Kitschy PEONY?

This post "Kitschy Peony" was originally uploaded by Tyra Hallsénius Lindhe in the blog Tyra's Garden / Tyras Trädgård

Can a flower be Kitschy?

Today, the peonies starts to flower in my garden. It has been raining heavily the last few days and the poor branches on the peonies really need all the support they can get. I think this peony is a masterpiece, I know they can be almost too good on the edge to being vulgar, but still this is really what I need on a rainy day as this one. 

If you like growing you own food, then do visit KÖKSTRÄDGÅRDEN - The Kitchen Garden. It is in my native tongue but you can always push the translate button./ Tyra 

June - A garden gone wild

This post "June - a garden gone wild" was originally uploaded by Tyra Hallsénius Lindhe in the blog Tyras Trädgård/Tyra's Garden.

June - with an impressive display with flowers and colours.

I let all my flowers run wild in the garden up to Midsummer. The upcoming weekend with Midsummer’s Eve has always been an important day in our family and I say for most of the Swedish families. We all come together family and friends and eat our special midsummer menu and dance with the younger members of the families around the Maypole.

A lot of decorations are made for the Midsummer festivities with wild-flowers from Mother Nature as well as flowers from the garden. This is why I always save and let my garden really run wild up to Midsummer. I need flowers for the Maypole, the vases, midsummer garlands and to make a midsummer wreath to put in the hair. 

The making of Midsummer wreaths.

Fram till och med midsommar så spar jag allt med blommor på i köksträdgården. De skall få pryda kransar och vaser till midsommarafton. Däremot efter midsommar förflutit så får de ge plats åt mer ätliga saker. läs mer i KÖKSTRÄDGÅRDEN

Papaver and  Aquilegia vulgaris

Irises i full bloom, the really thieves in a dry and sunny position I have in the garden. If I just make sure that their rhizomes not are overgrown by a lot of other plants. the rhizomes need air and sunshine.

~ ~ ~

Irisen är riktigt lättodlad och nästan skötselfri. Mina står i ett stenparti tillsammans med vallmo och såpnejlika. Mina irisar stortrivs på sitt väldränerade, varma och soliga läge. Iris behöver sol minst halva dagen. Jorden här är torr och mager men irisarna gillar ju det. Vallmon däremot gillar det till en början men när allt efter sommaren lider och det blir snustorrt uppe på kullarna och efter blomningen så ser de lite tilltufsade ut men de gör de nog i alla rabatter när jag tänker efter.

Iris blommar inte om iris-rhizomerna ligger för djupt i jorden. Vid plantering ska de läggas horisontalt och ytligt. Översidan ska anas vid jordytan och det är viktigt att solen når rhizomen. På mina stenpartikullar växer också en hel del gräs vilket jag verkligen vill att det skall göra men rensar man bort lite runt irisarna så svarar de snällt med att växa till sig och ge fin blomning.

Show Auricula 'Fred Booley'

This post 'Show Auricula 'Fred Booley' was originally uploaded by Tyra Hallsénius Lindhe in the blog Tyras Trädgård/ Tyras Garden

So he decided to pay me a visit this year as well. He sure looks ravishing...eye-catching as always.  I’m so delighted to see that he is in such a good health. I mean, the winter was extremely hard-hitting for all the little auriculas.

Fred is an Englishman and he came from Drointon’s a few years ago.

You can get both the garden auriculas as well as the show auriculas delivered from  Drointon’s (UK). In Sweden you have Ray’s Perennials that you can buy them from. I would love to go and visit Ray (also an Englishman) but I don’t know if I dare to, it is going to be sooo costly. Although, I could take my Mini, then at least I have a very limited space to fill with plants.

Fred after a shower

Do visit the Kitchen Garden

Mon petit Potager

Köksträdgården

If you're not good at my native tongue, you can always push the transalte button.

TYRA

Auricula - in floribus

This post 'Auricula- 'in floribus' was originally uploaded by Tyra Hallsénius-Lindhe in the blog Tyras Trädgård/ Tyra's Garden

Today's Flower - Auricula

 My pretty Auriculas are all 'in floribus' now. Some of them didn't survive our though winter unfortunately. But this one did, isn’t pretty?

Here is an other one...

Pithari - a new centrepiece for the garden.

This post "Passiflora" was originally uploaded by Tyra Hallsénius Lindhe in the blog Tyra's Garden

Last week I paid a visit to one best garden centres we have here in Stockholm - Slottsträdgården Ulriksdal. My Garden-budget is limited at the moment so I had to choose carefully where to put my money. After carefully looking around for an hour or so I made my decision… I must say that I got home with some really nice things. One old fashioned Geranium in pale pink ‘Prince Nicolai’ and this Passiflora- Passion flower, isn’t just wonderful? I don’t know why but I think of aliens when I look at it.

I also found a new centrepiece for my yard - A handmade antique traditional terracotta jar from Cyprus, now this one really blow the budget but I just could leave without it. Placed in the stone yard just outside the greenhouse door it has now found its new home and every morning when I enter the garden I smile - it is to beautiful !

PITHARI - Like a jewel in the yard.

 My "new" eye-catcher... an antique, handmade, earthenware jar from Cyprus. 

Happy Gardening!

I wish you all a lovely weekend/ Tyra 

Easter Cactus "in Floribus"

ICE...Brrrr

Sadly but true, and oh-so-common in April we get this setback in nature. Cold winds have given us really cold nights with many degrees below zero. Every morning I find a thick layer with ice in my wooden water barrels. But during the day we have had sunny but still a bit nippy gorgeous April weather. I spend a lot of time in the greenhouse where there is 23 degrees C. (74F) and no wind whatsoever, that’s the way I like it.

Today Ester start and I wish you all a wonderful Easter Holiday! / xoxo Tyra

Let my tell you about the birds and the bees!

This post "Let my tell you about the birds and the bees!" was originally uploaded by Tyra Hallsénius Lindhe in the blog Tyras Trädgård/ Tyra's Garden

Spring has Sprung and the birds and the bees are in full action. I heard the characteristic bird vocalization of the Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus), also known as the Peewit, Green Plover down by the fields. When I hear them than I know it is spring! The small and pretty crocuses also got some visitors; it is the bumble bees and common bees that are buzzing around us. They are two of my benificial and most welcome friends in the kitchen garden. 

At this time of the year I treat myself with a lot of Pansies. They are so pretty and durable. If you plant them in a generous pot they usually they last all through the summer. And they are edible!

Amaranth - a Gem in My Potager

This post "Amaranth - a gem in my potager" was originally uploaded by Tyra Hallsénius Lindhe in th blog Tyra's Garden

Amaranthus cruentus 'Hopi Red Dye'

Other names are Red Amaranth, Purple Amaranth and Prince’s Feather

Amaranthus cruentus ‘Hopi Red Dye’ this amazing purple-red leaved plant is one of the gems I have in my potager I grow it for the leaves but it also yields the nutritious amaranth grain.

 This Amaranthus cruentus is one of three Amaranthus species cultivated around the world as a grain source. The other two being Amaranthus hypochondriacus and Amaranthus caudatus. This season I will also grow Amaranthus caudatus ‘Red Garnet’ and Amaranthus tricolor ‘Calaloo’.

The whole plant (leaves and grain) is highly nutritious and healthy. The Amaranth contains loads of protein, vitamins and valuable minerals and it says that this plant has been used as a food source since as early as 4000 BC

Today I will plant my three Amaranth species and I'll show you later on how they are doing. In the end of the summer I hope they will have grown to the same height as me!

Fat-Tuesday / Fettisdagen = Semla

This post Fat-Tuesday was originally uploaded by Tyra Hallsénius-Lindhe in the blog Tyras Trädgård/ Tyra's Garden

Finally it is here! The day I'm been longing for, Fat-Tuesday or Fettisdagen as we say in my native to tongue.

This is the day we eat "Semla" This wonderful bun made of wheat flour and flavoured with cardamom. After it is baked and cool, you cut the top of the bun and fill it with soft almond paste. Now you whip some delicious cream and add it nicely on top of the bun, gently put back the lid you cut off earlier and dust over some icing sugar. Voilà - a SEMLA!

You can eat it just as it is together with your coffee or tea…or even better perhaps with a cup of hot chocolate. We however, usually, on this day anyway, eat it on a plate this hot milk. Then it is called “Hetvägg” translated to your lingo, it would be something like “Hot Wall” A bit odd, but there you go, this is a very old tradition…I’m sure it there is a good explanation somewhere. 

Swedish Semla - more than just a bun

 Fat Tuesday...Mardi Gras...well that is a completely different thing, we do not party at all on this day.

Fieldfare - Björktrast, Turdus pilaris

This post "Fieldfare - Björktrast, Turdus pilaris" was originally uploaded by Tyra Hallsénius Lindhe in the blog Tyras Trädgråd/ Tyra's Garden

Every morning I find him there sitting 'en Guard' with his apples. At first he sits on top of his apples and I think he is warming them up. I mean it has been frightfully cold here for the last week and all his food is deep-frozen. The only way he could possibly get some bits and pieces off the apple is to get it warm first. Clever guy! We usually have a lot of blackbirds  Turdus merula here around the bird-tree but not as long as the bossy Fieldfare is there, no one has got a chance then he’s there. 

and now somthing in my native tongue...

Jag hittade det här receptet på Svensk Jakts sida

äta Turdus pilaris...det hade jag ingen aning om att man kunde göra.

Tja det låter inte så dumt  - men då var det ju det där att man måste först fånga en, döda den, plocka den...och det verkar inte vara så hemskt mycket kött på en sådan där lite rackare.

Sallad på björktrast med grillad sparris och rödvinsmörsås

4 personer

4–6 trastar
8 sparris
1 rödlök
2 dl rödvin
50 g smör
sallad och brödkrutonger
salt, peppar

Plocka fåglarna och stek dem i ugnen i 200 grader i sju minuter.
Låt dem svalna under fuktat smörpapper.
Skala och koka sparrisen i 3–5 minuter, kallspola eller lägg den i isvatten.
Hacka rödlöken och stek den i lite smör, häll på rödvin och reducera till hälften återstår.
Vispa in resterande smör lite i taget och smaksätt med salt och peppar.
Skär upp fåglarna, grilla sparrisen och servera med sallad, brödkrutonger och rödvinssås.

RECEPT: Staffan Lindström

Early morning i the month of February - Tidigt en morgon i februari månad