Yes, the season is coming into the cross-over stage now. With October comes the next phase of allotment gardening. There is the cleaning-up and winterising business, but also the schouw. This word means in this instance, inspection. The inspection of the canals throughout the land. We must do two clean-ups along the canal during the year. We must clean the reed and other plants out our half of the canal and from the banks. This is to insure that the water flows ever-upwards and out to sea. We keep an eye on our stretch and diligently remove reed throughout the season so that the work will t be too difficult at this time of year. Well, in spite of doing all this, the job is still a difficult and dirty and itchy bit of graft. One year, I fell into the canal…remember that story I wrote about on here? I still recall that wild story every time I am busy along the sloot. My Bride always warns me not to fall in. Gad, what a story that was! We worked a day and a half on that chore this year, and…I did not fall in. It was enough to make us both sore and the recipients of multiple, outrageously itchy insect bites. They sre such tiny, red things but the itch-level is way, way up on the scale of discomfort. Above is a very small segment that we cleaned. It is in stark contrast to the other side owned by the rail-road. I can’t wait till they get a wriggle on and clean that mess up. We also mowed the grass paths and I put a few paper towel tubes over my winter leks. I will put a few more on as the plants become a bit larger. They are all progressing at different rates. On the way to the lottie we passed by this. Do you recognise it? Looking around the flower gardenI saw a good angle for appreciating some of the flower combinations: Then 180° the plot looks like this: Well, the flower garden has colour and scent all season long, but this just really got my attention: Tomorrow we will begin emptying the greenhouse, as we harvested the last if the toms yesterday and winding-up the spun honey task. Today we are canning the tom concentrate. I am listening for the tops to pop as I write.
Wow! That's very interesting, Sjoerd. I had no idea you had to do so much. Good luck on your inspection!
Thanks for the report Sjoerd. I enjoyed reading it, very much. Cleaning out the canal sounds like a difficult chore. I bet you are glad you are done. The flowers are drop dead gorgeous!
Ach Willow, this gardening hobby is nothing but work. But I like it. Cheers Daniel. Yeah, cleaning that canal is tough work, but if I can manage not falling in, then I’m chuffed.
You are right, Loggie— it is a messy and stinky job. There are always insect bites, scratches, mud splatters and duckweed allround.
A follow-up. The rail company has now done the schouw on their half. How tidy. Too bad they only trimmed the reed and did not dig them out.
Yes, Cayu— it looks a whole lot better now especially compared how it looked in the “before” piccy above this last one. Y’know, I would not mind if they mowed that reed at least one time more, somewhere in the middle of the summer after the bird mating time. It would not have to be as often as I do it, just one extra time.
