Friesland: Home and Garden

The dutch take great pride in their homes and gardens.
They are known to have homes that are:
Schoon, Netjes en Gezellig (clean, neat and cosy)
The dutch women are very skilled when it comes to creating a gezellig atmosphere in the home with plants, fresh flowers and floral arrangements. The lighting is soft and often in the form of many small lamps as well as candles. There is also very little clutter tolerated as the houses are small and space is a premium.
The dutch are considered to be very organized and efficient.


The same can be said of the Frisians.
Every home that I stepped into, was neat and orderly, with floral arrangements and fresh flowers, purchased at the local grocery shop, floral shop or created from their own gardens.



I really enjoyed going for walks in the evening and although it is considered rude manners to be nosy, I just couldn't resist taking in all the details of the homes at night with the candles glowing, the television set on, children practicing their musical instruments, students doing homework at the table while adults read the newspaper.
They have large, clean front windows with curtains left open all the time, both day and night, presenting a cosy picture for those walking by.
Every home showed character and an individual, artistic expression of the family living there as their large picture windows have wide window sills filled with decor, often in the form of plants as well as candle lanterns, done with order and symmetry.
We spent two days with our friends, and enjoyed boating as well as shopping with them. Their boat is parked right out front as they have access to the waterways.

Below are just a few of the beautiful homes we saw as well as the lovely gardens:

This was the home my hubby lived in for most of his childhood years until he immigrated to Canada in his early 20's:
He also lived here for his earlier childhood years:
Many of the homes we saw have lovely white lace curtains hanging in the windows, although the younger generation now use blinds:



View through the kitchen/dining room window:
The back garden looks like it is divided into rooms. It is so orderly, peaceful and inviting....great for entertaining!
This is an old traditional farm in Friesland, where the house is attached to the barn with only a wall dividing the two...very interesting!

The gardens were all still blooming with such vibrant colours:








I hope you enjoyed this home and garden tour!

Fleeting Days of Summer....

We spent another breakfast morning on the front porch before the young adults left for their day at the Farmer's Market with their british friend, giving him a taste of the Mennonite flavour in the rural countryside.
I had to run a few local errands, so I grabbed my camera and captured these scenes along the way...
Shopping at the local hardware store:

The corn is maturing and should be ready for harvest soon. Some of the local farmers have started already. I could smell the scent of corn silage early this morning. When you grow up on a farm, you never forget the smell of each season and each crop:)

Soybeans will be harvested in the next week or two:

Goats and swiss bells...can it get any cuter?

Just so adorable and so sweet...
... and actually very tiny...
...I just want to take him home with me:
How I love the sheep grazing:
Back home again, the last of the summer gardens:
~Turtlehead...a perennial given to me by my friend Shirley...it is so lovely!
~Phlox:
~Geraniums in bloom all summer:
~Rose of Sharon still in bloom:

My daughter is waiting for me as it is lunch time....to the front porch we go....again!
We are enjoying these last leisurely days of summer, before the routines of the Fall season arrive.

Beauty in the Bounty

Over the past few weeks I have admired all the beautiful fruit and vegetables at the market, in the gardens, and also in my home.

Jewels of Nature:

Red Currents

Gooseberries

Strawberries

Cherries

Blueberries
Last week when I had time to begin pickling some of the produce that I was the grateful recipient of, I asked my hubby if he would be willing to bring up some jars from the basement storage room. I had to laugh when he proudly brought all these jars up only to inform me that there were plenty more if I thought I needed them.

My only thought was:

GREAT EXPECTATIONS!

I have never pickled or canned any vegetables before and so this was all new to me. I got busy making bread and butter pickles last week and hope that they will turn out when it is time to enjoy them.

And yesterday my oldest daughter and I made the pickled beets... such a gorgeous colour!

The finished product:

Red Current Jelly in the foreground:

My daughter is grating the last of the zucchini to put in the freezer. Our Braun food processor broke so she had to use a hand grater...good for building arm muscles:)

We had a houseful of company yesterday as my middle daughter hosted a pool party/sleepover event, so we also managed to get some baking in which I will share in another post for another day as the recipes were wonderful! I am heading off to the library now and will be working again tomorrow but can't wait to post some awesome photos of the countryside again next week. The gardens, the produce and the flower stands are in abundance at this time of year.

Have a wonderful weekend!
Joanne