And then there was sun!

 Hello! Today was a beautiful dry day! A day such as this is a bonus when a visit to 2 garden nurseries and helping out a friend in their garden has already been planned in! This is a photo of the perfect "hand bag" for a gardener! It has room for safety/sun glasses, camera, pen, paper, wallet, chap stick, work gloves and pruners! The best summer accessory!  You can get it at the Scout Shop!

 There was lots to enjoy!

 This is a biannual Euphorbia! 

 We may come again in September when it set seed!

 There are plants for every climate and taste!

 A splash of colour for your garden!

I've been admiring this plant for years!

And so, now I brought one seedling plant home!

I wonder how long it will take to look like this? 

And this cute guy will add a bit of colour when he finds the perfect spot in the half shady part of the garden!  Now I must go and get ready for tomorrow's "Strong in the shade" plant market in Hilversum! The Dutch Hosta Society will be there along with a few other shade loving plant Societies and nurseries! I'll tell you how it went tomorrow! And maybe there will be a few more Hostas added to my list!  

The Rain Forest!

 Kind of! Hello! I'm sure there have been a few records set with the amount of rain fall that we've been having! Lots of cycling through what seems like misty clouds! Just like the rain forest climate in British Columbia! But not to complain, though! There's plenty of fun creative stuff to do inside! Always up for another sewing challenge! Thanks!

 The Hostas are loving it!

 The slugs have been finding new gound!

 Smile!

 I left this one be! It looked like I felt!

 It was an early start this misty morning! The garden centre wasn't too busy at 7 am! Made 2 trips! It was the "No, I don't work here, but how can I help you" kind of morning! Happens when one wears black and green in a garden centre! We did get a few problems sorted for her! Then we both went on our separate ways!

The really soggy Geraniums have happy "feet" now! They're potted up for a great Summer ahead! I hope they will be looking better for the open garden day!

Rainy Day Jewels!

 Hello! Great to see you today! Rain today! You just have to take advantage of these rainy days! It's a great time to get together with friends indoors and sort through quilt books! Look what came home with me! Thanks! Crazy quilt and patchwork just caught my eye on blogland a few days ago! Now here are the books to teach me how!

 Let's take a quick slug patrol walk through the garden!

Raindrops on Ladies mantel!

 Hosta Strelitzia! LOL!

 This one might be just that new "never seen before" Hosta!

We'll have to keep an eye on this one this season!

 Hosta 'Sum and Substance' will greet you by the front door!

This is where the most slug action can be found!

 Here's another! Hosta 'Sum and Subtle' !

 So many colours and sizes!

Yes, rainy day jewels are the best jewels!

 Home work is lined up for tomorrow! Tomorrow is Thursday! Vaarderhoogt garden center in Soest will be open at 7 am! Time to get there for their early bird 20% discount special! See you there! My list is ready! They have coffee!

Back inside! Time to dry off, again! It's still raining! Time for tea or better yet...Hot Chocolate! Put on the music and relax, you're a jewel ! Another creative project is waiting!  

Rain will make your garden grow!

 Yes! Here, there, there, and here and places in between!

It was a warm rain! It's still 15C!

Hostas were waiting for rain! 

It was getting a bit on the dry side here!

And guess who came for dinner? 

Why don't slugs choose one leaf and eat the whole thing?

Do they really need to taste all of them? LOL!

Wishing you joy in the garden!

Sunday!

 Hi! So, it has been a while! Always great to see you! What great gardening weather the last few days. Seems that it has been raining there but not here! Weeds are at their best! Then there were the evenings watching the Chelsea Flower Show! Life was going on! And you know how that can be! Let's take some time together and go for a walk, catch up! Missed you! We'll walk with Friends from Het Gooi nature group today!

 So, how have you been? 

 Isn't nature surprising!

 Take your time, I'm in no rush!

 But it's already May 25th! 

 Ready for the week ahead?

 A striped morass orchid! That was a great walk! 2 hours! Feel good? There's a walk next Sunday as well! Check their agenda for info! Maybe I'll see you there!

 Just a bit of other stuff..... I brought this Hosta back from a nursery in Belgium last year! Hosta Grand Marquee! 2 pots full!

Seems like they were not enjoying their new home, in the ground, in a different garden! Almost lost one of them! The slugs seemed to like their presence! Sad, really. So I decided to dig them up, re pot them, trim off the damage and see if they can grow here! There are 2 pots like this. I'll let you see how they grow!
Rain is expected, here, this week! Maybe we can get together for a cappuccino! Wishing you a creative week ahead!

Bartimeus!

 Good Morning! I'm glad your here! Today I thought I'd just take the time to talk about being thankful for having my sight, good vision! Yesterday evening I joined in a 'How it feels to be blind/seeing impared' workshop for family and friends of someone who is! This is a great initiative from Bartimeus ! I went with a friend who I help out in house and garden! We watched a short film first explaining, with great examples, different sight problems. Then there were two activities where we wore special glasses that simulated different sight impairments.

We experienced walking with a white cane through a course that simulated daily city life situations. A city sidewalk with all sorts of obstacles, a small park with a bridge and we even had to find the front door of a home! I think I was a bit rough with the cane! Then we changed rooms/activities and experienced making breakfast! Everything was in the middle of the table so good communication was also key!  Spreading butter on bread and topping it with jam or chocolate hail was on the menu! Using dishes with color is important! Then it was time to round off the evening. A great experience! Then we took the regio taxi back home!
These two pictures are to give you a better idea of how I saw yesterday. The glasses that I wore made sight even more "blurry" that what you see here. There was one small spot that was a bit clearer than the rest.
So, enjoy what you see today! Enjoy what you can create! Where you can drive to! What you can read! Take photo's of! Thanks Bartimeus for all what you do!

Geaniums! Hostas!

 What a choice! What great gardening weather! What's that date called? The one when there should be no more frost after that date? Well, that date has come and gone! Lots of happy gardening people out and about at the Geranium market today! The orders I had and planters were soon filled! I must have visited this market 6 times! With my bike "trailer" too! The last load, for me, was filled with those there, in the sun!

 And then I went back for just a few more! 

My next garden projects! On the 29th of May at a garden Center in Soest there is an early bird special! For those that arrive between 7 and 8 in the morning, they get a 20% discount coupon, good until noon! That's when and where I would like to get long white flower boxes!  I'll safe guard these geraniums until then!

 Another new addition today is the hanging basket!

I like the Fuchsia's but.... 

I need to change that white plastic hanging basket!

 A few stepping stones would be nice!

Now it's time for tea and a good book! The Hosta Journal from the American Hosta Society arrived today! Wishing you time to create, garden, laugh, have fun and enjoy being with friends!

Lets talk about flower pots!

 Friday! Ready for a great weekend? It's going to be warm and dry! And there's a Geranium Market tomorrow! Time to fill the orders and the planters with colour! Take a look at this flower pot! Love the colour! Would make a good home for a Hosta! But wait!.....

 Take a good look at the edge! Do you see it?

 The edge is folded to the inside and is open!  Try emptying the rain water and gravel out of it! That's when I realized....I can just see it! Slugs spending their days hidden away, waiting for evening to come! Then they silently slide over to the Hosta! Definitely not a plant pot for a Hosta, unless I really fill it full with potting soil!

 Plus,there are no holes! 

Surprise, surprise, it's a patented design!

 "Made in Greece" it says! I'll try making a few holes in it and see what fun plant-pot combination I come up with tomorrow! This is one benefit of my job....recycling!  

 The Hosta leaves are still looking great in a vase after last weekend! If you can't handle looking at slugs you better stop reading now, enjoy the photo, don't continue on for the last two photo's! I'll understand! See you tomorrow at the Geranium market!

 Hi! Glad you stuck around! Here are two photo's of what happens when you put out a Slug Beer Bar! There were three open this week!

I did explain to the new neighbours what I was up to when he saw me walking around the front garden with a flash light! Any "water proof"container will work! The slugs sense of smell is remarkable!  They seemed to come out of nowhere! Then they took a drink and stayed there the rest of the night!
Enjoy the rest of your Friday!