The Winter Sleep
We often say it to each other when it's busy in the barn in the summer and we're up to our ears in work; Oh man, just keep going, before you know it, it'll be Christmas again'. And, guess what happens; before you know it, it'll be Christmas again.
The West Frisian Dike
And there we are again under the Christmas tree with peace in our bodies and a glass of wine looking back at the past year and of course thinking about the next year. As far as the past year is concerned, we can be nothing but grateful, especially to you and all our other dear customers who have once again made this year a fantastic year. Not only grateful for the enormous amount of orders we have received from you, no, even more grateful for all the kind words, the pleasant cooperation and sweet messages we have received from many of you. That makes us feel good, that makes us happy and gives us meaning, we are extremely happy that we can and may do this nice work for you. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
The pontoon bridge in Burgervlotbrug
And well, you can't escape it, at the end of a year you are also at the beginning of a new year. What are we going to do, are we going to start something new, can we improve something, you know, the good intentions. Well, I know one thing for sure, I am going to continue with the gardening for beginners course. In case you don't know what this course is and what it entails; the gardening for beginners course is the gardening for beginners course (yes, sometimes it is that easy). This course has a duration of 148 years and, after those 148 years you are actually not finished yet. It is a silent course and it is taken slowly. There is no talking and you only get to see after months of waiting whether you have done something right or wrong. This course is offered to you free of charge by Mother Nature and Mother Nature is also your teacher for the entire 148 years.
Civilian pontoon bridge from the Fluwel windmill.
It is a fun course, once you start you can get really addicted to it, especially if you start to achieve success. But it is also quite a difficult course, I actually don't know anyone who has completed this course cum laude. Even my grandmother's grandmother, and she could garden like no other, did not manage to get the certificate 'Gardening for beginners'. But I will keep trying, another ninety years or so to go, and if next year goes as fast as last year, we will be there in no time. That is 'before you know it, it will be Christmas again' in the superlative.
Sheep on the Hargerdijk with the Pettemer and Hondsbossche and Pettemer sea defenses in the background
If I have also inspired you to take the gardening course for beginners, write it down on your list of good intentions. Really, just do it, it's really fun. It is given at your home, the course is never full and ... aahhh ... unfortunately you have to leave the house for it. But then you are there right away ... on your knees and with muck under your nails. Hey look, the neighbor is also in his garden, how nice, just having a chat. Hi neighbor, what kind of beautiful tree is that? A Japanese Cherry, beautiful huh. Japanese, why Japanese? Yeah, I don't know ... and that is why the gardening course takes a bit longer than you are used to from a course, as soon as you know something, the tree is called a Japanese Cherry, another question bubbles up, and yes, despite the fact that Mother Nature never speaks, you yourself spend a lot of time chatting. Really nice people, try it, you will never regret it.
Photo from the roof of the Fluwel barn
Wise tongues sometimes also claim that gardening is healthy. Not only healthy because you are moving, no, gardening also removes stress from your body. Actually, it is exactly the same as with your electrical appliances that are made of metal, the earth wire ensures that they do not become live. In the event of a short circuit, the voltage flows straight into the earth. This is also the case with humans, stick your fingers in the ground and all the voltage flows straight into the earth. That is also the reason that almost all gardeners are well-grounded people and that is what we all want.
You can still order Amaryllis bulbs in the Fluwel webshop, but bulbs you order now will be shipped on January 9.
No further news on the front, we are going to celebrate Christmas and New Year's Eve. We are still in the office this week, so if you have anything urgent you can always reach us. A nice quiet last week in which the coffee breaks are a bit longer and in which we try to postpone as much as possible until next year.
The Pettemer forest and the North Sea from the mill
This newsletter is also the last one for this year, thanks for reading, we will continue next year. I can't promise it, but next year I will do my best to tell you something sensible or nonsensical about flower bulbs every week. I catch myself thinking that writing the newsletter has become a very nice job, who would have thought, Carlos a writer, he was a bulb farmer after all. But the many sweet and warm reactions, and of course the large number of readers, are a heart under the belt and make the weekly report extra nice. Thank you very much for reading.
Wishing you very happy holidays and see you next year.
Kind regards,
Carlos van der Veek
