Streets and roads with green

The signs of the new Season are getting stronger and the green fingers of the springtime are being busy. Some local street gardeners are transporting new plants to their pots with a "bakfiets", a bike with a big box in front: handy with some small kids or transporting things in the City. 

The light green leaves are getting visible and growing with the support of the Sun and rain. The long Easter weekend is behind and my personal spring goal is to prepare the balcony and the terrace for the outdoor life. 

The dutch people like their gardens. At the countryside or in some small villages the gardens look sometimes a bit surreal to me. Everything is very strictly planted, planned and organized. Many smaller gardens look like showrooms where you can enjoy your coffee, but not necessarily play any sporty games with your friends. It is nice to see these pretty outdoor spaces and there is a lot of work to keep them so clean and blossoming. In Amsterdam the common gardening style is more diverse. The perfect garden can have a messy neighbour on the other side of the fence. The creative green solutions are parked on the pedestrian zone too. It is nice to walk on the streets and admire the creativity of the people and how they mark their own little space on front of their house with something personal.

The Magnolias are blossoming now and reaching up to the blue sky.

Finally the spurt of the green growth at the park! Soon there will be some good hiding places for the birds including the green parrots who are living in Amsterdam all year long since 1976. The first individuals were released pets and the countings from 2004 and 2006 released that there is over 2000 of these birds living in Amsterdam, mainly in Vondelpark area.

On the first Easter day we had a nice drive by car at the Countryside in the East of Netherlands. An older relative wanted to see her childhood neighbourhood and admire the landscape. It was better sit inside the car, because it was raining regularly. The grass was so fresh everywhere and we saw a rainbow. The children were asking some questions from the old times and from their roots.

Somewhere in the end of the rainbow or near it...we stopped and looked inside to this old house and it's empty rooms. There used to be a someone that we knew living there and after her death the "farm" is for sale. It was a bit sad and a beautiful moment. I am happy that I took some pictures from there.

Back in Amsterdam and ready for the spring! The secret garden of the spring and summer 2016 will be open soon for all of us.

A water can

I have had difficulties to remember to give water to my flowers & plants at the balcony and terrace. Because the warm days are over and I don't go there so often anymore...I just forget. I have to be more nice to my plants! I popped into a great shop called "de Balkonie" today near Mercatoplein (de Baarsjes, Amsterdam). A very nice small shop for the city-gardeners: nice green plants, small furniture for the balconies, pots, books, home decoration and many useful things for your garden and other outdoor spaces. I bought finally a bigger water can for my balcony and these two glass cubes to decorate my home.

You can put any sort of decoration inside these. I will do some experimenting later on. I started with my Aloe and with few stones from the river of my old hometown in Germany. 

I was so focused on looking around at the shop that I forgot to take a few pictures from there. I have one not so clear photo, but I post it here anyway.

I will go back to get one of those purple/red airplants that are located on the table in this pic. They look good inside the glass cube. These plants get their water from the air. Sounds suitable for me and the Dutch rainy winter! The air is so moist in this weather.

My personal beach

I already thought to get prepared for the winter and pack my pillows   and move our grill to less windy spot at the terrace, but the indian summer is here. This means nice plans for the weekend. Maybe even driving to the beach.

 

In the Nederlands there are so nice Beach pavilions by the sea. Every one of them have their own personal, mostly relaxed and cool style. You can listen to some music and enjoy your drinks and meal with a view...it's like a mini holiday. I have tried to create a little bit that feeling on our roof terrace. 

The best way to enjoy is of course to spend time together with your loved ones or friends. Sometimes is also nice to chill alone a bit.

 

I like flowers, green plants and trees a lot...but I am not a very good gardener. My plants have to survive in hard conditions. I found a nice grass to plant for this summer and it loves to grow here. It also reminds me of dunes and strong type of grass which grows on windy spots.

I have also an olive tree which I bought six years ago from Germany. I am surprised how long friends we are. Still happy to see it getting new fresh leaves in every spring. Some other seasonal flowers I am buying every season and slowly getting to know which ones are suitable to my way of gardening. Getting better though!

Green with a little bit of blue. Small moments of the this beautiful week. 

Tot volgende keer! See you next time!