Started the vegetable garden

The temperatures are unusually mild for the season. 20C today, and we can see the grass and the leaves growing. It can still come frosty nights for a few weeks, but I tokk the chance to start the vegetable garden today. So far only rucola salad and radish, and also a bed with sweet peas just outside the vegetable patch. Marta has been home from school with fever and a bad cough all week, but is getting better, and tonight she was inspired and came out to make a sunflower bed on the western side of the house. Sown red sunflowers.
Terje was also out with us, and kept on his work in the rainbow garden. Moved a few birches and fir trees, and helped me move a few huge, old lavenders.

Also bought a few daisies today and planted them out, together with geranium. From a friend in Switzerland I got a seed packet in the mail the other day, and they are now planted and prayed over.

Looking out my kitchen window.

Looking out my kitchen window I see the herb garden, and lifting my eyes a little more, the sanctuary, the silent garden, the rainbow garden (to be) is there. When we started to prepare the wilderness which is to become my rainbow praying garden last summer, I had no clear ideas of how this part of the garden would turn out. I still don't have, but slowly, slowly the silent garden is coming to life.

It will not be easy to get thigs to grow under the huge fir trees which have been growing there for so many years. But slowly, slowly the growing will continue. And the praying stone is always there for me.

Promising spots

The dusty gray is giving way to colourful spots in the garden. My daily morning walk is filled with surprises and happy colour spots.

In my grandmother's garden this primula veris was everywhere. Almost like a weed. I love weeds.

Just a few days and this will be a deep red flower.

Hiding under some bushes.

Barbeque season started.

A mild and beautiful day, and we started barbeque season. How I love this time of the year. I have spent all afternoon gardening. New beds are forming, old beds are changed, the silent garden grows.

The photo shows Ingrid, her boyfriend Marius and their friend Hanne.

A new "On The Edge"-story

Another "On the Edge of The Blue Garden"-story is posted over at Britt-Arnhild's House in the Woods.

Slowly coming to live.

A Golden moment

A blue sky, and finally, finally the sun gives some warmth.

I took an afternoon nap out on the porch when I suddenly thought I heard a duck. But there are no ducks in my garden. I must be dreaming I thought. I tried to go back to sleep but the noise came closer, and closer, and closer.......

Then I looked up, and a huge V of flying geese passed right over my head. They quackled like a group of teenage girls out on their first date.......and who knows, may that's what they were.

Feeding birds and squirrels

With spring growing the birds and squirrels are able to find food on their own.

But we so much love having them around, I feed tham all year.

Out of the wilderness

Last summer my husband (my private gardener) started the industrious task to make order out of the chaotic wilderness in our backyard. Everything has grown wild here since the house was built in 1975. Last summer was busy in so many ways, so he never finished the work, but earlier this week, as soon as the snow had melted, he started again, and now the hard work is almost done.

From my kitchen window I look right out into this wilderness, and as soon as he started the work last year I knew that the wilderness would be a sanctuary, my rainbow garden for silence and prayers.

I have alot of ideas for the area, though it might me hard to make things grown under the huge fir trees. In a few weeks now the danger of night frost is over and I can start planting.

If you follow this link you will find a photo from April last year.

At The Edges of a Blue Garden

Once upon a time there was a troll family living at The Edges of a Blue Garden. All winter they made life comfortable inside an old stump, but as soon as spring came they left their winter quarter and came out to explore The Edges as they called their land. From early morning till late night the trolls played among the flowers in the garden, breathing their fantasy and their imagination into every bud and every leaf and every butterfly and every ant and every spider they met.
The trolls were shy and they were afraid the Blue Lady might chase them away if she found them. They knew the hours of the Blue Lady's garden walks, and hid as best they could when she was nearby.

All the snow had finally melted on The Edges of a Blue Garden and Mother Troll, Sister Troll and Brother Troll played outdoors from daylight till dusk. During the week-days they felt safe, The Blue Lady was always away then. Untill today. Troll Sister and Troll Brother suddenly froze stiff, pretending to be stones. The Blue Lady came humming around the corner carrying her camera.

At the Edges of a Blue Garden The Blue Lady stopped, bent down and started to shoot photos. Blue Sister could hear her say "Lovely, the Troll Garden is coming alive. I will get some great photos for my garden diary today". Troll Sister Looked at Troll Brother: "The Troll Garden? Is that the name she has given The Edge of a Blue Garden? Troll Garden, do you think she knows about us?" Troll Brother looked frightened. They had promised Troll Mother never to let any Lords of Ladies see them, and never ever The Blue Lady. She was the owner of their troll universe, and what if she wanted a garden free of trolls?

"Let us keep on pretending we are stones" said Troll Sister. "Look, she is on her way back to the Blue Garden. I am sure she haven't seen us".

Having rounded the corner The Blue Lady stopped and looked carefully back over her shoulder. The Troll Garden was filled with stones, but after a while she could see a couple of the stones moving. She smiled to herself and walked back in to her studio and her garden diary.

Seeding Time

My collection of seeds from around the world has been waiting patiently for sowing. In the colourful bowl to the left I have poppey seeds from Lindisfarne, to the right I have a collection of "surprise seeds" from Carl von Linné's garden in Uppsala in Sweden. I collected them last autumn, and have no idea what they are, now idea if they will grow in The Blue Garden.

Today has been seeding day in The Blue Garden. Out on the kitchen veranda I had filled small boxes with soil yesterday, and kept them inside the kitchen overnight to give them some warmth. Now the seeds are potted and the boxes are indoors again - it is still too cold outdoors.

The morning glory seeds were a gift for my birthday from a friend in USA, Avis. Avis know my love for blue :-)

A green house has been on top of my wishlist for my birthday for a couple of years. But now when the birthday finally came (and went), we decided there are so many other things we will do in the garden first, so a green house will wait. At least for now!

I am of stubborn roots

"I am of stubborn roots". Many years ago I got a first letter from a friend to be, and in her presentation of herself she wrote - I am of stubborn roots. My mother tongue is Norwegian, and here I stumbled upon a new and unknown word to me - stubborn. I couldn't find the word in my dictionary and it took me some time to understand what it meant. When I found out I came to love the word. Stubborn. I am of stubborn roots.

My American friend connected this to her Norwegian heritage, and she might be right. Norwegians are stubborn people. May be that's because of our long, dark and cold winters? What do I know.

When I came over the early chives and the rhubarb fighting their way through the snow, the word stubborn came back to me. There is no better word for the Nordic spring, is there?

Looking up, up, up.......

During my garden walk I decided not to look down at all the dirty snow and thick ice. Not to look down at all the fallen leaves from last autumn. Isn't it so much better to get a stiff neck from looking up, up, up.......I said to myself.

And so I did.

Birches, pines, spruces, and blue, blue sky, dotted with white here and there. I was lucky timing my walk, snow shower have passed over the blue garden several times during the day.

But now there were no signs of snow, believe me, I even almost forgot that the soles in my old garden shoes are worn paperthin and drank rotten snow like a sponge..........I must remember to change into dry socks as soon as I have finished my writing.

I wish I was a child again. Climbing these trees together with Marta (she did not allow me to take a photo of her climbing today, but here you have one from our cabin last March)

Lifting my eyes up, up, up, and a new world is opening.

Another day will be for looking down and around.........

Yes! The Blue Garden is open for the season!

The Blue Furniture is still stored away down in the old doll house, but now it is official, The Blue Garden is open for the season. We are still fighting the snow, and only the sunrays manage to give us some warmth, but we have had our first cup of coffee out in the garden.

That was yesterday, one of those rare Sundays when life showed its best side from every corner. Today we have been back to work, and it seems like the clouds and showers felt they had some spring cleaning to do.
I have started The Blue Garden's 2008 Chronicle, and every millimeter of growth of every single plant in the garden is written down - at least these first days of spring.

Marta digged deep in her wardrobe and found a sleeveless top and a jeans shorts from last summer. In between "helping the snow to melt" she let her bare feet and arms bathe in sun.

A Sunday morning walk in early spring.

When I opened my eyes this morning I was met by the sun shining through our north faced window. The days are getting long now with daylight from the wee hours of the morning. I know more frost will be coming for a couple of months still, but this night was without frost - which was good for me as I forgot to take in my flower basket.

Signs of spring are everywhere in the garden. Daffodill bulbs praising light, sempervivum still seeking some warmth under a quilt of last year's leaves but slowly, slowly starting its growth, a bird house with a To Let sign (may be I must ask Marta to paint one), a sunny terracce inviting me, my book and my pot of fresh brewed coffee out, a basket filled with old garden magazines......

The gardener is awak again.

Leirfivel, hestehov, tussilago farfara (latin) - this first spring flower has alot of different names. In a few weeks we will call in a weed. These days it is the first playful sign of a coming spring and summer.

I am reading garden books and magazines, I have planted the first seeds indoors, a small round table and two café chairs have found their place in the terrace and I am back to my daily garden walks (still dancing my steps in between patches of snow.

I love this time of the year.

Seek and You Shall Find

Seek and You Shall Find.......I wonder if Jesus had a Norwegian early spring garden in mind when he said these words. The Blue Garden is situated up on the hills above Trondheim, and though the snow has melted downtown and near the fjord, we still have alot of snow to struggle with here. Something my husband is happy about, he can still cross country ski most afternoons.

We are having nice and springlike weather these days though, so after dinner I decided to do a little "seek and you shakk find" game outdoors. We cover most of our flower beds with pinebranches during the winter months, and when I lifted a few of them today I found that everywhere under the green needles, bulbs are eager to seek light. Tulips and narcissuses are everywhere. In a few weeks time now I can invite you to a colour feast.

Seek and You Shall Find. I am back to my daily garden walks routine.........

Welcome

My garden is one of my main sources of refilling energy into my veins. My old neighbour couldn't wait longer and is out today, in the midst of the snow, starting her garden spring clean. I am saying to myself that my book has priority untill April 10th, after that date I am going to do like my dear neighbour...........Meanwhile I have been over to the garden center to buy some welcoming blue. Passers by will now know that they are welcome to the blue garden.

And readers of this blog should know that my garden hibernating is over.

I am awake!

Patience is not my word.

At this time of the year I am always impatient. There is always too much snow out in the garden, the days can't get mild enough. And I share mt impatience with life growing deep down in the slowly melting soil. And I share my impatience with the birds. They do their very best to teach me how to enjoy these long spring days. With singing. They wake me early every morning with their triumphant song, and their tunes follow my day. A wonderful praise of life.

The snow has started to melt and I can walk around the house now. But still most of our property is covered in a dirty, white quilt.