2021 CORONA VARIANT (DELTA) BREEDS OUT OF CONTROL & HEAVY FLOODING AND DISASTER FOR NETHERLANDS, GERMANY & BELGIUM July 2021

CORONA UPDATE & LOCAL NEWS 

The Corona Delta variant is reeking havoc across this tiny country (Netherlands).  With infection rates climbing higher daily after the restrictions for masks lifted and many other restrictions lessened or obsolete, the virus has once again reached gigantic proportions in the terms of how many are infected.  I said before, and I will keep saying it, masks are the key to less infections, and people not congregating together in closed stores and restaurants.  It is summer, there really isn't a reason why people can not dine outside in the open air, it might not be the ideal situation, but neither is the health care situation where we can not get normal surgeries due to hospitals being full for months with corona patients and some closed due to lack of personnel able to fulfill the duties necessary with the influx of so many patients to care for.  Healthcare personnel are tired after 18 plus months of corona patients.  

Now we currently have flooding issues for the last few weeks of non-stop rain and many are dead or lost in floods in Germany.  The Netherlands has been had hit also, but today a dam has broken and created more water issues.  Luckily the dam near me held and I was just walking near there and the water has receded today since the rain stopped.  I feel very fortunate to not have to deal with the distress of that, but I certainly feel for those that have had to suffer with these issues, and will continue to suffer until it is resolved.  Our beautiful castle just a street away from me had water and the roadway was totally covered.  I was sick upon seeing that, as it is a favorite element here for me, a restful place for me to go and rest when I am weary from life's struggles, and it's just a place of beauty.  One of the things that I love here in Europe are the castles and old architecture.  I never tire of seeing the "old beauty' that is not available in a young country such as America.  

I think my raspberries (frambozen) are probably not going to produce much this year due to the excessive rain and low temps, nor my fruit trees apple, pear and plum, and my strawberries while they produced in great abundance before the rain, I think those are now done in by the low temps and too much water for this year.  My hoop house with tomatoes does  seem to be ok at the moment, although with so much water outside and the high humidity with the low temps,  it will be a wonder if they do not develop mold sickness.  The one thing that did not seem to mind the water was my borage, it is still in full bloom and today the bees were hovering over every plant.  The people that have the honey bee hives should have some nutritious and delicious honey this year because they have had the borage and the lemon balm, and the purple basil in addition to the other medicinal plants that they have frequented.  The huge hummels (bumble bees) are huge here, and they love the purple basil, and I love watching them.  I move through the walkways and they have not bothered me at all, they just seem happy to coexist there with me like family.  The honey bees also have not bothered to be bothered by me, and I've seen several of the hummels in my lantern filled with moss and sticks, hopefully depositing eggs there.  I can't say I have enjoyed the snails, but I think I need to plant things on the outside of my beds so they do not travel further inside.  Perhaps if I get my raised beds finished before next year I will have less issues with them.  

So, I'll just end this evening being thankful for what I don't have and what has not occurred, and sometimes those are the greatest blessings of all.

Take care good friends, and new friends that happen to find me, it's my hope that something you find from my endeavors will provide assistance, or at least a bit of hope when there is a sense of despair.  

Gardening and life .....  are not always the easiest pathways to travel, but if we enjoy the beauty around us, the serenity that wild life and plants bring to our lives, we too can find a bit of serenity and peacefulness inside our own minds and bodies, and in turn improve our minds, our health and our ability to foster a better sense of just "being".  

If we were ducks we wouldn't mind the water, if we were snails we wouldn't mind the rain, if we were birds we wouldn't mind the beetles and grasshoppers and aphids, if we were not human, we wouldn't be able to enjoy the gardens and wildlife in the way that we alone can.  With each species there is something to enjoy, and things to fear, we are certainly not an exception to that. 

How We Connect With Nature

                       Connecting With Nature  

For those of us that are long time gardeners, most have found their true connection to nature.  Some find it in herb gardening, others flowers, and some with vegetables, some with a combination of all.  

I am happiest when I have my hands in the dirt planting something, there's just something that is very elemental to me, maybe it's the nurturer in me, that wants to make everything for everyone better, or maybe it's just giving a hand to create new living organisms that makes it special, whatever the reason, I look at is as a wonderful gift from the creator.  

I think where some of us are soul bound to the plants and ground others are more in tuned with just creating a perfect garden.  However in doing that, they miss out on the joys that unexpected rootings of new seedlings that blew in by the wind bring, the joy of seeing that the rosemary branch I laid on the ground has actually put down roots, or the joy of seeing that first ripe tomato in the summer.  I spend an inordinate amount of time just watching the bees and when butterflies come by I am happier than a kid with a raspberry blue slushie and a blue tongue.  In America I had many butterflies covering my butterfly bushes and other plants everyday in the summer, here in Europe there are not so many to be seen where I am, and that makes me sad.  I have attempted to create a natural habitat in my allotments for the butterflies and bees, as well as the birds (I am not so popular with my gardening neighbors over the birds) ahem, however I am not deterred by that.  I respect my gardening neighbors, and I respect nature, and birds are certainly playing a huge role in our ecosystem.  Most people know of my love for the bees, butterflies, dragonflies and birds, but I had never had a hummingbird actually land on me until I came here.  I was outside and I had on my ugly Hawaiian shirt, it had huge flowers on it in vivid colors and I was pulling weeds out of my rockbed, I stood up and this tiny little bird just hovered in front of me, then darting to the flowers on my shirt.  It looked like a mini helicopter it was so fast, he darted away and my heart fell, but he immediately returned and attempted a few more times, I was holding my breath afraid to move that I would scare him away, and just for a brief second he landed, that was one of the most beautiful moments of my life.  One of my other experiences here was going to a recreation park and the group that takes care of hurt wildlife had a huge owl, I was allowed to hold him on my arm and that was just a wonderful feeling to be that close to a fully grown owl that could literally peck my eyes out had he chosen to.  I was so saddened to hear later that he was stolen, I can only hope that who ever took him gave him a good home.  

So connecting with nature isn't always about growing things, it's about the deepest feelings that we have for living things, albeit plants, animals etc.  It's a spiritual connection that reaches deep into our souls and finds the best part of us, the part that we do not really share readily with the world.  It has been my experience that most gardeners are very honest and kind people, but there is always the proverbial bad apple, but even with that, they too can find a spiritual connection with mother nature's beautiful environment and be transpired to new heights in their lives, after all, none of us are perfect, and we all have traveled roads that have ultimately helped shape and define our lives.  

Let's all going forward attempt to be good stewards of the environment, focus on something that can benefit Mother Nature's earth and please plant flowers for the bees, birds, and butterflies.  I should also say, attempt to learn the good insects from the bad ones, and try to find companion plants that will entice them away from the plants you are attempting to harvest from.  We need all of these animals, why else would they be here?

PART TWO

MUSIC  TO MY EARS

The birds make beautiful music, and I always think the plants appreciate the sounds also, but did you know that they actually do respond to music?  While we may not see eyes and ears on our plants, they are actually living and breathing, just not in the same way we do, so is it so far fetched to believe that they too enjoy giving us pleasure?   How would one test that?  I have no idea, but I do feel like some days a plant just goes out of its way to bloom early to make me smile.  Perhaps that's God's way of giving me incentive, but whatever it is, that makes me feel connected more to the living part of life. 
According to Aerify, and I quote:  "There have been multiple studies regarding the potential impact of music on plants. One study, conducted in 1962, found that the growth rate of plants can be accelerated when plants are exposed to music. This study found that different types of music, including classical music and raga music, all had an impact on a plant’s growth rate."  

With that being said, I think I have listened to too much music and I am growing out instead of up :(    

So enjoy the garden and play them some special tunes, or perhaps just sing them a song, (unless you are tone deaf, then please don't, I don't want angry posters telling me their plant died after they sang to it.  :)  Ok, now I am seeing that in my head and laughing.  

Let's enjoy what we have, we never know what the future holds, and as Corona has shown us, we can be stuck indoors like prisoners.  So live it up, go have that fake cocktail in the garden.  

Homemade Ice Cream

Hot Chocolate Homemade Ice Cream

Ingredients:
Buisman Premium Hot Chocolate (Single Serving Packs) - 1

Jello Pudding (Instant) 1

Milk - 3 1/4 cups

(Note you can use half-half if you wish, or almond milk)

Strawberries - Fresh 1/2 cup (or more if you prefer)

This is a recipe I made myself, I didn't get it off the internet, I like strong flavors, not washed out tastes, thus the Buisman Premium Hot Chocolate Mix.   

Pour milk into a chilled metal bowl (just throw a few ice cubes in and let it cool it) then dump out the cubes.  Then add the Jello Pudding with 3/4 cup of powdered sugar (yes the icing sugar kind)... (or make your own with regular sugar in a blender blend until you have fine powdered sugar.  I use an immersion blender because I am too lazy to drag out that beautiful do it all mixer for baking, and because it isn't necessary, you could even do by hand.  I'm all about quick if it works well.  You can pre-chill your freezer bowl for the ice maker, but it isn't necessary.  Once you have blended pour into your ice maker freezer bowl, set up your ice maker and set to 30 minutes, the last ten minutes add in the strawberries and hot chocolate mix through your blend area.  I did mine an extra ten minutes.  
Then just pour into your freezer container and put in the deep freeze or refrigerator freezer until it's the desired hardness.  This ends up to be more of a gelato consistency, and if you want softer you can actually use a stand mixer on low for 1 minute to change the consistency.  It's all about your preference, but don't leave out the hot chocolate, that's the key ingredient.  

Let me know how you like it.  I know everyone will love it.

How Do I Start Successfully Gardening?

 

HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL WITH YOUR GARDEN

I answer many questions online about gardening and one I get often is, how can I make sure my garden is a success after I do all of this work?

The answer lies in a few straight forward things:

1) If you are new to gardening and want to begin, the best advice, start small with some container boxes or a garden by the square foot box, or two of those. Most people end up hating gardening because they do not put in the prep work required to have success without spending all of their time only managing weeds and insect issues, etc.

Example of a 4x4 Square Foot Gardening Bed
This is a great starter garden with Herbs.

You can use this without the raised bed, just layout your squares with a tape measure .

Basil & round carrots around the basil	Beefstake Tomato (Do on outside so you can stake it)	9 Beets	8 Dill Plants 2 Oregano or 1 Sage 2 Parsley
Bell Pepper (patio) 2	1 cabbage	2 Chives and do remaining with leaf lettuce	Corn Plant Beans to grow up the Corn
Leeks/Spring Onions 9-12 (Harvest and replant)	1 Catnip Plant or other Herb 2 Cilantro	4 Argula or Head Lettuce	Green Beans grow to climb the Corn
4 Strawberry	9 Peas	4 Geraniums (red or pink)	Nasturium With a Stake
			| |------||

There are a million ways to make a raised bed, just google or use pinterest. Above I have given you an example that would be easily done by anyone and if you live in a warm climate the only thing you have to really grow before is the tomato, the rest you can use seeds and it can all be planted as soon as the ground is warm and no frost or cold temperatures.

Do use small varieties for the carrots, the typical round apple carrots, normal size beets, Patio bell pepper and tomato, normal cabbage or red cabbage or a chinese cabbage, the spring onions or leeks you can harvest and replant (I would sow some in containers to keep replanting throughout the summer); Try a pretty strawberry with red blooms, peas you need sugar snap or regular (not tall varieties that have to be staked unless you want to stake).

This is a garden anyone can grow anywhere (except in shade or cold temps). The maintenance is not difficult, water, fertilizer, harvest, weed....

So before you start digging up your back yard, think about what your goal ultimately is. How much time do you want to invest everyday in having a garden? What do you really want to grow?

How much do you want to grow of a particular item? After you answer those questions then it's time to move on to ask yourself do I want to do container gardening, raised bed (or semi raised bed) or in the dirt.

DO NOT rush out and start digging until you have answered those questions because you are setting yourself up for failure. I do raised beds, in the ground, and container gardening, in addition to a hoop house and very small greenhouse which I have half of and I've run out of room, I am now rethinking going vertical. Gardening in small spaces can be difficult if you choose to grow alot of different things like I do, raspberries, blackberries, currants, gooseberries and strawberries. Strawberries take up alot of my garden space mainly because I use them year round everyday and I freeze them, also greenbeans take up a huge amount of space because I also use them all year and freeze them. The other berries I also freeze.

Seriously ask yourself what you grow, research how much space they take (both when you plant and when they mature), otherwise you will be digging up and replanting when they overgrow their space and that's not always with a good outcome.

Start small, grow up and out :)  

Gardening is really all about the joy it brings in growing things, the rest inside your mind and body, the pleasure of actually growing something to eat or cook with, or to use as a medicine.  

If I scared you, that was my intent, I hate to see people give up and it's easily to become discouraged when the weeds and snails or other insects start devouring plants, or the plants become sick.  That's why it's important to have a plan that aligns with your expectations.  As with life, it's all about choices and how they affect our journey.

If you want to start a small herb garden -- a great container garden is a galvanized tub, a wooden fruit box, or plastic or pottery clay flower pots.  Just be aware that you need to use a good mix of coco FIBER mulch, not the stuff that you see lining pots, and a good potting soil or compost.  This is a really great way to start gardening and have herbs to cook with, make salad dressings, etc.  I'll do an article later that outlines some good choices for a small container herb garden.  

CILANTRO / CORIANDER / CHINESE PARSLEY Herb - How To Grow From Seed

 CILANTRO/CORIANDER/CHINESE PARSLEY 

Coriander is a finicky herb, prone to bolting in the heat and short lived in hot regions, however you can combat some of that by planting in pots and bringing indoors or covering outside with a shade cloth on hot days.  

To start seeds yourself, use a good base for the soil, I recommend coco mulch to start the seeds, it holds moisture well and can be popped into the ground or into a bigger pot easily.  Don't use that as it's permanent home because it doesn't have enough nutrients, just to start, and you can mix a bit of compost with if you prefer.  The seeds need to be sown no deeper than 1/4 inch, and in the coco mulch I don't sow them that deep, slightly less.  When they appear and reach around 2-1/4 inches tall repot them into a larger container with good potting/compost soil and give them a drink of my homebrewed tea (search for tea on this blog) as I have moved things around.  I suggest only doing 3-4 seeds at one time and then a week later do more, etc.  Succession planting is best because of the bolting issues, and sometimes insects such as aphids, white flies, etc. attack a plant.   Bolting occurs when temperatures go from one extreme to the next, or just several days of heat will cause it bolt.  

You can plant directly in the ground after the plants have been transplanted to the new pots for a couple of weeks or you can move to a larger container with good compost/soil mix.   If it bolts, you can let it go to seed and hopefully new plants will come up from the seed, or you can try cutting it back to about 4" high and see if it will restart.  Either way with succession planting you have some to replace it with.  Don't overwater  just water when it's surface down to the knuckle on your finger is dry.  

My observation, and others may disagree, but I have found that coriander is not bitter when it is started in the greenhouse and kept inside under a shadow cover.  I have successfully grown in outside and still do, but sometimes it turns bitter.  Make sure you pick the leaves often, if you can't use them, put them on a piece of cake paper in the oven preheated and turned off, just line them side by side on the paper and they will dry quickly, then you can either grind in a bullet blender or just scrunch them up with your hands.  Put them in a glass jar or ziplock bag for later use.  

I've read several articles about the health benefits of Coriander, and when eaten raw it is suppose to help with ringing in the ears, upset stomach and fatigue.  You can also make a tea from the leaves and drink it if you prefer. 

 (Disclaimer:  I am not a Doctor, I only research what Doctor's online write, so please do your own research to be sure that any herb used outside of normal culinary means is safe for you, and with the medication you use). 

 ROSEMARY (Rosmarijn) Herb/Kruiden
Other related Posts:  Smudging

May 20, 2021 (2nd Year of Corona Virus)


Today I went to the garden in the early morning hours, and since it's rained the last five days, I had a lot of tiny weeds.  I took out a lot and then went on with my planting and general maintenance.  I have a huge rosemary plant, around 4 plus feet tall (1-1/2 meters) and I should have trimmed it way back again in the fall, but I did not.  What I did have was a new plant (by putting a rock on a piece with dirt over and under it to get it to root.  It had rooted over the winter and last summer, so that was a nice thing to see.  I also had one Thyme (Tijm) plant that I had in a container herb garden from last year that also worked.  Most grocery stores sell fresh herbs in plastic packaging, but honestly just buy a plant and put in a pot, unless you are industrious and want to try your hand at growing yourself.  I do not recommend buying Rosemary seeds because they take a long time to germinate and the success rate with seeds is not great (at least that's my experience).  There are a couple of different ways to root Rosemary, with the simplest method like I said above assuming you have already planted one previously, or have a nice friend to do for you.  You can also just ask your friend for some cuttings in the Spring to early summer when the new growth is starting.  Just cut above the nodes and plant in some sand and compost or thin potting soil.  I have actually just stuck them in white sand and rooted in the states, but I had a lot of hot summers and not so cold winters there, and a lot less rain.  You can get several cuttings from one long cutting.  I have also used cacti mix to start them in, and I like that as a base to start alot of clippings, it just works well for me.  The first couple of days keep your cuttings in a cool place out of the sun, then you can allow them to have some sun, just not 100 degree sun.  Rosemary is a plant that is a "loner", he does not like to be fussed over, will grow in good soil, but actually does better in soil that isn't given regular fertilizer (although I do give some natural fertilizer in the spring to give it a boost for new growth).  If your cuttings are successful in a few weeks you should see some new roots beginning, and after 6-8 weeks you should have enough roots to harden them off, and plant.  

What to remember!

Cuttings - Cut above the nodes and plant (keep moist but not wet).

Planting - Remember this plant can turn into a giant when you do not keep it cut back in the fall each year, so if you plan on letting it grow to exorbitant heights and width, make sure it is planted where that does not affect your other plantings.  If you just want to keep it small, trim back to half size in the fall and root those cuttings to make a herbal potion or to use for air freshener. 


Herbal Potion from Rosemary

Rosemary is suppose to have a good effect on the hair and nails, and with giving one energy due to increased circulation in the body.  I am not a doctor, so I can not attest to whether this is true, but since it is not poisonous to drink tea from the leaves, and to use the stems for tinctures, I have to believe that it provides some kind of benefit to us besides making chicken, roast, soups and other dishes taste delicious.  If you want to try the tea, just take 1/4 cup of leaves and steep like normal tea.  If you want to make a tincture, I use vodka in all of my tinctures except one where I use Jaegermeister.   

TINCTURE FROM ROSEMARY OR THYME (Tijm)
1//4 cup fresh leaves and steps chopped finely 
1 clean sterilized glass jar 
Make sure you have washed the rosemary or thyme before you chop.

Once chopped, place the leaves and pieces in the glass jar, cover with vodka.  If you live in a hot climate, put this in the refrigerator to process, if you are in a cooler environment then you can just put it on the counter until it processes.  Rosemary can be quite strong, but Thyme is much more subtle, so I process the Rosemary 14 days and the Thyme 18.  (You can taste to check the strength, just do a drop on your tongue).  

Once the processing is finished, I use a different clean sterilized jar to pour the tincture through a sieve (or coffee filter if you do not have a sieve), into the clean jar.  I then toss the contents into a tea cup and add a bit of lemon juice and make a cup of tea.  Then just put the contents from the plant into your recycle can.  

The tincture, can be used by taking a few drops (normal 3-5).  

In conslusion, Rosemary does not like to be fussed over, give enough water, but do not keeps roots really wet (he does not like wet feet).  Maintenance, check for rot at bottom of the plant stems, and watch for critters, although Rosemary repels more than it attracts. The flowers attract bees, hummingbirds and butterflies, so it's a nice addition to a butterfly or bee garden.  Some of the larger birds will actually snip pieces to build their nests in the spring, (my grandfather said it was their way of getting mites and lice away), but I have no scientific knowledge to back up his claim.  Rosemary and Thyme are favorite plants for me to snip pieces to stick in tiny vases for a tablescape, in addition to their pretty colors, everytime someone touches them they release their fragrance.  They are also nice for using in smudging.  

If you aren't familiar with smudging, take a look at my article on smudging that I am moving to this blog today.  This is a great activity for spring/summer months to use whenever, but I like them in the cold winters here. 

If you have any thoughts or question, I'll be happy to help if I can.

Wishing you faith, grace, love, peace, happiness and good health.  

 

Finiky Carrots & How To Plant those Tiny Seeds With Ease

 How to Seed Those Tiny Carrot Seeds Easily

Most gardeners sow the basic carrot, peas, beans, etc., but sowing some seeds is indeed a hard task.  Carrot seeds are often a problem in the garden, and most people that tell me their carrots did not come up had either not maintained a moist area, had watered too hard and washed the seeds away, or they simply forgot to water at all.  So here's the skinny on how to grow carrots successfully.  

First, carrots need a moist environment to germinate, and since you have to plant them so close to the surface, that can be an issue in warmer climates.  The solution is actually simple, you can cover them with a board for up to six days (because they can start germinating in 7 days).  I check mine because a few times I have been surprised to see the shoots before it was time because I planted a variety other than my normal.  (Some people do not have allotments and instead grow in their flower beds and may not have a board handy, then just take newspaper dampen it and place over the top, if newspaper dries out, then just spray with a spray bottle to rewet it).  

Because carrot seeds are so small, it is very easy to sow too many and it looks like little tufts across the whole space with no room to grow.  If you do that, then thin out the row so they have room  to grow.  BEST TIP:  It is actually easier to sow them and they are then equipped with their own moisture source, if you take 5 minutes and 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch and boil in 1 cup of water for 1 minute.  Let that cool, then put into a ziplock bag, (for those of you that bake and decorate cakes) - we are going to decorate the garden.  Once you have the starch in a ziplock bag, mix in the seeds, then head to the garden where you have already prepared your row or bed, (which should be 1/4 inch deep and cut the tip off the ziplock back, and simply go down the row squeezing out the gelatin and seed mixture.  Then all thats left to do is to cover them with a bit of dirt.  If you did my trick of using your hand shovel to make the row with, then all you have to do is just pinch the row together and your seeds are covered.  I still cover mine with a board because that's the way my grandparents taught me, (most seeds will germinate when kept in the dark for a few days).  The board also keeps the birds from scratching and pushing the seeds where you didn't plant them.  

If you don't have gardening space it is possible to grow carrots in a container, there are round carrots that are delicious and they do not take up much space, or use a deep container and grow normal carrots (I use sand in the container.  When you use a container with sand, (you can mix the seeds in some damp sand and sow easily also).  

NOTE:  Thinning carrots -- space them at least 1-1/2 to 4 inches apart (look at the size of the carrot on the package and see what their estimate is on the package for best results, but I find that usually 2-1/2 inches is enough space for most.  

Friends to Plant With Carrots - Use Companion Planting by planting with tomatoes or peas and DILL.  

To keep away carrot flies you need to plant Dill between your plants, and do not kill the spiders, they are actually there hoping to make a meal off of the carrot fly larvae.  
Characteristics to look for with carrot fly invasion - rust colored leaves that turn yellow.  Take out the plants and dispose of them (not in compost pile).  Ground beetles are also great helpers with carrot fly issues, so don't step on them please. 

If you love color, or you are trying to get your children to eat their carrots, try one of the varieties that has them in black, yellow, purple in addition to orange.  Bright colors capture young children's attention (eye candy), and they are more prone to eat them without a fuss.

It's a low wait time for most carrots although the round variety was only 90 days, the normal time from start to harvest is usually 120-180 days.  You can leave carrots in the ground until the first light frost if you prefer, and when I lived in the states I planted in large black containers filled with sand and I left them in the sand and took out as I needed.  The only issue with that was my friendly (somewhat wild rabbit) also found the carrots.  I found out why my carrot supply had seemingly dwindled in the container. The rabbit was sitting in the container having a nice lunch. I had a love and hate relationship with that rabbit, every spring there would be babies of course and my garden was a perfect place for eating out, but after the first year I found if I planted enough containers with lettuce and carrots and placed on the outside edges of my garden, they left the rest alone, That's where succession planting and quick growing lettuce is a garden saver, also a bowl of rabbit food helped with the babies.  I loved seeing them, especially the young ones, they play while they eat and then get scolded.  So be a good neighbor to the wildlife when you can, they reward you with moments like the one I mentioned above that are unforgettable and bring a smile when you remember.  

Lastly, when gardening, it's a learning experience, each season is different, every place you garden from one city/state/country is different, temperatures, the weather unpredictability, the type of soil, so when you have a failure, don't see it as a failure, see it as a learning experience and grab another package of seeds and enjoy the journey.  With most things the journey may be better than the destination.  

DON'T FORGET TO PLANT THE DILL!!!!!  Plus you will be rewarded with beautiful visitors to the dill.  

TOT VOLGENDE KEER (Until the next time) ....   Safe and happy gardening.