How to choose an (allotment) garden?

Posted on zo 30 maart 2025 in blog

Below you'll find a number of questions to ask yourself and others. If you are serious about starting with an allotment or any other kind of garden, these questions can help you make a clear choice.

Reasons for starting a garden

  • Why do you want a garden?
    • Your goal and …

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Some time in the dark

Posted on do 27 maart 2025 in blog

Earlier this year I have spent over 10 days in complete darkness, with almost no contact with the outside world. It was the second retreat of this kind I have done. The first was a year earlier where I spend over five days in darkness.

To say it is a …


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Tools for Personal and Spiritual Development

Posted on zo 12 januari 2025 in blog

I have done and tried a lot of different things.

The list below is probably not complete. I will try to give a brief overview of the tool and what it aims to achieve, based on my (limited) understanding and how it has helped me.

  • Lindyhop Dancing

    I call it …


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The Allotment - wrapping up

Posted on di 31 december 2024 in blog

I have decided end my contract with the allotment association. A number of factors have lead to this decision.

The allotment was evolving towards a miniature food forest. This meant that regular maintenance came down to mowing the "unwanted" plants about once a month.

I have found my enthousiasm for …


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Building and Using a Peg Loom

Posted on do 29 juni 2023 in blog • Tagged with experiment, weaving, wool

A peg loom is a weaving technology that has been around since at least the Vikings - and probably much longer. The loom is made of a single log with holes at regular spacings. Each hole will fit a peg. Each peg has a hole near the bottom to allow a …


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Making soap

Posted on wo 03 mei 2023 in blog • Tagged with soap, experiment, recipe

We made a shampoo bar / soap for washing our hair. We did this for the first time in 2021 and after we had used up the first batch, we made a second batch in 2022.

We took every precaution to do this safely. Please familiarize yourself with the process before …


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Homemade Insulated Insoles

Posted on vr 20 januari 2023 in blog • Tagged with experiment, season: winter

I was looking for a way to create insulated insoles. I considered covering a piece of plastic with felt. As I looked around at what I had laying around to use as a felting template, I considered radiator foil.

The foil is made of a layer of foam and a …


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Journal of work in Proeftuin Meerhoven in 2022

Posted on wo 04 januari 2023 in blog • Tagged with survey, practical, season: spring, season: summer, season: fall, season: winter

Since mid 2017 I have been involved with gardening at the Proeftuin Meerhoven in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. This is a community garden maintained by volunteers in the neighborhood adjoining ours. We use the space with approval from the local council. The harvest from this garden has supplemented our lunches and …


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Experiments in 2022

Posted on di 13 december 2022 in blog • Tagged with experiment

This is a list of experiments Ina and I have been conducting in 2022.

  • gardening
    • a third full year of having an allotment garden
    • involved in creating an edible lawn / tiny food forest
    • propagating more plant cuttings
      • elaeagnus varieties
      • fig varieties
      • grape
      • willow
      • red and black currants
  • cooking / baking

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Felted slippers (finally!)

Posted on wo 16 november 2022 in blog

Two weeks ago I finally managed to complete the felted slippers we started almost four years ago at the Permacultuur Festival (2019) in Belgium. Even though they came out a bit rough, they are quite comfortable to wear. We found them to work exceptionally well in plastic clogs.

Yesterday I …


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