Plant wish list* shortened

Last Saturday it was plant market day at the Hortus botanicus in Amsterdam. Could I stay away? Of course not. Whilst I'm not looking for a rare species of orchidee or geranium, I had a hunch there might be something special for me as well.

And I actually gave a tiny squeal of joy when I found seeds of Passiflora incarnata, and of Liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra). A grown-up giving a spontaneous squeal of joy, because of seeds? Yes, that's me.


(* You can find the plant wish list in the column, left. I'm all in for swapping seeds/small plants. Just drop me a line with your wishlist!)


Happy as a child I was eager to see if there were other great treasures to find. And as by magic, I was drawn to a stall with lots of tiny trees... Walnut trees. (and pecan nut trees, but let's stick to the walnuts now, shall we?)
But...eeh...we have a walnut tree already. And walnut trees grow huge.
"Hello. How big does a walnut tree get?"
"Oh, these will be about 7meters high in 30 years."
About a dozen questions later I walked away with our Walnut tree No.2 (on the photo on the left).
Because these, Juglans regia "Chiara" produce lots and lots of walnuts, with an oil percentage of 55%!  You can find the nursery through this link.

On my way out my eyes caught on a small pomegranate tree (Punica granatum), and after a short inner quarrel about its chances to survive the mid-European winter at 750m altitude the doubting mind gave in to the adventurous optimist and here we are, two trees more to fit in.

At the beginning of the summer holiday one tree didn't fit in the car because of all the other luggage (and plants). So I thought I'd take it along "the next time". Mental note: trees grow. Now we'll have to find out how we cram in this young sugar maple. ...It's looking quite flexible, don't you think?

Future foodforest and healing garden

Planning for the future starts with a grand dream. My dream is now nine years old, and started to materialize one year ago...hold on to your (good) dreams!!

At the moment the (hopefully) future food forest and healing garden is one big, bewildered field - many years ago it was a pasture for horses. There is also a smaller grassland with some fruit trees (and a house :) ).

Last year I started with planting some fruit trees into the field, and until now, every time we get to go there I take one or two trees with me to plant.
It has been a summer with lots of rain and warm, sunny spells - good for the growth!
On the edge of the field I had to cut my way through ferns, the ferns standing as tall as tall as I am, to get to my baby cherry tree... but all the trees were doing fine, what a relief.

It is a plum year! Some of the plum trees were so heavy the branches had broken...what a pity, and what an abundance.

The place is at 750m above sea level, something to keep in mind when planning for the plants.

I harvested some of the wild, clean goodness of healing herbs. Mullein (in the photo below), yarrow, plantain, nettles, rose petals and mugwort.

Feeling very blessed. And a little bit torn between two worlds. Here in Amsterdam I'm propagating and growing plants for there. And when we are there, one of the first tasks is to cut back the brambles creeping into the field...

It is a good lesson in patience for me. The joy of seeing such a dear dream come true gives me patience in the here&now, between two worlds.

Hold on to your dreams. They have a tendency to come true.

An update

Next to the herbal studies I am now in the process of starting a sustainability think tank together with a friend.
We're brainstorming walk-in meetings, workshops and happenings, with themes such as permaculture, local economy, local networking, crafts, healthy food and natural self care. Very exciting!

My seedlings are taking off, growing steadily and after a couple of weeks the first ones go into the garden.



In gratitude,
Nina

Vanochtend in mijn tuin...

De tuin is mijn woonkamer. En mijn keukenvoorraadkast. En mijn inspiratiebron. De salie voor de deodorant komt ook hiervandaan.

Ontluikende bieslook en apothekers' roos, en bezigheid in de dove netel die ik laat staan voor de bijen - en ook voor mijzelf: zo nu en dan een beetje bloesem in mijn kruidenthee.

Een zonnige weekend toe!