In September 2017, I bought a place in the Netherlands, triggered by the uncertainty of Brexit (where I’d then lived for 15 years). Basically, it’s two rectagular plots next to each other, a home with a very deep and skinny garden. The front (from the road) plot was – garden wise – mainly paved (to the garage, a terrace) and with grass: proper boring, not low maintenance (mowing every week, anyone?) and not future proof with increasingly enthusiastic (concentrated) rain fall. The second plot (behind the garage and work space) was significantly filled with buxus, though fortunately also some fruit trees already (initially didn’t realise this as there was a hedge separating them and didn’t know they too are part of my plot). My intention and objective is to turn the garden in both plots into a food forest along permaculture principles and including some faith thoughts (think: design ideas from Al-Hambra/ Cordoba, plants mentioned in the bible, quran).
Amateur video of part of garden (June 2021)
{page in progress}
Garden (first part) on day I got the keys (w some immediate markers on what I want to do design wise) (Sept ’17)
Kijk op huis vanuit garage/ View of house from garage (Sept ’17)
Begin 2e plot (2 schuren)/ Start second plot (w 2 sheds) (Sept ’17)
Heel veel buxus/ Lots of buxus (Sept ’17)
Some edibles from year 1 (Summer ’18)
Josta bes/ Josta berry (June ’19)
Aardbei/ Strawberry (Summer ’19)
Walnoot/ Walnut (Summer ’19)
Grote kiwi/ Large kiwi (Actinidia ‘Jenny’) (Summer ’19)
Groene druif/ Green grape (name TBC) (Summer ’19)
Kleine kiwi/ Small kiwi (Issai) (Summer ’19)
Zwarte moerbei/ Black mulberry (Summer ’19)
Gele framboos/ Yellow raspberry (Rubus Idaeobatus) (Summer ’19)
Some ripe strawberries (Summer ’19)
Wat (zurige) kersen/ Some (sour) cherries (Summer ’19)
Radijs/ Radish (Summer ’19)
Logan bes/ logan berry (Rubus × loganobaccus), a hybrid of blackberry (Rubus ursinus) and raspberry (Rubus idaeus) (Summer ’19)
Zwarte bes vrucht/ Blackberry fruit (Summer ’19)
Rode kruisbes / Red gooseberry (Summer ’19)
Radijs peultjes (radijs laten doorschieten, lekker om zo te eten; smaak is kruising tussen radijs en peul)/ Radish peapods (Summer ’19)
Venkel (laten doorschieten voor de bloemen en zaden)/ Fennel (Aug ’19) [for some garden ‘seats’, I’ve stacked some of the garden slabs & added bit of bright/ left over paint, here pinkish] (Summer ’19)
Vaccinium (vruchten smaken als blauwe bes, maar dan zonder nood aan zure grond) (Summer ’19)
Prunus (forgot which one) (Summer ’19)
Kerry plant (moest je ruiken na een regen bui!)/ Curry herb (Summer ’19)
Aardbeiboom/ Strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) (Summer ’19)
Aronia bes/ Aronia berry (Summer ’19)
Vlier/ Elderberry (Sambucus) (Summer ’19)
Goji bes/ Goyi berry (Summer ’19)
Bramen/ brambles
Granaat appel/ Pomegranate (Summer ’19)
Room appel/ Paw paw (Summer ’19)
Vijgen boom/ Fig tree (Summer ’19)
Thijm/ Thyme (type TBC) (Summer ’19)
Rozemarijn/ Rosemary (Summer ’19)
Rabarber/ Rhubarb (Summer ’19)
Witte aalbes/ White currant (Summer ’19)
Green Creation 