Sunday, April 18, 2010



It´s one of those days that when the sun shines You can´t have much clothes on, but when the clouds hides the sun You really want to put on winter clothes :-) We have pretty strong north western winds today so I can walk around in my garden without feeling to much of it since my cottage stands in the way.





I think I´ve told You that gooseberries, black currant and a species of red currants (called ‘Forrest currant’) live wild in this country. Usually they live on wet grounds and not to thick forests. I´ve never seen Forest currants near here, but we have black currant and gooseberries. The wild ones usually have smaller berries but otherwise they taste just the same. But birds does spread our garden varieties too and then the berries are quite big.



Black currants grows just outside my cottage and one of those bushes now grows in my garden :-) and last year I found some goosberry bushes not to far away that gives big really tasty green berries, now I have one of those too :-) It´s just a small one but It´ll give berries already next year, of that I´m pretty sure.

We walked in the opposite direction than usual this morning. What I didn´t know was that Bertil was waiting by my neigbour so he could follow us. So it wasn´t until we were almost home that I saw him. He started to run away from us until he heard me shout Bertil. Then he turned around and started running towards us :-) If You look on the road almost up by the stable You can see a tiny black spot, that´s Bertil.

Now he´s a bit closer.


Finally I let my dogs run to greet him. I didn´t want them to do it to early because they can be a bit to tough when greeting him :-)

It´s rather fun to see a cat jumping around like a dog when he´s happy. That cat really has an identity problem :-) :-)



Sometimes one has currant and gooseberry bushes that are old sorts that one would like more of but doesn´t know the sort name so it´s impossible to buy new ones. Well that is no bigger problems when it comes to those bushes. Black currant is easiest. Just cut of a couple of branches in spring, cut them into 15cm (6 inches) pieces and put them in a pot with sandy soil. Place the pot in a shady place, never let them dry, and wait until autumn. Those cuttings should have plenty of roots then and You can plant them in the garden.





Red currants and goose berries is easy too but it´ll take some more time. Just bend down a branch (or a couple if You want more) towards the ground and fasten them there. You can use a heavy stone or something like that, the important thing is that the branch has contact with the soild undernieth. I usually scrape some on the bark that will come towards the ground since that can help the branch to make new roots. Already next year the branch will have roots of its own, but I would wait another year untikl I cut the branch from the big bush and plants it some where else.



My new little gooseberry bush :-)

The sun is shining outside again and I´m wondering if it´s any use going out. I think I´ll take a cup of tea and see how it is later on. It´s one of those days when I´m not sure what to do. Probably I´ll watch a dvd or two.

Have a great day now!

16 comments:

Wenche said...

Wonderful to follow you and the dogs and of cause the star Bertil on your morningtrips.

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Hi Wenche!
I´m glad that You like it :-)
Have a great day now!
Christer.

Anonymous said...

The first photo is rather amazing. I like them all and it's good that you can exercise that hip. Walking is really the best medicine. Your gooseberry bush looks a little puny. I think you need to water it. Have a good one!

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Hi Z&M!
I walk better and better now. I have a crutch with me, but I don´t use it :-) Feels great!

Yes it is raher puny yet :-) But they grow faster than one can imagine :-) Now I´ll only have to find a spot for it in the garden.
Have a great day now!
Christer.

Sharon Lovejoy said...

Good morning dear Christer,

Uh oh, I felt guilty when you said you were jealous of the wildflowers!! They don't happen very often. They lie sleeping for years until California has heavy rains for a few weeks. Then, the sleepyheads wake and bless us with their colors, their scent, and the visits of myriad butterflies and native bees. It is a dream.

I too love the gooseberries and currants. I grow pink currants in my city garden. I'll send a photo later.

Love the dogs and cat together. I wish sunshine for you.

I am in San Francisco Bay area today, but home tomorrow. Home is good.

Love,

Sharon Lovejoy Writes from Sunflower House and a Little Green Island

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Hi Sharon!
It was fantastic photo´s You showed in Your blog! I guess it´s the desert climate that makes it so explosive!Here where it rains rather a lot, in comparence, during the summer half year the flowering is spread during a longer time. But it would have been nice to see something like that here to now and again :-)

Pink currants? That´s new for me. A cross between red and white I guess. How´s the taste? Like red ones?

San Fransisco is a place I would like to visit one day. I guess it´s because of all films I´ve seen from there :-) :-)
Take care and have a great day now!
Christer.

NinaH said...

Great to have berries both here and there- and even multiply the bushes!;-) One never get to much of those!;-)

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Hi Nina!
I just have to get to the berries before my dogs does :-) :-) But it´s great to have small stops here and there to eat berries :-)

Have a great day now!
Christer.

jaz@octoberfarm said...

i was just noticing my gooseberries are back. but they leaf out before the katsura which is covering them so i bet as soon as the katsura fills out and shades them they will disappear again. i think i will do what you suggest and plant them somewhere else so they can get sun. i love gooseberries. we have another cold day and it might snow a bit again. i am loving it because it has been far too hot here. joyce

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Hi Joyce!
They do need some sun, but I´m wondering if it doesn´t have it a bit to dry. The wild gooseberries here gives great berries even if they only get sunshine for a couple of hours. But what ever the reason I should move it as You are thinking of.

It´s a bit fun that we can appreciate snow and cold weather after a long heat wa´ve, when we otherwise would hate it :-) :-) :-)
Have a great day!
Christer.

Cindi Myers said...

I love this post. Something about seeing little Bertil running up to his dogs makes me all teary! Jeez! Sometimes I'm just too emotional I guess, but that just touches my heart!

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Hi Oldblackcatboo!
I´ve had cats before that has liked to folow us on walks, as long as they were kittens. But Bertil is two years old now and still follows us :-) You should have seenhim jumping around like a little dog when greeting them :-) :-)

Have a great day now!
Christer.

Wsprsweetly Of Cottages said...

I do hate heat. I prefer Fall and cooler weather but I am pretty much alone in this as everyone in the family loves summer. I know it's coming to southern CA. but I am not in any rush.
I love those country photo's, Christer. So nice to see the countryside.
I will be careful on my bike. :) I didn't ride today but I will tomorrow.
It really is fun. No gravel or soft shoulders on roads here.
Well, at least not many.

I loved enlarging the pictures so I could see Bertil. He really does wander far from home doesn't he. :)
I'm catching up this evening...
Mona

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Hi Mona!
I´m not fond of those really hot days either, I think it´s enough with around 73F.

I hope You have bought a helmet too! Mine has saved my head many, many times so I know how important they are!

He is a bit tougher than his brother Teodor and wonders around by the forest at night. But he never misses our walks if he can :-)
Have a great day now!
Christer.

Raj Choudhary said...

Hi, I saw your blog and found Your gooseberry bush looks a little puny. I think you need to water it.

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Hi Raj and welcome to my blog!

Yes it is very puny, but it´ll be so much bigger next year. I´ll just have to find a good spot for it and fertilize it good this summer and next year I´ll give berries :-)
Have a great day now!
Christer.