No. 110: Too much to tell, (time for a letter).

What a gift that this is and remains a month of growth: rain and sun, the ideal combination. Too late for some crops, but for the ripening of late crops, we are very happy!

Our seed potatoes are already trickling in, and we will start planting several dozen varieties for the 2023 crop in November.
Meanwhile, you can still start a small crop of so-called Christmas potatoes (especially in the greenhouse, but with some risk in the open ground): plant them now, we still have a few left from the 2021 harvest, and you will harvest young potatoes in December.

The season for autumn-flowering bulbs is in full swing. We still have all varieties in stock, but that won't last much longer. We're currently retarding the bloom in the cold room, as we're already seeing the Autumn Crocus peeking out of the ground outside. Furthermore, we have Autumn Snowflakes, Autumn Crocuses (the best known is Saffron), and Sternbergia... are you not yet familiar with this fascinating group of bulbs?

This week, the 2nd (large) shipment of Elephant Garlic arrived. Always a bit late in September, peeling and sorting takes a lot of time. However, this means that our garlic assortment is now completely complete! (Too bad some varieties have already sold out)

Now that your garden is experiencing a final growth spurt and occasional rain, it's an ideal time to apply (slow-release) organic fertilizer. We offer a carefully selected assortment; you can't easily over-fertilize with organic matter, it boosts soil life, and your perennial plants can benefit from it during a mild winter. We find Worm Castings to be a very good fertilizer, suitable for houseplants, flower boxes, and the garden. Odorless and full of organic matter:

Soil Improvement: Worm Castings

By the way, did you know that we now also sell live earthworms? In combination with plenty of organic fertilizer, this gives a huge positive boost to your garden:

Soil Improvement: Worm Farm

If you want to expand your knowledge about the complex world of soil life, consider reading a clear book like this one:

Book: The Soil Food Web

Speaking of clear books: may I remind you of one of the best gardening books we have on Organic Gardening:

Book: Organic Growing in Comic Form

Growing champion vegetables is a serious business, keeping a large group of hobbyists busy throughout the entire growing season. Passionate and sometimes very fanatical, but always with great love for cultivation... that characterizes this group of people who will gather this Saturday, September 24th, in Oldebroek. For some people, this message comes too late, as the delivery of 110,000 Newsletters is delayed by a day by some providers... Our apologies for that, but for the rest: come to this cultivation festival and marvel at many beautiful and amazingly large vegetables (not just pumpkins), more information can be found here: www.pompoenweging.nl

Since I'm already promoting others... The magazine "Genoeg" (25 years young) is more relevant than ever in current times. The informative magazine is published 4 times a year and is packed with tips and promotion on how to live more economically with our resources. In Tuesday's King's Speech, it was aptly put: "...our current way of life is encountering economic, social and ecological limits." Sustainable living (excuse this worn-out term) is the great challenge for all of us.

Especially for our customers, "Genoeg" has created a great offer, you can choose from 2 options:

1. You will now receive the autumn issue fresh off the press and our winter edition in December. This trial subscription then automatically stops. Normal price: € 15,-.
   Order trial subscription
   Order now with promotion code "VREEKEN" for only € 7.50.
   
   
2. Annual subscription (4 issues). For every new subscriber, we plant a tree! Help realize the Great Genoeg Forest. Normal price: € 35,-.
   Order annual subscription
   Order now with promotion code "VREEKEN" for € 27.50.
   
   

Curious?

We bought (a one-time purchase) a large batch of true wild Allium altissimum (Persian Shallots). I fantasized and dreamed about the most beautiful combination in the garden and came up with the fantastic grey-blue leaves of the Sea Kale. This creates a unique combination of beautiful and delicious, which is why we call this package Dazzling & Delicious!

The package contains 10 bulbs of Persian Shallots and 3 plants of Sea Kale, a great start for 1 m².
(click on the names for more information)

When I "browse" through my growers' assortment lists, I'm just as easily tempted into unplanned purchases as you are when walking around a garden centre or plant nursery. And now I just hope I can convey that spark to you too. The 4 shrubs that follow are all suitable for both pots and the garden. And note the differences: cleverly designed to combine beautifully with each other, true friends indeed. Tip: buy 3 quartets, a beautiful addition to your garden!

We introduce you to the 4 Friends:

Buddleja davidii Free Petite ® ‘Lavender Flow’ (value €7.50)
DWARF BUTTERFLY BUSH
Very welcome: a dwarf form of the popular butterfly bush. This grey-leaved shrub grows hardly larger than 70 cm and blooms with lavender-blue flower clusters, which attract many butterflies. Prune annually (after winter) to 10 cm above the ground and fully enjoy this dwarf again! Ideal for pots, but of course also for a small spot in the garden.

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Little Spooky’ (value €7.50)
PANICLE HYDRANGEA
The problem with white panicle hydrangeas is often that they grow too tall, causing the heavy flower clusters to droop quickly. This dwarf variety does not suffer from this: at a height of 50 cm, the shrub is completely covered with greenish-white, slightly elongated flower clusters. Ideal for growing in a large pot, or for a small spot in the garden.

Phormium cookianum ‘Tricolor’ (value €10.00)
NEW ZEALAND FLAX
A beautiful ornamental grass that retains its colour in winter, with sword-shaped sturdy leaves. The leaves are blue-green, yellow-striped with fine red edges. The plant blooms with beautiful flowers, but these rarely bloom in our maritime climate. Give the plant dry to moist, nutrient-rich soil in full sun. In March, prune any brown leaves back to 15 cm above the ground. Phormium cookianum is increasingly hardy and can withstand frost down to -10°C with a layer of mulch.

Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Little Angel’ (value €6.50)
RED-LEAVED NINEBARK
This compact plant has beautiful warm red leaves. Due to its good branching, Little Angel has a full and healthy appearance. In summer, white-pink, spherical flower heads appear. The shrub has a bushy structure with a pleasantly low height of 50 cm and a width of 30 cm.
Little Angel prefers sun or semi-shade, any soil type is suitable. Winters down to -30° Celsius are no problem. With its striking red leaves, Little Angel looks beautiful in pots on the terrace or balcony. Of course, this magnificent plant is also very suitable for shrub borders, mass plantings, mixed containers and large-scale plantings. Bring warmth to your garden with the full and fiery Physocarpus ‘Little Angel’!

We offer these 4 unique shrubs as young plants; the package has a value of €31.50, we offer them for €25.00

This annual, deep-rooted plant grows to about 50 cm tall. The flower color is lilac-blue. You sow them from March-June; for good development, the plants need at least 2 months of growth. Blue Sweet Lupin (Lupinus angustifolius) is able to fix nitrogen from the air and stores nitrogen in the soil, which helps a little with the nitrogen problem and makes this fertilizer available for plants that are planted or sown in that spot the following year. Extra interesting: this useful and ornamental species is also eaten: roasting, boiling (first soak for a long time and discard the soaking water) or crushing into flour: very rich in protein!

Please note: there is a lupine allergy, which is similar to nut allergy.

Normally we sell this variety for € 12.50 per kg, but due to a very large purchase, we can offer them for a bargain once. The quality and germination power are optimal and maximum; you can use the seeds for sowing or for direct preparation. The variety is called 'Bolero' and was cultivated in the Czech Republic.