A Tímida Rosa do Meu Quintal

A "tímida" rosa do meu quintal...

Votos de boa semana para todos!

Este ano, no achtertuin...

"... O tempo é algo que não volta atrás. Por isso, plante o seu jardim e decore a sua alma, Ao invés de esperar que alguém lhe traga flores ..."

 (William Shakespeare)

Ainda não vos tinha mostrado como ficou o nosso jardim...

A parte mais agradável foi a compra e disposição de flores, claro. ;-) Gosto imenso dos centros de jardinagem holandeses...


Já a limpeza do chão do quintal com a máquina de pressão e o olear manual da vedação deram muito trabalhinho (ver aqui)...

Mas ficámos satisfeitos com o resultado final: simples, agradável e funcional.... A ideia foi criar algo semelhante a um lounge, ou grande sala, com dois recantos para conversar e um outro para servir as refeições.

Neste recanto, optámos por petúnias na vedação e um vaso de dálias no chão entre duas cadeiras.

As petúnias, em pormenor...


 E as dálias...

No outro recanto, criámos um novo canteiro de rosas...

No ano passado, retirei toda a hera desta vedação e este ano, oleei -a. O meu marido fez o canteiro e plantou estas rosas, escolhidas por nós no Intratuin.

Ao lado, coloquei este vaso de dálias... :-)

Já no espaço de refeições...

Só duas singelas notas de decoração....O meu marido tinha-me dito que gostaria de ter uma casinha para passarinhos e um buda a decorar o jardim...

A casinha posicionei-a a dividir os espaços de refeição e de estar...


O buda, acompanhado de uma vela, no interior de uma caixa de vidro, encontrei-o na Blokker  e coloquei-o como centro de mesa, para efeitos decorativos.

E ficou assim...como disse, muito simples e harmonioso, como se queria...

O meu marido ainda colocou pedrinhas no canteiro do pinheiro para evitar que os gatitos dos vizinhos vão lá deixar as suas "prendas"...

O canteiro de rosas, ao fundo, também se tem portado bem...

Estes dois canteiros foram cá deixados pelos anteriores proprietários.


Espero que tenham gostado destes pequenos apontamentos.
E já sabem, alguma sugestão que queiram dar, por favor, disponham. ;-)

Deixo-vos, com as duas novas rosas, "Na Terra dos Sonhos", de Jorge Palma...:-)
Tenham um bom fim-de-semana!

"Se queres ver o mundo inteiro à tua altura, 
 Tens de olhar p´ra fora sem esquecer que dentro é que é o teu lugar. 
 E se às duas por três, vires que perdeste o balanço,
 Não penses em descanso, está ao teu alcance, tens de o encontrar. "

 (Jorge Palma, Na Terra dos Sonhos)

 

Cleaning the backyard

"If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need."

Marcus Tulius Cicero

In the last couple of weeks, almost everyone in the Netherlands is cleaning their backyards.

From Coisas Minhas III

I'm speechless with the effects of this Winter...

From Coisas Minhas III

I think high pressure water pumps must be the best selling item now in the Netherlands, but this one was lent by our neighbors. You are the best M. and J.!

From Coisas Minhas III

I begin to see the brick pavers color, that's true, but look at the fences and at the chair...

From Coisas Minhas III

There is a lot of work to be done, I know, I know...

From Coisas Minhas III

But I will make it! I hope...

From Coisas Minhas III

Beautiful Snow also means work, work, work...

This week, it has snowed a lot and the landscape turned really, really gorgeous.

From Neve 2013

However, snow also means a lot of work. It's the other side of the story when everything is so white, beautiful, peaceful and quiet around us.

From Neve 2013

I face these chores as necessary rituals, since I'm not the kind of person who likes or has time for unnecessary complaints. This has to be done, right? So let's do it and take it in the best possible way. ;-)

From Neve 2013

Wednesday was a hard working day outside for me.

Cleaning the car

I started by cleaning our car and I took more time than usual to do it. No big surprise, though, since Tuesday had snowed all day long and the car was completely covered up.

Cleaning the paths in the gardens

After cleaning the car, I started working on the gardens, . I grabbed the heavy and big snow shovel and I began to clean the path between the front door and the frontyard entrance. Something that needs to be done, if we want to avoid damaging the floor downstairs with the snow we bring in. For the same reason, and, specially, because the garbage containers are in the backyard, I also cleaned the path between the living -room door and the backyard's door.

From Neve 2013

Still, there were more tasks to fulfill.

Taking care of the garbage

One of the things I don't like to do when it snows is to bring back the garbage container from the street because our house is at the end of  the backyards corridor. Also very unpleasant is to place the garbage in the proper containers (the plastic, the paper and the overall garbage) when it's very cold outside.

Going to the supermarket or to the vet clinic

In our neighborhood, we don't have convenience stores. I do my shopping at the nearest Albert Heijn supermarket -15 minutes walking distance when the weather is nice. With the snow, I take more time, of course. Generally, I  prepare myself on advance for the snowing days to come, but this time I forgot to buy a couple of things and I needed to go there in spite of the snow. I only did the way to go and then I returned home by bus. However, I also needed to go to the vet clinic to buy Fofinho's medicine and this means half hour walking -  to go and to come back.

At the end of the day

In the evening, I felt that I went through a lot of exercise. My arms were sore with all the work and the left side of my face was burning because of the cold, but I put again my facial protector cream and now I'm ok.

This week I didn't have the opportunity to take a walk just for fun, so the pictures of this post are from our gardens. Nevertheless, in my bus travels to the city center, I could appreciate the frozen lakes and canals.

Have a nice weekend!!!

A Blue happy day with Monique and her family

Last Sunday, the table was ready for Monique, Patrick, Masha and Jurgen ...

From Coisas Minhas

but I wasn't ready for the great surprise that Monique had to me...

Remember this photo of Texel?

From Texel

It inspired Monique to paint this beautiful surprise for me...:-)
Ik was zo blij!!! I was so happy!
So touching and so thoughtful of her!

From Coisas Minhas

Surrounded by blue ;-) I was last Sunday...:-)

I just loved to have you and your dear family here, Monique!
You are a dearest ;-) Dank je wel! ;-) Thanks ;-) for such beautiful day ;-)

Raining

The weather, the favourite conversation thema in the Netherlands!

Last Tuesday...13th July 2010, Almere, Tussen de Vaarten

Look at the sky...

From Coisas Minhas

Look at the table and the chairs...

From Coisas Minhas

It was a heavy rain...

From Coisas Minhas

After a while, some sunshine...

From Coisas Minhas

I must say it was refreshing after a very warm week ;-)

Meet you at the victory! ;-)

Yesterday, in a Dutch home... :-)

From Coisas Minhas

...for a very amusing birthday party ;-)

Gefeliciteerd Monique, Patrick en Jurgen!! ;-)

Today, my backyard, with my neighbours decorations ;-)

From Coisas Minhas

The temperature is high...for the final game also ;-)

From Coisas Minhas

Good luck Netherlands! ;-)

Meet you at the victory!!! ;-))

From Coisas Minhas

I like my backyard...:-)

The backyard is complete for now.

The table and the chairs were bought in JYSK for a very good price.
Remember this post? I was "scared" with the prices.
I didn't want to spend too much in garden furniture because I will not have visits and parties each weekend in the achtertuin.
I like also to go to the beach, travel in the country and visit friends in summer's weekends :-)

From Coisas Minhas

From Coisas Minhas

From Coisas Minhas

The most important is a cosy and functional backyard to get together our dear ones. ;-)
Flowers, candles and pillows are very useful to have a "gezellige sfeer" (cosy environment), but specially friendship and laughter ;-) don't you agree?

Enjoy the Summer! ;-)

Expat Life: First Barbecue Party in the Achtertuin...

(06.06.2010)

Welcome ;-)

From Coisas Minhas

...to the first barbecue party in the achtertuin (backyard)...

Remember this post?
Here you are some of my garden furniture choices...

From Coisas Minhas

De stoelen/ the chairs/ as cadeiras were bought in Intratuin.
These chairs are very good to relax...specially with a good book... enjoying the sun...;-)

De tafel/ the table/ a mesa...is portuguese, came with the removals.
A bigger one is needed now, of course. This one is to share a cup of tea or a coffee ;-)

From Coisas Minhas

The barbecue was bought in Gamma. Also the parasol.

From Coisas Minhas

From Coisas Minhas

So, what do you think? A bigger tafel and proper chairs to have a more comfortable lunch, I know,...;-)

I just loved this day...:-)

A wonderful afternoon with Mihaela, Adrian and their son, Mihai ;-) Gezellig!!!

I hope the sun comes back soon, so we can have another one ;-)

(Thank's Adrian for the table and the bbq photos.)

Les fleurs de mon jardin

From Coisas Minhas

From Coisas Minhas

From Coisas Minhas

From Coisas Minhas

Lorsque en ces frais matins, je sors dans mon jardin,
avant que personne ne soit éveillé,
je recherche un temps de bonheur parfait.
En cette heure divinement fraîche et calme,
les ravissants visages de chaque fleur me saluent avec une joie silencieuse
qui me remplit d'un contentement infini;
chacune me donne sa couleur propre, sa grâce, son parfum
et m'enrichit par la perfection de sa beauté.


Célia Thaxter
(1835-1894)

These flowers are for you, Beto (Peniche, 1967 - Caldas da Rainha,23 de Maio de 2010)

My Cat in the Snow

In the Backyard (achtertuin)...

My Cat in the Snow ... ;-) So cute!!!

From Almere (III)

From Almere (III)

From Almere (III)

From Almere (III)