I have decided to do the series during the bulbfield-season (March to July) with a 2 week interval. I am calling it Project Dutchy Spring 2010.  I will feature 3 different bulbfields: the first one will most probably have either daffodils or hyacinths early in season, the other 2 I think will have tulips later in season.

Also I will each week feature a few pictures of other stuff that catches my eye while taking pictures of the 3 featured fields. So here goes with the first March edition of Project Dutchy Spring 2010

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I made some more pictures than featured in this post. You can see all of them in the set Project Dutchy Spring 2010 in my FlickR account. Also a few of them have been adjusted to black and white and put on my photoblog DutchBitch View.

Enjoy! I will follow up in 2 weeks!

It was sóme year. A lot has happened in this past year, in my life, and in the lives of the people around me, in my personal life and my “internet” life. One of the biggest things being the passing of Lisa, to whom I dedicated “Project Bulbfield“ after she died on February 27 (which I will never forget as that’s my birthday) because she loved tulips. Lisa, I hope you are somewhere where you are painfree and happy and know that we are all still thinking about you. I can’t believe it’s almost been 8 months already…

Behold, Project Bulbfield – a year round

You can view the separate pictures here.

Separate Posts: October 2008 – November 2008 – December 2008 – January 2009 – February 2009 – March 2009 – April 2009 – May 2009 – June 2009 – July 2009 – August 2009 – September 2009

Behold the last picture in the series: “our” bulbfield at the end of September. Soon it will be filled with bulbs again, holding a flowery blooming promise for next Spring, when the fields no doubt will be showing their colorful splendor again.

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So there you go. One year of “Project Bulbfield”. Next month, in October, I will do an overview of this whole year of “Project Bulbfield”, so you can see all pictures of the past year again.

Now… I have to go and get busy. It’s Hellish Wednesday again, filled with work, groceries, running The Kid back and forth to school and basketbal practice, errands and all that shit. Tata!

But right now it’s the last day of August and it’s time for the August issue of “Project Bulbfield“!

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As I expected last time the fields are being ploughed right now and the farmers are getting them ready to get the bulbs in the ground for next season, which they will probably do in October. All the weeds have been ploughed out and the field is waiting to start a new round.

Just one more issue to go and we’re there. One year of “Project Bulbfield”!

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The field is completely overgrown by weeds and yesterdaymorning when I came over to take the picture they had started ploughing the edges of the field. It’s fairly quiet around the bulbfields right now, but I guess they will start ploughing the rest of the field soon.

Schoolkids are busy in their summerjobs at the bulb-farmers to peel (take off outer layer and old roots) the bulbs that were taken out of the field. The peeled bulbs will either be sold in the stores or replanted for next season.

Soon they will be getting the field ready to plant the new bulbs for the 2010 bulb season. They will probably do that in October as the bulbs need to be in the ground before temps dive to around freezing.

There is 2 more issues of “Project Bulbfield” to go:  August and September. Almost done a whole year of bulbfield view!

I am off to spend the last day with The Kid before he is off to his dad’s for 3 weeks. Going to be a day of cuddling, snuggling and packing!

AND YOU GUYS DON’T FORGET TO ENTER *MY* CONTEST ON LADY PENELOPE’S BLOG!!!

Welcome on this glorious Wednesday June 31! So happy to see you all gather together on my blog for the June issue of “Project Bulbfield“. Gather ’round to see it!

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What was left of the tulips has now dried up and died. As you can see by the boxes, the farmer is now getting ready to dig up the bulbs and bring them in to have them peeled by all the lovely student summer workers and put them away to plant again in September or October, depending on the weather.

I think we now only have 3 more issues of “Project Bulbfield” to go, July, August and September, and then we’re done. Let’s see if I can get the last 3 in on time, shall we? Then again, don’t hold yer breaths… please… Cos I suck!

This is a look at “our” bulbfield at the end of May. The field has bloomed (see April) and after that the bulb farmer chopped the flower heads off (see April as well) and now the stem and leaves of the tulips are withering and drying out. It’s a bit sad really but for some reason the shadow of the trees falling over the field still gives a summery feel… the blue sky with some clouds… the sunny part… and the promise the field holds for next year.

The next issues of “Project Bulbfield” will probably show an emptier field. The farmers are eager to plough the fields now and fertilize them within the next few months. We’ll see. We’ve got another 4 issues of “Project Bulbfield” to go before we have done a whole year (!)

This first picture shows the field mid April, I took the picture on Saturday April 18, when I went cycling thru the fields for a few hours. As you can see the tulips were just showing their color, just starting to bloom. I knew from that moment on I had to go back every few days because things would be changing so fast now.

The second picture is a few days later, I think it was the Wednesday, when the field was fully in bloom. A gorgeous red/orange color tulips making for a gorgeous colored field.

Then last Friday I went back there as I knew the most dreadful of dreaded things had happened. The bulb farmer had been over the field to chop off the flower part. If you look closely you can see the tulip petals on the ground. They chop off the flower part to make sure all the nutrition goes to the bulb, rather than the flower. In a few months time they will dig up the bulbs, find a bunch of students that they pay to peel off the outer layer of the bulbs, then lay them out to dry, and use them again next year either to plant or for resale.

So there… the blooming part of “Project Bulbfield” has come and gone, within just a month… It was beautiful though. And as I vouched to dedicate this series to Lisa from Clusterfook, I hope she was able to enjoy it all from somewhere… wherever she is…

Due to roadworks, that will be going on for a few months, I had to do the picture at a slightly different angle than I usually do. I have decided that I will finish the series from this angle so as to not confuse things. Still, it’s the same field.

As you can see it’s all coming up above ground now, and the first part of the “mystery” has been revealed: they are going to be tulips. I can see from the part that has come up already. What color still remains to be seen though. I can’t wait! And as I promised the rest of the issues of “Project Bulbfield” to be dedicated to Lisa from Clusterfook I am so happy they turn out to be tulips!

Basically they already start taking flowers off the fields to sell them. This is the view from the roadside many days when I drive along the bulb fields to get The Kid to and from school, to and from basketball practice, and so on: season workers bending over and picking the flowers.

And THIS is what it gets me: a bunch of 30 tulips for only 5 euros as I buy them from the unmanned roadside stores (they just have a little box you put money in, and sometimes a sign that “HE sees all”, heh… but I am an honest bitch, I pay for my tulips)

This February issue of “Project Bulbfield” is dedicated to Lisa from Clusterfook. One of our fellow bloggers who had been battling 3rd time cancer and who, just a few hours ago, lost her battle. Lisa who once told me in a comment that she loves tulips. Lisa, this one is for you and all the next ones will be dedicated to you too. I am sorry you will never get to see the undoubtedly beautiful flowers that will be coming up in a few months. The pictures of those will be on my blog and we will all enjoy it’s beauty on behalf of you. You will be so missed…

On the way back from taking the pictures I came past the part of the road where merchants were already starting to build up their roadside stores where, in just a few weeks time they will start selling bulbs and flowers again to the tourist flocking to this area when the bulbfields are in bloom. While taking a picture of that, I suddenly noticed on the other side of my car the first daffodils have cropped up already. The first sign of spring. In light of Lisa’s passing that seems so unfair and yet so beautiful at the same time…

Goodbye Lisa, you rawk! Dude and the girls, you rawk too and I wish you all the strength and the love in the world!