center. I wanted to buy something that is in bloom now. But there was hardly anything there, and what was in bloom was obviously 'pulled into bloom' in a green house. Not reliable for my garden!!

The yellow flowering bush that I saw in our street is apparently a Hamamelus Molus ('Toverhazelaar' in dutch). Not that they had it, of course....

The magazines had some nice pictures: Japanese gras that turns red in fall., 'bloedgras' or Imperata Cylindrica 'Red Baron'. They showed it with a Canadian Maple and that went nice.

I now also have the name for the abundant flowers near the pond and the house. Persicaria. How about the outdoor living space.... ;) If only we had a space like that, walled in and with a roof. Where could we create a spot like that??

Further I bought an Anemone, because it flowered and looked like a small plant. And further some cheaper plants, I thought. And a water can for me (large) and for Ces (small)!! That will be cute this Summer, to water the garden with her. At the moment she enjoys watering the plants in the house with me.

The baby anjers

The baby anjers are showing. I didn't know this is how they grow. I suppose it will become a big bush this year? I didn't even know that they were winter hard.

Buds in the Hydrengea

The buds in the Hydrengea in the rear of the garden. There are so many Hydrengea's there!! Maybe ten or so. And then another six in the front of the garden. I suppose a few will find a spot in the front garden.

More blooms

More blooms, but what?

Heather in bloom

This is maybe not heather, but a type of Erica at least. It would do better in the 'winter garden' near the house. Shall I move it? In the tray near the house? Enough root space?

It is also gone a bit wild and grows anywhere.

The snowdrops opened up

The snowdrops first showed their beautiful white heads in the deep of the frost.

But today is a beautiful sunny day, and they really open up.

In the background the fungi. In the autumn they were beautiful white, but the frost has turned them brown. I suppose they'll return next autumn.

But the snowdrops are so beautiful!!

Black berries

A new surprise: black berries in the black grass!! I never saw them yet, although I think they must have been there a while.... They don't stick out, but hide a bit under the grass. I think they would be poisonous, by the looks of them.

I would like to look back through some older pictures and my red logbook: see what name they have and see if they flowered some time this year??

Removing Fern

Obviously I should have made the picture before, not after I removed the fern. In the picture you can barely see the hole in the ground. It is right there where the logs indicate the border of the border....

It was quite a huge fern and growing through the wood. I like ferns, but here it was too up front and too large. Plenty of fern in our garden anyway, and it easily multiplies, should we want more!!

Now we have some space to put some nice flowers in, or perhaps extend the lawn....

Attacking the ivy

In this quiet month of Februari - at least where it concerns the garden - we are attacking once again the ivy. A slow process to get rid of it, completely if possible. And to let sun into our house. Every square meter of ivy is about one green wastebin full. So we have to take it slow, or Peter has to drive to the waste disposal all the time.

The ivy is about 50 cm thick in layers and fixed with wire frame. While doing it we get itchy ivy in our eyes, hair and under our cloths. Yuck!!

Kiwi dropping

The Kiwi's are dropping. They give a lot of mess. A good reason to pick them all in fall for the marmelade. That is: if they will still grow after last week's cut.

Gaultheria

The Gaultheria comes from the same Christmasfair and was also very expensive. I bought it with the berries.

The Gaultheria stands next to the Helioborus, and is also good for the future 'winter garden'.

Helioborus

The Helioborus I bought at the Christmasfair at Kasteel Haarzuilen. It was very expensive, but look how it keeps on making flowers!!

I planted it near the house, so we might see it from the warmth of the house. I hope it will survive for next year and I will make this ridge a real 'wintergarden'. It never gets the sun in the winter, though.