We’ve all been sick and covered under blankets in the last few weeks. The living room couch was too small to fit everyone. Luckily, we’re better, and the days are slightly longer and brighter.
Maybe you are also hiding under a blanket during these dark winter days; my garden is no different. Every month of this year, I want to show you the changes. Even though it seems like nothing is happening now, the rotting and clearing process continues.
I’ll give you a little peek into my garden. Last year, I spent about ten hours a week on it. The harvest was not disappointing: a week or two ago, we ate the last of the kale. Now it’s over, and what remains is rest, longing and slowly making plans—a treat if you can enjoy the creative process and the struggle of weeding, sowing, watering and harvesting.
I never feel closer to heaven,
From my journal
than when I use my hands
working in the earth.
In the autumn, I covered the garden with a layer of cardboard and a lot of mulch. Mulch consists of leaves, compost and things like that to retain moisture, improve the soil and prevent weeds. Black soil is actually bare, vulnerable soil, which is why I cover it.
One fine day in the fall, we picked up boxes of cardboard from the supermarket and distributed them across the garden. Then, we partially emptied the compost heap and spread it over the cardboard until it was no longer visible.
Look, here you can see that I covered the garden in the autumn with a layer of cardboard and a lot of mulch. Mulch are leaves, compost and things like that to retain water in the soil and prevent weeds and improve the soil. Black soil is actually bare soil and more vulnerable, which is why I cover it.
Look, here you can see that I covered the garden in the autumn with a layer of cardboard and a lot of mulch. Mulch are leaves, compost and things like that to retain water in the soil and prevent weeds and improve the soil. Black soil is actually bare soil and more vulnerable, which is why I cover it.
Another layer of leaves and soil and you can no longer see the cardboard. Will it really all have disappeared in the spring? Sleep well, worms, moles and other little animals!
And another layer of fresh snow—that collaboration with the elements that are so much more powerful than me. Ultimately, I am not the gardener, but simply the servant of the Lord. It reminds me of Isaiah 55, which I used as a common thread through my first book. (which you can still order).
This year, I got a new piece of garden. We have a plot on the edge of the village, where we are in a garden community with thirty others. Someone quit. He has a small glass house, and we agreed to take it over. The small garlics continue to grow quietly while the outdoor temperatures are freezing. On the right, I try some cauliflower, and on the left are the small flowers that Aunt Harmke gave me. Isn’t it sweet?
Now, off to the store to purchase some seed. I can pre-sow the leek. Who knows—in four weeks, I might be able to show you little leek shoots. I hope so! But sometimes I don’t make it too difficult for myself and leave the pre-sowing to The Fenced Garden. Because they really deliver quality!
What is your favorite thing to do to relax?
Kind regards!