It is
Saturday, early in the morning as I drive through the country roads of
Walcheren. The roads are slippery, because the land just has been ploughed. In
no-time my white car is covered with mud. It looks like I have driven the
Dakar rally. I like it. Cool!
I am on the
road this early because I have an appointment with a local farmer to get some
manure. At nine o'clock sharp I drive into the farmyard. Is someone awake
already I wonder? But there is already lots of activity. I address the farmer’s
wife who is busy with the milk. Oh, you must be Hetty? Immediately she calls
her son.
A garden
friend of mine recommended this farm for its manure. The manure has had a
special treatment. A machine compresses the liquid manure into a dry granular
structure. On this manure everything grows like mad, is what the farmer’s wife
tells me. That will be ideal for my roses!
The son scoops
up the manure with a shovel. He seems surprised about the size of my box trailer.
I can imagine why. Between those big agricultural machines my small box trailer
of 1m x 2m seems the size of a pram! Because of its small size, some of the manure
falls aside, but without complaining with a spade he scoops it back on my
trailer again. What a service!
After that I
carefully put the tarpaulin on the box trailer. I cannot prevent having manure
on my hands. Oops. You should know, I do not only have a white car but it also has
a white steering wheel! I wipe of my hands on the wet grass (I try not to think
about it too much) and carefully drive back home again.
The manure appears
to be surprisingly light to work with. Because of the granular structure it can
simply be scattered into the border. Of course all my roses get some extra
manure. The box trailer is empty at eleven o'clock. The borders look perfect
and in the garden it smells .....
Well it
smells so nice and rural!
The fields are ploughed.
My car! It looks like I have driven the Dakar rally.
The manure on my box trailer.
My roses love it!
The borders covered with manure.
New followers a warm welcome!
You are a true gardener and so lucky to have access to that manure. I can't wait to see your flowers in the spring.
ReplyDeleteNice images! I can almost smell the manure. My grandmother used to call it "country smell".
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2017/11/moonlight-and-sunrise.html
Dear Hetty,
ReplyDeleteI have heard good things about using manure for the garden. I am thinking about trying it myself. Please keep us updated how your roses and other plants will respond.
Best wishes,
Lisa