September Garden Tour!

 The Dutch Hosta Society's 2016 September garden tour started in Oudeschip, a village located in the most northerly tip of Groningen, The Netherlands! Near Eemshaven! We were guests at Plant Nursery "On the Dike"(click)  Friendly faces, coffee and a local specialty, Groningen cake, made all feel welcome to the start of a fun filled Hosta day! Some of those who came had a very early start to the day! 300 km away! We explored, shared a few stories and checked out the plants that were on sale of course!  Around 12:00 we headed over to the next garden...

...passing Eemshaven on the way!

The new modern windmills producing electricity!

An old traditional windmill is in view!

 We soon arrived at Family Muntinga's  "Hobby Garden" in Uithuzermeeden!  Their fresh home made soup along with our own packed lunches made eating al fresco, one great big table, in September a real treat! The weather was warm and sunny for our afternoon visit here!  Hostas big and small, a veg garden and colorful borders...inspiration shared by one member to the others! Thanks for opening your garden to us! Then it was time to head 60km south to Stadskanaal! 

 Stone Farm(click), with its hosta-walk, folly, beehives and eccentric creative collections is situated on a 2 hectare plot of land that they bought 47 years ago! There wasn't really anything there, who would want to live there people thought way back then! Bringing in boulders from the surrounding area and filling it with trees and plants, it grew into "Stone Farm"! The afternoon ended with the traditional "Hosta happy Hour", including home made apple juice! The members of The Dutch Hosta Society that participated as well as the three gardens that we visited this year made the day what it was! Fantastic!