Hi from eastern Germany

[Lunai]

Hi,

first of all, sorry for eventual misspelling or typos, cause I'm using a German keyboard when using my pc and just switched my mobile keyboard to English which is confusing me quite a bit with the different location of y and z

I'm 30 now, with a 1 year old daughter and a fiancé with the wedding coming up (hopefully) next May.

Here as I suppose everywhere else in the world the prizes for food and heating (we have no AC here) and electricity are skyrocketing. And this summer I was given the great opportunity from one of my friends to help her in her Rent-garden (that's a 600 qm tile of land rented from a club of gardeners on the edge of town for those living in the town, like us in a 4 story building, not having a garden by themselves).

I pretty much jumped at that possibility, cause I wanted a garden myself for a long time now. Since then we have come to a decision. It's now our garden together ❤, she is paying the rent and water and electricity, and I've the work and add flowers or veggies as I like for her it's a good deal, cause she has no time at the moment, for me either cause I have not much money so... win win

We planned together for some raised beds 4-6 and I've got 2 already finished, and a tad bit different layout for the rest of the beds. So there is heaps to dig and much to do. I just removed a small flowerbed next to our perch and paved it with some spare tiles to get some extra space.

But with those prizes skyrocketing I'm looking forward to grow enough next year to not to have to buy veggies with preserving and all that.

So that's all from me for now. I'm happy to answer questions if any occur.

Cheers

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

Welcome to the forum!
I didn't know Y and Z are swapped on those keyboards; how interesting. I'm originally from The Netherlands (now living in Australia) and have never taken notice to anything like that.

Congratulations!

Prices for just about anything have been skyrocketing nearly everywhere. It's ridiculous at times! Thankfully an established garden can provide lots of food. Setting up is usually the most expensive part of gardening, but later on it's usually mostly upkeep (including but not limited by fertiliser, a replacement tool, perhaps some more soil if it washed out in a storm). Though, depending on how handy you are, setting up doesn't have to be all that bad.
My biggest tip, perhaps, could be to ensure you invest in some good soil. Either by buying good bagged soil and/or by amending with fetilisers and whatnot.

Seeing as you're gardening in a "club" you could even spare some money by requesting cuttings or (leftover) seeds from others there. Many plants respons well to having cuttings taken and will grow more offshoots - and a whole new plant from the cutting itself!

That's amazing! Love the enthusiasm. Have you gardened in the past?

Don't be afraid to ask questions! Happy to help

 

[Lunai]

dank ye well I've had 3 years of studying Netherland at Highschool (Gymnasium in Germany) but don't use it, so there is not much I can write or say but I do understand almost everything.

Yes, my Grandparents on both sides have/had a garden and I pretty much grew up in them. But both weren´t really selfsustaining, well one more than the other but let's put that besides. My Mum and me had a garden at our house before she passed away and I had to sell the house. But that was just an ornamental Garden. But for the last few Months I had loads of time with being pregnant and then having a small not verry much moving baby in the stroller so to keep the boredom away and because it interrests me I read a lot things and viewed a lot of vids (especially those from self sufficient me) and my grandparent tought me a lot too

actually a garden neighbor gave me this summer abot 10kg of red currants for preserving because they had way too much. And the other neighbor is currently giving us all of her cuttings to fill up those planned raised beds and we are allowed to pick through the fence at her raspberrys and red and white currents.

the soil isn`t too bad actually. There are Worms in it, so it is alive. The komposts didn`t work that well this year, still figuring out why exactly, I thinkwe didn`t turn it and it was too dry. Actually today I just dug so bunny manure and cuttings into one of the groundbeds, and found a lot of worm as well as overlooked Potatoes (a 2L pot full) took those potatoes back home and will turn them into Potatoe salad forthe barbeque tomorrow

I always wonder where to get some woodclippings or something simmilar cause even those are sold here in Germany... nothings for free besides Horsemanure or that from my Bunny (see pic)

I just need to purchase a new datacable for my phone to drag all the pics to my pc. my daughter used the last one to chew on it while I was not looking, and now it still works for loading the battery but data transfer not.... then I may post more pics of the going ons

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

Ohh! That's very interesting.
For someone who's lived in The Netherlands for over 20 years, I'm afraid I've never actually been to Germany. My parents have and they think it's very beautiful (they love nature).

I think it's lovely that you may have some fond memories towards gardening. Neither of my parents every seriously gardened. Growing up we did have a pear tree, chives, strawberries and rhubarb. But none were ever seriously being taken care of so we rarely actually ate anything from the garden at all.
I've successfully grown some fruit and veg now, and I must say it feels very gratifying to eat something you've grown yourself. And never can I find any crispier green beans than straight off the plant.

We can sometimes get free woodclippings from the council as they'd have excess. Sometimes if you ask someone who's actively shredding some wood, they'll let you take some. Saves them having to move it.
Sometimes you'll end up with connections, and they'll happily give you some for free. In The Netherlands we had a friend who cut trees for work and if we were willing to pick up, he'd shred for us.

Oh no! Ah well, things happen. Hopefully the little one didn't swallow any (big) pieces.
What's the bunny's name?

 

[Lunai]

well, I've lived on the Border right next to Emmen/Groningen in Eastfriesia for 16 years before I moved to east Germany3 years ago, and have only been 3 times at the Zoo in Emmen and I think 2 Times to the Market in Groningen. So haven't seen that much of the Netherlands myself

Thanks for your concern, no she didn't swallow anything from that cable, just bent the wire in a way that no data goes through, or so I think, can't see any actuel damage...

The bunny is named Calcifer, after Studio Ghiblis Movie: The Moving Castle they used to be 2 brothers (Hauro) but the second one died last Winter.

Sadly I don't know someone who's working with wood. But maybe 've got someone on hand that can give me horsemanure with Straw or soredust... should have a simmilar effect. I'll try and report

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

I have always lived in the "Holland" part of The Netherlands. I lived near Leiden in South-Holland.
I've been to Belgium plenty of times, but never Germany.
From what I hear the Emmen zoo is pretty stunning. Groningen is a relatively quiet part of the Netherlands. Where I grew up I would consider a rural city nowadays, whilst when living there it was considered a small town. I must say... I much prefer living rural.

Glad to hear nothing got swallowed! The wires inside must've broken though... too bad, but luckily easy to replace (and not too pricy I hope).

That's so cute! I haven't seen the movie yet, but I do intend on watching it somedays. I've heard many great things about it.

What exactly did you want to use the wood for? As wood can have positie and/or negative effects depending on how used from what I hear.
Do you wish to use it for compost, mulch, pathways or something else?

 

[Lunai]

What exactly did you want to use the wood for? As wood can have positie and/or negative effects depending on how used from what I hear.
Do you wish to use it for compost, mulch, pathways or something else?

Yes I was referring to marks videos on how he prept his raised beds, but that just wouldn't work in our region.... much too expensive cause everything has a pricetag. We are lucky cause our gardenneighbor trimmed his thuja hedge down about 1m and was glad to give everything to us, so that goes down as very first layer, cause it decomposes pretty bad and takes a long time and on top of that I put leaves, greencuttings, some bunnymanure and some grasscutting, topped with some fresch compost, soil, mature compost, and then some more soil on top, watered everything down to help set.
Here in Germany at this time of the year we actually want those raised bed to produce heat, because it extends our growing season remarkably into Winter.

Today I'm going to get some Horsemanure with straw, that will go straight into the groundbeds and rest till spring. the straw will help loosen the earth, which can get quite heavy at times especially with loads of rain. Thats because 30cm down the soil there is pure clay. I'm also planning on destributing the planned tomatoplants next year troughout the whole weggie garden to help loosen the earth with their deep rooting roots. didn't know that they are able to root about 2m down in search for water!

That's so cute! I haven't seen the movie yet, but I do intend on watching it somedays. I've heard many great things about it.

these studio ghibli movies are the best! seriously, everytime you whatch them you can take some more and different wisdom out of them and you find more and more things that you didn't see the first time.

and no that cable is not expensive (about 2 €) but I'm lazy at the moment to go to the store...

From what I hear the Emmen zoo is pretty stunning. Groningen is a relatively quiet part of the Netherlands.

yes and yes. Emmen Zoo is really stunning and was just 2h away so that was a real mustvisit thing in our region. and the flower market in groningen is stunning as well.

have to get ready now, to get that manure, maybe I'll open a threat to show the progress and going-ons in the garden

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

Ahh yes, understandable. Composting produces heat, but plants naturally also produce head. By protecting them during the cold periods especially (like snow or night chill) with some form of insulation they can actually keep the temperature higher inside. Some people will even simply put buckets upside-down over their plants as that way it's at least somewhat insulated.

Tomatoes are amazingly sturdy plants! I can't seem to kill them, even when I try, especially the cherry tomato varieties.

Yeah I hear many good things! Definitely on my list for someday. I just haven't been able to sit down and relax lately, haha.
I hear you, it's just effort sometimes.

Yeah! I think I've been there once or twice. Absolutely amazing.

Ooh! I'll have a look.