Now back from vacation and back “to work”. Yes, I know it is only volunteer work but still it is work with awesome benefits. Like the flowers in bloom.
One of my favorites at the Historic Garden, Aalsmeer. A bright orange rhododendron.
Now, if orange is not your color then perhaps purple/blue is. This is called blue rain (English translation of what the Dutch commonly call this following plant). A wisteria in full bloom.
Wisteria in full bloom, Historic Garden, Aalsmeer.
With the return of Spring, babies try to make the gardens a safe place. I saw two clutches of ducklings this morning. Just in time for Mother’s Day.😊🐣
Mama duck was not happy that so many Human workers were at the garden. She was “yelling” at her children and they were not listening to her! Had to laugh as her “children” were in about the safest place they could be, plus they stuck together.
I got a total work out weeding the roses. As our manager mentioned to me this morning “You can hear all the weeds popping out of the garden as you walk pass.” As the day went by I really think the weeds were laughing at our efforts.
Boat full of plants ready for the annual geranium sale.
As if I didn’t get enough of weed pulling or flowers I went directly to my garden to pull weeds and to plant my now late to start garden (darn vacation…😂). Tomorrow is “work day” at the garden where I must help care for the common areas so had to get going on my area today.
Iris in bloom. Rows of seeds planted, mulch done. Protection on the tender plants to keep (hopefully the very hungry slugs from eating my plants.😬One patch of weeds still to be done… then we start all over again.🙄My straw bales don’t need to be weeded but the garden rules say I must keep all my garden weed free. So the never ending process continues…My rye grain is NOT weeds! Not sure the other gardeners agree, but they will see…The last of the Friday Flowers.
Enjoy your weekend everyone! Give your Mom a hug if she is still around, if not, plant a flower in your garden in her memory this weekend.
Most my blog followers know that I volunteer at the Historical Garden in Aalsmeer, that I also worked at the largest bulb garden in the World, the Keukenhof in Lisse. I have something in my core relationship with nature that gives me strength, provides me with energy and heals me in difficult times.
In Aalsmeer
This week was finally warm enough and sunny enough to make the bulb flowers pop into full bloom.
The bulbs in some fields are in full bloom near Lisse.
From my volunteer day at the Historical Garden (where I got plenty of exercise hauling wheel barrows of worm compost), to working in my straw bale garden, to hopping on the bike for a long ride through the bulb fields, the following pictures capture it all.
Worm compost that was delivered to the Historical Garden Aalsmeer has to be hand hauled over the canals into the gardens via wheel barrows by staff and volunteers.
Writing this, I am flat on my back! Yup…it was a bit too much for my old back injury so I will be enjoying (not really) some pain killers and doing nothing for a couple of days.
This year is the year of the Lilacs at the Historical Gardens. The garden forces some of the Lilacs to bloom early by placing them in the warm greenhouses.More show of color inside the greenhouse at Aalsmeer.A view of the lilacs that are in the garden from the inside of the garden shed. Shhhh…don’t tell the boss I was resting after hauling the wheel barrows.🤫😊
Then there is my garden… weeds, slugs, new shoots, new community, just trying to find my place. So I tried an American thing, pumpkin bread (for free) stop by my garden for a chat. First time…no one came, second time…two people came…
Trying to be Minnesota Nice in my own garden.I took joy in this lady bug instead.My tulips nearly blooming.The straw bales are now starting to fill up with what will be a summer harvest. Planted spinach, carrots, onions, basil this week. Pulled weeds and tilled dirt. It is a constant work in progress.
Then it was on my electric bike and out for a ride in the sun around the bulb fields of Lisse.
This display I stop at every year in Lisse was popping with color. More color on display in this small front garden.A stop for coffee, I noted how many tourist bikes were sitting outside. This restaurant is in the old Lisse train station and is a favorite for tourist snd locals alike who are out viewing the fields by bike.My bike ride finished with a stop at my long time favorite places.
I placed my two bouquets of tulips into my bicycle bag and headed for home. My back was in pain as I entered the house but my heart was full of the joy that Spring brings, blooms of nature.
The Cedar Journal 