We’ve been cleaning, clipping and raking, and dumping the refuse in the compost area. 
Coarse matterial goes here at insect heaven
I got a load of aged manure from Farmer Ericsson. 
Black dirt
And an old falling-apart bale of flax straw for mulch. 
Now, I’m pretty much set up for the coming growing season. I even sowed a row of spinach the other day, just to see what will happen.
One of our local garden favorites Alsta Trädgård has an art exhibition going on now called Holk – bird house – in their conservatory.
Featuring bird houses, carved birds, and wirework insects it inspires one to put up more and varied bird houses and care more for the wildlife and insects.
We visited the botanical garden at Nijmegen. 
It hasn’t recovered from winter yet, but there were plenty of nice ideas for garden art. 
An insect terrace
And other stuff
A stove (kang) for the greenhouse
This bird bath is made of two insulators for high power electricity that fit together nicely. I bought them seperately at the local auction. Most people there think I’m a bit crazy buying all this weird and useless stuff. But it’s very cheap, as no one else wants it, and it makes fabulous garden art, or so I think.
The birds love it too during dry spells as well as many insects including bees and butterflies who flock to it for a drink.
This summer, however, there have not been any dry spells. And the rain is still falling, keeping the night air warm and the frost away for a little while longer.
timogarden 