No. 104: Off to the bulb fields.

There is a small collection of 10 bulb varieties (in our shop) that need to be planted in August and September because they will flower this autumn. For the ultimate enthusiast, a delight during clear October days: autumn snowflakes, autumn crocus (possibly as a dry bloomer), autumn crocuses (including the edible saffron crocus) and Sternbergia. Our collection is almost complete, order them quickly, time flies...

It was a challenge this year... first for the bulb growers to harvest their crops despite the heavy rain. If there's a "dip" in your field, the water stands too long and the bulbs rot away. Add to that the low temperatures in spring and you might understand: bulbs are scarce, not many large sizes, and quite expensive. Fortunately, we were able to make our purchases on time and our growers did their best to reserve a large assortment for us. A few varieties are still not 100% certain, but you can already explore the variety and splendor of colors here.

My advice: act quickly, as I probably won't be able to make a second purchase if varieties are sold out. In fact, many varieties are already sold out at the growers. Of course, to be safe, I've bought more than ever; in October, we'll be overflowing with bulbs!

For early birds (or those who want to take them to a holiday destination), we already have some tulip bulbs and snowdrops in stock; you can pick them up in our shop.

Important notification to those who ordered our bulbs before mid-August: here and there we had to significantly or slightly increase the price because we sometimes had to switch growers due to scarcity. So, please be aware of a higher final amount in some cases. Where possible, we have, of course, kept the price the same.

The accompanying photo shows some novelties from our bulb assortment; click on it to view them large (applies to all photos in this Newsletter)

For several years, we have been selling the rare Parasol form of the Minikiwi (also known as Kiwiberry or Kiwai). Many customers are already proudly displaying them... This was also noticed by a Belgian grower, who, due to circumstances, has to sell his field of 360 Parasol Kiwis. The field must be cleared by the end of September...

We offer 2 beautiful varieties:
'Geneva'
The tasty fruits ripen early and are green with an elegant red colour on the sunny side and when ripe. The flesh is green-red marbled and deliciously sweet. The variety was developed in the USA by the Geneva Research Station.
'Ananasnaya'
A very popular variety! This one also produces an abundance of fruits that are first green and later (due to sunlight) adorned with a red blush. The fruits have a good aroma and a sweet, intense flavour. The variety originated in Russia.

The advantage of this parasol pruning method is that the trees take up little space. Otherwise, you would have to train the kiwi along a 4-meter wall. It takes at least 10 years for the trees to stand independently, so a lot of cultivation work has already been done! That's why these trees are normally quite expensive (at least €150.00 each).
We can now offer these beautiful parasol trees at a very attractive price, especially collection is appealing; there will be additional costs for shipping. An offer like this truly only comes along once!

The trees are €75.00 each (normally at least €150.00) and per 2: €100.00

For pollination, a male mini-kiwi is needed, for example 'Weiki'
WE WILL COLLECT THE ORDERS FIRST, THE GROWER WILL DELIVER THE PLANTS AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER.

The harvest of disease-free French Garlic will arrive in September. Our grower in France is already sorting and inspecting them, and you can order them now! Here is the link to the available varieties that will be coming in.

For autumn planting, we have found several Dutch growers who will have more available for us annually. The harvest isn't entirely dry yet; we hope to receive the first batches soon.

There are some varieties of sets that can overwinter well. So, you plant these from September, preferably in a raised bed, because they dislike wet feet. These yellow and red sets can be ordered now; they will be available soon.

The tastiest shallots (I say it every year) are, according to French connoisseurs, the Grey Shallots. These need to be planted in autumn, they are winter hardy, and are not available in spring. We receive them along with the garlic in September, and you can pre-order them now.

We are one of the few in the Netherlands who grow this onion on a large scale. Many customers eagerly await the harvest in August-September. Well: they have arrived, and we are already busy delivering them.

This ancestor of the current leek is mainly cultivated for its delicious, mild-tasting bulbs, although the leaves are of course also edible. Did you know that common leeks often form bulbs underground in their second year, which are very tasty? You can always replant (parts of) the ancient leek, as they are perennial. We have a limited harvest.

This perennial, shallot-like onion has been in the Netherlands for several centuries and is winning the hearts of chefs due to its mild shallot flavour and pungent leaves. You'll have this onion in your garden for the rest of your active gardening life, as it is very hardy.

This crop is becoming more popular every year! They thrive in a shady spot and grow & bloom early in the year, when other plants have yet to awaken from winter dormancy. The leaves and flowers have a delicious, strong garlic aroma. There are many ideas online for how to use wild garlic.

Much advertising aims to entice readers or viewers into making more or larger purchases. Our company policy is not to offer unnecessary products. It even happens occasionally that customers leave the store without a requested product because we have convinced them that it does not add anything at this time or for this application. As little waste as possible.

A very inspiring magazine that provides useful tips and information on this topic is "Genoeg". Last summer, we included their old, unsold magazines for free with your order to introduce you to them, and after consulting with the publisher, we are allowed to go a step further.

Heleen wrote to us:

In our seed department, they are getting ready for the arrival of large quantities of fresh seed. Not all harvests are ready yet, but we are, of course, making a valiant effort to make our collection as complete as possible again.

You can still sow a lot in the coming months. With the current (fairly) mild winters, you can take the gamble of leaving a lot outdoors, but a sturdy and handy tunnel can be built quickly and this significantly extends your growing season (and also brings it forward!)

For inspiration, I am happy to refer you with this link to our website

For convenience, we have divided the late season into 4 parts, July is over, so 3 parts remain, click here to easily see what you can still sow in that period:

• Late sowing August-September
• Late sowing October
• Late sowing November –December