At the fairy's garden

Laila Nevakivi 2018: Kati-keijun puutarhassa


Garden is waking up in the spring. Fairy Kati is eager to see the early flowers, snow bells, daffodils, tulips to start growing. She wakes up bumble bees and other bugs, it is time to work.

Later the apple trees are blossoming, and the queen bumble bee is building her nest. The book explains how pollination happens and lists the insects that does this important job. There is also instructions how to make an insect hotel.

Kati, the fairy, loves all flowers, but above all flowers, which she got from her Grandmother Wilhelmiina: bleeding heart, irises, peonies, martagon lilies and all old garden flowers.


In the shadows is a secret garden, where Kati loves to play her flute, many others enjoy it too: blackbirds, frogs and other animals.

Then it starts to rain and the snails attack! Uncle Jackdaw suggest to invite all his relatives to eat the snails, but Kati feels sorry for them and plays the fifer -trick and the snail go to some one else's garden.


The book has many stories about the mole's underground home, how a butterfly is born, fleet of ladybirds (when I was baby sitting an old american girl, we had a lengthy discussion if it is a ladybird or a ladybug, but I am old school, in my mind it is a ladybird).

Summer turns in to fall and the garden is ready for rest. In November the frost has covered the garden in powered ice. A new kind of beautiful. There is nothing more to do. Kati is ready for sleep and to wake up in the spring.

Lovely book, even though I do not agree in guiding the snails into the neighbors garden. I am a very eager gardener (maybe too eager, I have a tendency to smother to death) and I hope that my boys will enjoy garden as well. I am afraid that they take after their dad. Maybe I should get him interested and boys would follow?

In Hedgehog's garden

Marjo Nygård 2017: Kaikessa on itua, siilin puutarhassa

Hedgehog is an eager gardener. Its work starts already, when there is still snow on the ground. Its kitchen turns into a greenhouse, there are pots and jars everywhere filled with seedlings.

In the beginning of June, it is time to take the plants outside. Hedgehog is excited and is amazed how much energy is required to grow from seed to a big plant. In hedgehog's garden something is going on all the time. The gardener plans, creates, tries, fails and ties again.

The weeds have taken over hedgehog's garden plot, but the hedgehog sees them as wild vegetables. The first harvest is ready!

Garden is also underground.

When working on turning the vegetable garden, it remembers the mole's house underground. Don't dig too deep or the roof will collapse. Mr. Mole also loves hedgehog's veggies, so if hedgehog wants something to eat in the winter, it has to come up with something to keep the mole away. 

Hedgehog builds a new vegetable garden above the ground level and lays first a fabric, then some stone, another layer of fabric, then some leaves and soil. That will keep Mr. Mole away.

There are other visitors in Hedgehog's garden: caterpillars, plant lice and mites just to name a few. Hedgehog attacks them with nettle water.

When fall comes, Hedgehog invites Mr. Mole for a garden party, where they enjoy the yammies from Hedgehog's garden.

At this time of year (end of February)  I have already had enough of winter just like our hero the Hedgehog. I have dug out my hydrangea from the garaged, where they spent the last three months.  I try not to plant any seed, because at some point I always forget to water them and they die. I rely on the local nurseries, which I raid at the end of May and beginning of June. In April I startlooking at my garden and try to remember what I planted last fall and am always surprised to see the flowers that do show up.

This book is wonderful, it covers pest conrol, underground work and all the aspects of gardening. I hope some children will get excited about plants and animals in the garden.

Harvest adventure

Olli enjoys several berries and fruit.

Irja Nikkinen 2010: Satoseikkailu : Olli Omenatoukan makoisat retket
illustrated by Jenni Lindfors

Saulus is an eager hiker. Suddenly he is joined by Olli Omenamato (Andy the Appleworm), who is very skeptical about anything new. Together they investigate the garden, nearby forest and even to the mire. They find all kinds of delicacies on their way.

Olli tells about the berries at the swamp

In the garden Saulus and Olli tend to the apple tree, taste different berries and even chocolate cherries. In the forest they find blueberries, lingonberries and cranberries and at the swamp they try cloud berries. Olli learns that new things are great and not so scary at all when you have a friend with you.

The readers are encouraged to find the items in the picture.

Finns have many berries growing in their gardens. Many go to the forest to pick some more, but not enough. Every year there are news about how many tons of berries are left to the forest, because people do not bother to go and pick them. Another debate happens, when the large frozen berry -producers flies berry-pickers from Thailand.  I always wondered about that too. We have so many unemployed people. Has anyone even asked them? May be the unemployed are afraid they loose their support from the state if they take these type of jobs.

Satu and Pyrre of the peartree

Anna Gullichsen 2008: Satu ja päärynäpuun Pyrre
illustrated by Cara-Maria Knuutinen

Satu’s is spending her summer with her Grandmother. Grandma Simone is from France and raises plants in pots that grow in her native region: rosemary, lavender, agave, olive trees and many other. Satu’s grandfather was a gardener and he set up a garden that has rare perennials. In the garden plot Satu and Grandma Simone have sown spinach, beans, carrots and chili peppers.

One day Satu climbs into a high oak and hears humming. It is not a bird, a cricket or a kitten. The hummer is a small man who resembles a tree branch. His name is Pyrus Communis, pear tree in Latin. His nick name is Pyrre and he helps Satu take care of the garden, weeding and composting.

Wonderful flowers that bloom in Grandma Simone's garden.

 The book is full of plants in the garden, recipes for Provençal opinion pie and pear marmalade. In June bloom different flowers than in July or August. There is even a small Finnish-French dictionary at the end of the book, since Grandma Simone uses them when she speaks to Satu.

 I realise that my green thumb is making itself known. The book is wonderfully colored and all the flowers look tempting. I cannot wait to get my hands on the dirt. Usually I am too early in the nurseries and I cannot find all the plants that I would like to have in my garden.