Look what we found! We went for a drive Friday after stoping at the Hosta nursery in Barneveld. It was time for coffee and a bite to eat. There was a sign giving directions to a statue/sculpture garden and restaurant in Garderen www.debeeldentuin.nl What a fun place to wander around. They have a shop full of things to decorate the house as well. Lots of room! No worries about walking into something! There were many sculptures, water fountains, vases, animals and statues outside displayed along a winding path. Couldn't leave this one behind!!

The garden is growing. Rain and warm temperatures these days! This is one poppy plant still in flower! Look at all the seed heads! I'll try chopping it off at ground level when it is all done flowering and before the frost hits to see if it will grow back next year!

There are more hosta's and heuchera's waiting to be planted!

This is a climber that was planted March 30th after the last real frosty night. It is in the two tubs in front of the shed. Maybe you can see it in the above photo.

The green container for garden waste is quickly filled. It is emptied every other Friday. Last week it was empty and now it is full! I leave the lid open on sunny days to let it dry out and maybe get more in! We have used the bin from the bicycle trailer a few times to transport clippings from the hedge. That has been done as well. No birds nests in the hedge but there is one in the bush next to it. The blackbird family is doing fine!

Impressions from the Arboretum Trompenburg

Hosta Yellow River

The 20 year birthday of The Netherlands Hosta Club was celebrated at the Arboretum Trompenburg in Rotterdam. The program included an opening, unnveiling the new hosta collection "Arie van Vliet Collection", Marco Fransen's presentaion about his favourite Hosta's, the Leaf Show, best new Hosta 2009 and an auction.

Here we see the judges judging the Hosta leaves.

They are all expert Hosta growers.

There were 5 catagories and best in show.

We, the participants, could bring a maximal of 25 leaves. These will stay on display during the weekend. The Arboretum has a Hosta Day planned for Sunday, including guided walks along the "Hosta walk".

The auction was fun! All Hosta's were donated. Prices started at 5 euros but soon were climbing higher. All proceeds go back into the Hosta Club. You could even bid on seedlings that are brand new Hosta's!! These haven't been grown, named and produced for the market before! The grower/developer of the best new Hosta 2009 donated a root/shoot from the one plant and that was auctioned off for 210 euro's!

The Hosta Day was enjoyable. We had sunny warm weather, time enough in the program to walk around the park, eat lunch, check out the Hosta growers "for sale" stalls and chat with other Hosta Club members. Where will it be next year?

You know that it was a success when you

leave a Hosta nursery with an arm full!

Hosta days at plant nursery van den Top in

Barneveld www.hostaworld.nl

Hosta Reversed

Hosta Yellow River

There was a lot of rain in the rain gauge by 12 noon today!

"Plants grow by the inch and get killed by the foot"

Green is the new black

Welcome to Buitenzorg!

The walk way to the front door had a "face lift"

The water feature has been cleaned out!
The lates addition is a Ginko tree.

The rain adds its own special touch!

The hosta's are starting to flower!

A creative use of space in the front yard here in Bunschoten! Saturday was another great day for a cycle trip to visit a friend! In gear 4 to get there but in gear 6 going home. Cycling to Bunschoten from Baarn is just like a vacation on Texel. Wind in your face, a harbour where there is a fish stall and market on Saturday's!

Today was a cloudy but dry day. Time to visit Buitenzorg and check out the Fruit triangle. The grass is growing, the currant bushes have fruit and it looks like all the trees that have been planted have settled in and are growing! Lots of green foliage!

There has been a lot of sweat, muscles and work happening at Buitenzorg the last few weeks to remove the Black Berry bushes, Stinging Nettle and other weeds. A good thick layer of leaf mulch covers the ground and a lot of sun light and warm weather lately creates the perfect growing conditions for weeds. Black berries are delicious! Have picked them myself, made jam and crumbles with custard. The plant has the growing power to cover a lot of ground! But "A weed is a plant in the wrong place" so they just had to go!

Nothing like coming home after a hard day at the office and puttering around in ones own garden! What a way to work out those stiff aching muscles! There is a lot to see in the garden. Take a few photo's, use Picassa, put them on my blog and then get ready to enjoy BBC's Gardener's World at 9

Art? What do you get when you leave candles behind glass?

This is the result after many weeks of sunshine!

It was so warm and the days dry that I thought it would be nice to make a bird bath using a big "plant pot under setter" and a big brick in the middle. I haven't seen any clues that the black birds have discovered the bath.

The weather forcast for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday is rain. We sure do need some of that liquid sunshine. Luckily the weeds still do grow without it! Has been a great few months for Weeding.nl. Since it will rain I thought it would be a good idea to prepair the garden for water! The front and back lawns have been mowed and bare patches reseeded with grass seed, the planting thinned out and weeded, these Cosmos flower seeds have been sown....

....in the middle of a circle of .....?......

I can't think of the name right now.

I'll get back to you when I do!

Peonies are now in season!

I bought three plants from a peony grower on Texel.

This one is "Sarah Bernard"

"Mr. Jules Elie" and "Kansas"

Let's go on a sight seeing cycle trip!

We will leave Baarn and head towards Bunschoten.

A chance to take photo's while we wait

for the bridge to be lowerd by Eembrugge.

There are still a few old farms to be seen.

This one looks in good shape!

Changing farm land into developers building site happens here also. 53 houses will be built. This location is north of the A1, next to Bunschoten - Sparkenburg and close to Amersfoort.

There is still a lot to see as we carry on cycling through Bunschoten.Here are two front gardens, two owners, two very different ideas. Sparkenburg is just up ahead with coffee and apple gebak!