This month I made another batch of apple vinegar. I had harvested a few apples from my mother’s front yard. They had fallen down and were brown and desseccated in the middle. The tree had rejected them as viable seeds because of this. The outer part was still usable …

We did an experiment with felting a back to a recently shaved fleece. The wool came from a Ouessant sheep. Below is a photo series on how we created a sheepskin without having to kill a sheep.

The fleece we started with; fully detached from the sheep.

We mostly followed …

Let’s start with a question I get every time I say that I collect nettle seeds: “Why?” Well, for sowing, of course! ;-) … and other uses. So, why would you want to collect nettle seeds? Here are a few reasons (Source):

• nettles are a source of minerals: they contain iron …

This survey is for a revision of the design for the backyard.

The extra information for each plant is derived from the following sources:

• English wikipedia
• Dutch wikipedia
• Plants for a future
• Nederlandse Eetbare Planten en Paddenstoelen Database

Recently I got asked about about creating a garden with the specific aim of keeping starvation at bay. I came to the conclusion you need crops that contain at least sufficient calories to keep you going. So starchy, sugary, oily or protein rich.

Check out the table on the Potato …

Starting from 2018-09-01, Ina and I have rented an allotment at an association nearby. This survey lists the different species discovered in May 2022. For comparison, last year ago I did the same thing.

This list is part of the ongoing design for the allotment garden.

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 …

This is a list of experiments Ina and I have been conducting in 2021.

• gardening
  • Arno taking over full responsibility for the allotment
  • Ina helps with voorcultuur, odd jobs
  • harvesting musterd seeds
  • cleaning musterd seeds
  • harvesting mirabels
  • more hedgelaying at the Proeftuin
  • more planting cuttings
    • raspberry
    • black and red currant …

In 2021 I visited the abby of Val Dieu in Aubel, Belgium. The abby was founded by Cistercian monks in the beginning of the 13th century. The Cistercian order followed the Rule of Saint Benedict as guidelines for their order. The motto Ora et Labora is associated with these guidelines …

This month I made mustard from mustard seeds grown in the Proeftuin. The recipe follows further down the page. But first a bit of botany.

Flowers of Sinapis alba (white mustard) being worked by a bee. Lower on the stem you can see the seed pods developing. As the plant …