Pictures from the garden 2006-2017
December 2017
Greetings to all my gardening friends.
The date is 10th December. The garden is resting but at least my brain isn’t. There isn’t a great deal to do in the garden at this time of year, so it’s best to retire to the kitchen and sit with a large glass of red wine in front of blazing fire. As the flames exude their warmth, I’m listening to Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. And around me there are gardening books and gardening magazines which I’m going through, and planning for the spring of 2018. Time goes quickly. So light some candles and enjoy the season despite the darkness.
As far as gardening magazines are concerned, with all due respect to Swedish magazines ‘The Garden’ is a magazine everyone should have. It’s published by the British Royal Horticultural Society (www.rhs.org.uk), which is the worlds largest and oldest gardening association. Members receive their magazine sent directly to their mailbox every month. It’s a real gift when opening the mailbox and finding The Garden in it.
I’ve been a member of the RHS for many years and have received innumerable tips and ideas from The Garden. In addition, membership gives free entry to the RHS’ wonderful gardens in the UK, as well as a large number of other gardens (including several outside the UK, such as the magical Isola Bella and Isola Madre gardens at Lake Maggiore in northern Italy.
With a garden, one lives on hope. I can already see hope ahead of me, at the same time as I’m grateful for being able to withdraw a little and ponder over mistakes from the preceding season and look forward to planning new things. At the moment we’re planning our order for bulbs from Holland, and a list of bulbs for spring planting will be sent out to all members of the Bulb Club before the New Year. There will then be the whole of January to think about the garden and plan, among other things, bulb planting; we will need to receive orders for bulbs by the beginning of February.
The year is drawing to a close and so, of course, I’d like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
The pictures on this dark and rainy/snowy day are my indoor creations and table settings, with inspiration from nature.
All the best,
Stefan, A Gentleman Gardener
