I am sorry it took me so long to do a new update. I was really keen on having regular updates here but I didn't know how a baby fills and speeds up your life.

So, I've been busy raising my daughter, she's nearly 2 now and happy to help or just hang around while I am working in the garden. And I started up my own business : Maaike's Ecologische Buurtwinkel ( ecobuurtwinkel.wordpress.com ), which translates as Maaike's Ecological Local Store. Selling the things a normal local store sells but the ecological version. The food is organic and/or as locally grown/produced as possible. washable/compostable nappies, organic babyproducts, ecological detergents and natural care products.

In the meanwhile the work in the garden was limited to preventing it from becoming a jungle, but it is good. It was a good time for the changes that I had made to settle themselves. It is nice to see that two years of preventing the unwanted weeds to make seed has totally changed the kinds of plants that spontaniously grow now. My 'weeds' are now lemon balm, feverfew, wormwood, dandelion, chervil, sorrel... all edible plants. The fruit trees and shrubs have established themselves and biodiversity has boomed.

This winter I will let the chickens help me clear the vegeteble garden and I hope next year when my doughter is a bit bigger again and I have found my routine with the shop I will be able to grow things again because apart from the perrenial vegetables and a few courgettes I didn't have anything this year.