Pumpkins, Squash and Sugar Snap peas

We've sowed pumpkins and squash recently. They cannot be sowed in trays, because the seeds grow very fast, so we've used 9cm pots. I'm really looking forward to their germination. It's such fun to watch them develop! Last year, we only had summer squash. I really wanted pumpkins this year, but because we only have a tiny garden, I've chosen mini pumpkins. I'll try to let them grow onto our wooden frame.

The varieties we're trying this year:
*Mini pumpkins (what's with the names?):
- Wee-B-Little
- Baby Boo
- Sweet Dumpling

*Squash:
- Gold Rush
- Western Sunrise
- De Nice
- Yellow Scallop
- Sunburst

Our Sugar Snap peas are becoming bigger. It has rained a lot lately, and it's doing them much good. However, I think that a few sunny days would also make a big difference. I will soon be placing trellis, so that they can grow up. I'll post the pictures when I'm done!

France & Thesis time

I'm working on my Bachelor thesis right now, so I won't be posting that often. However, I have travelling plans for the upcoming year, as I am postponing my MA degree. So, hopefully this blog will soon take a new turn! My reason for this, is that I want to experience more in life than just plain studying. I am currently determining where my dreams will take me, so stay tuned!

I was in France a week ago, near Cap Blanche Nez and Cap Griz Nez to be precise (those names mean cape White Nose and cape Gray Nose by the way). I went with a Youth Nature organisation, of which I have been a member since 2003. We collected lots of fossils and we enjoyed the beautiful landscape enormously. I really needed a break from my studies, so I am very glad that I took this opportunity!

Some photo's, taken during my time in France:

So I bought this barrel...

So I bought this barrel, so that I collect the rainwater from our roof. But... now I will have to attach it to our drain somehow. I feel a lot of trial and error coming up...

Sunny days

Although it's march, the weather of the past days reminded me more of late spring. There were a lot of sunny days, and our little garden really loved it. Now that the weather is turning more march-like again, I've decided to post a little update. Sadly, the pictures aren't very sunny, because I only just took them... Anyway:

We finished planting our blueberries! I hope to get a rich harvest this year. I don't really understand why one of them is already in flowers, but I'll hope it will turn out OK.

We also sowed lettuce, in trays as well as in rows:

 

 

 

This year, we're going to try growing peas for the first time. We chose Sugar Snap peas, because that's the variety we like most. They are sweet peas, you eat the both the shell and the pea (and apparently, you can also eat them raw). I put them under a net, to protect them from birds and from my cat Aiden. He loves standing on my vulnerable seedlings... :P When they grow bigger, I will let them grow on trellis.

  

And last but not least: the seeds and seedlings that I've started inside have grown super fast!

Peppers and Paprika's <3 sunny days :)

The tomatoes and cucumbers that I posted about last time. Seriously. Those are the same! :O

So... I'm hoping that the sun won't disappoint us this spring! Now that she's gone, my plants seem to have slowed down their growth...

A BIG garden update

A BIG garden update today! I haven't posted for a while now, because last week was full of essays and exams. And after that was done with, I had to work through an unpleasant list of unread emails...

I did however, find time to work in our little garden. Nothing is more inspiring to me, than fresh air and the expectation of fresh fruits and veg. I can't imagine how I would ever succeed in writing an essay, without the peaceful moments of recollection in my little home-made orchard. As I am doing a course on Literature and Landscape right now, my reading and my garden work have reached a level of equality in my mind, which is most welcome. It is wonderful to be able to garden, and not feel guilty with regards to my study.

We finished the hole for the raspberries this week. In fact, not only did we finish the hole, we also filled it up with dirt - and with raspberry plants! The credit for most of the heavy work goes to my boyfriend L, who's done all the digging. :) We're growing them on trellis, because it creates more space and it should make picking easier.

Inside our house, the pepper plants are doing great. They sprouted in less than a week, which is really quick (it took several weeks last year). Both the sweet peppers (paprika's) and the hot peppers are growing fast.

Today, L and I sowed tomatoes and cucumbers. I'll post a list with varieties soon. But this is what it looks like: (of course, I hope the look soon changes... it would be a shame if they stayed that way ;) )

We've also worked on a hole to plant our two blueberry bushes. They needs acidic soil, which we have to buy at the garden centre. Looks like we'll have to make a few more trips:

That's all for now! I suddenly feel a need for a bicycle trip... to the garden centre. I'll hope to write more updates soon (no exams coming up just yet).

Wild strawberries & Cape gooseberries

I'm working on a little Wordsworth essay today, but during a break, I decided to check my seed collection for sowing dates. Then I noticed that it's time to sow Wild strawberries (fragaria vesca) and Cape gooseberries! (physalis peruviana)

They're now warming up on our windowsill, heated by the radiator. I love watching seeds grow. Can't wait 'till they show themselves... :)

Raspberry hedge

We're working on a raspberry hedge right now. It's going to be next to the little herb box. When our house was built, the patch of ground to the front of the house was filled with sand to allow for terracing. Therefore we have to get rid of all the sand and fill the patch up with good growing soil. The sand comes in handy, because we needed sand to fill up our garden path anyway. :)

Raspberries, waiting to be planted

We're going to grow 5 different varieties:

1. Fallgold, a yellow fall raspberry variety

2. Autumn bliss, a pink fall raspberry variety

3. Glen Ample, a red summer raspberry variety

4. Black jewel, a black raspberry variety

5. Loganberry

Sowing pepper seeds

Februari is coming to an end, which means that it's time to sow pepper seeds indoors. The temperature has to be 20-30 degrees (celsius) for them to germinate, it usually takes 2-3 weeks. I sow them so early, because they have to recieve as much light as possible to grow into sturdy crops.

This year, I'm sowing the following varieties:

Sweet peppers (paprika):

• Red Marconi, long red sweet peppers
• California Wonder, classic bell peppers
• Marconi Purple, have a bell pepper shape with a deep purple shade

Hot peppers:

• Bird's Eye, little hot Thai peppers that you can buy at most toko's
• Prairie Fire, ornamental peppers with bright yellow-orange-red colours (not for eating)

Last year I went for more special pepper varieties, like Rocoto Orange and Monkey Face, but 2011 was a very bad pepper year in the Netherlands and the special varieties all withered. I also realised that, while hot varieties are fun to grow, I know no one besides my father who actually likes them. Therefore, I decided to focus on sweet peppers this year: we all love those!

Knitted cat

I'm getting better at knitting. I made this cat a few days ago, she's my first three-dimensional knit, and - to be honest - also my first piece where I used increases and decreases... I'm glad she turned out well. I knitted her while listening to Goethe's The Sorrows of Young Werther and thereafter Dicken's Great Expectations. Although the stories greatly absorbed me, I don't think they influenced my knitting much... She seems to be quite in spirits.

I used this easy pattern here