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Nr. 9 / APRIL 2021
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The somewhat different view of our sea of tulips.
Finally spring, finally tulip time!
The cold weeks have delayed the beginning a bit. Now the first plants begin to blossom. Soon – as every April and May – spectacular sights will present themselves again in Sammatz. Tulip-covered landscapes like at the Waldsee and in the Arena one expects otherwise perhaps in the Netherlands and in any case rather in a garden magazine than here ‘right on our doorstep’. With the blooming of the slender beauties, spring finally begins. In the gardens of Sammatz you can’t miss them: wherever you look, they shine above the spring greenery.
This little miracle does not happen by itself. How do the tulips get into our gardens? We go in search of clues. – Beginning of November. Kickoff day of by far the largest planting campaign in the Sammatz gardening year. 150,000 bulbs, 40 helpers, 6 weeks of non-stop outdoor work. It’s cold and mostly rainy outside. But the team of Michaelshof gardeners, other Sammatz helpers, many volunteers – actually everyone who can still put on their rubber boots – defies the bad weather.
And let’s be honest, the project has surprisingly beautiful sides. It is the event of the year when really the whole village gathers in the gardens. Computers and coffee cups are traded for mud pants and spades. People from all kinds of work backgrounds and countries come together. While tulip bulbs disappear into the ground, some get to know each other for the first time ever. There’s something in the air, the atmosphere is quite special. We’re having fun.
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As the days progress, slowly the weather and the physical work are getting to us. An already slightly annoyed: “When are we done?” receives Klara’s iconic answer: “Half-time. Still 3 weeks”. Despair mingles with the exuberant mood.
After about 4 weeks, the phase of inner motivation is clearly over. While sitting in the mud, most of us – loudly or quietly – start to think not so nice things about these flowers. But there’s nothing we can do – we’ll pull this through now. The whole thing brings us together. We start planting competitions, spur each other on.
After 6 weeks then: FINALLY – the last tulips are in the ground. The spades fall. High fives everywhere, raging applause, exhaustion, joy.
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And now in April, when we catch sight of the first tulips, we have to grin a little. We remember the hardships, but mainly the incredibly beautiful moments last November. And from some secret hatred of tulips creeps, almost magically, a pleasant feeling: ‘Wow, I guess it was worth it!’
For us, tulips are not just beautiful flowers. To us, tulips are a way of life. Tulips mean community and wet garden gloves, good conversation and bad jokes. To fully understand it, you have to have been there. (Next November, for example! )
Maybe these fall memories will answer questions from a tulip lover or two. And maybe they change your view on our gardens on your the next walk.
Because now the season is starting – come by, it will be really colorful here!
Due to the current pandemic situation, our Tulip Festival will not take place. Tulip season is out here nevertheless – feel free to come by for a tour and to marvel!
On the weekends of
01 & 02 May
08 & 09 May
we hope to invite you for garden tours and coffee & cake to go, tulip sale in our farm shop included.
For updated information feel free to check our website!
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Michaelshof up to date – at a glance!
Opening hours:
Arche-Hof: Monday – Sunday 8.00 am – 7.00 pm
Hofladen Arche-Hof:
Monday – Friday 9.30 am-12.00 am, 3.00 pm – 6.30 pm
Saturday 10.00 am – 6.30 pm
Sunday & public holidays 10.00 am – 5.30 pm
Café am Michaelshof: Mon-Fri, 2 to 6 pm, Sat-Sun 2 to 6:30 pm
Der Wagen, Wochenmarkt, Lüneburg:
Wednesday & Saturday 7 am-1 pm
We ask you to comply with the current safety regulations in Lower Saxony.
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Salvatore is reading. In our great library, book after book, page after page. So he absorbs wisdom after wisdom. With the wonderful view of our arena, of the valley with its many perennials and a small pond. In doing so, he infuses his soul with the most beautiful things that one can think of, as a human being.
He talks to spirits long dead, he talks to Greeks and Romans, he talks to people of long gone times, to kings and emperors, to pharaohs and field marshals. As vividly as in our time, everything comes to him that he takes in and never forgets. For he lives with everything he reads. Word after word comes alive to him, every story is full of life, every non-fiction book tells him something about the wonders of life that can be found in that specific area.
His eyes dwelt on many hundreds of books, on the secrets of modern natural science as well as on those of times long past, when men still knew of the gods, still knew of the spirits in flowers and lakes, in plants and stones, when men still knew of their former lives on earth, where heaven and earth were still united. He took all this into his soul. Together with modern thinking, it became one big unity for him. He knew now: The TAO of the present time he finds in the thinking that he pushes forward independently, with which he takes up step by step everything what he read, processes everything in his soul to living being.
All philosophy of the ages stood before his inner eye, and so he found the way to himself, which was the same as the way into the world. For what is outside is inside, and what is inside is outside, was his motto, which he found in the long hours of solitary scholarship. To be continued …
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+ + + + + New category + + + + +
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– May we introduce? Postcards from all over the world. We always find it exciting to see where ‘our’ volunteers go, what drives them, and what role Sammatz sometimes plays.
That’s why from now on there will be an exciting postcard for you every month. This time:
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Lviv
from Mark Melchnikov, Lviv/Ukraine
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During my time in Sammatz (a total of 6 months), I understood that everything is possible. This was a big inspiration for me to start my journey, where I’m turning my private life, which is kind of artistic into a public project. I’m building my house with natural materials and creating an exotic garden in the middle of the Carpathian Mountains in Ukraine. I want to share my knowledge, skills and passion with interested people. For one thing to show them my ways and to inspire my surroundings. But a big motivation for me is to raise awareness to the deforestation and water pollution that is happening around my area. In the future I want to work with the government to protect the breathtaking nature in my neighbourhood.
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Do you know our Online Shop? If the lockdown turns your weekend trip plans upside down once again, we have the solution: We send almost all our products throughout Germany to your home. There are the wonderfully crispy breads from the wood-fired oven & other sweet treats from our Demeter bakery. The traditional dairy supplies cheese, cream cheese and yogurt made with passion. Of course with Demeter milk from our farm directly from around the corner. Long-lasting delicacies – preserved like in grandma’s times – from the kitchen & our ever-popular postcards with Sammatz-motifs may not be missing either. Our range is complemented by beautiful beeswax candles and wool products from the region.
Climate-neutral shipping is a matter of honor. We’ll even pack in a few ounces of country air – we promise!
For example: Sammatz Strawberry Jam – a summer poem!
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Mailing-List
Meat-sale-days at the Arche-Hof Sammatz
We regularly sell meat and meat products from beef, pork and sheep from our own production fresh from slaughter. After slaughtering, the fresh products are only available for a few days. Therefore, we would like to give you the opportunity, to be informed about our latest meat-sale-days and other offers via e-mail or text message.
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HAUS DER NATUR – MICHAELSHOF –
WALDSEE CONCERTS
Our event-programm 2021 is here!
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www.michaelshof-sammatz.de, events: Click through and see what we want to inspire together with you: You’ll find exciting topics from ants and butterflies to partnership and self-discovery, from roses and trees to thinking and meditation, from photography and music to biodynamic agriculture. Plus, twice a month, a trial day for anyone who wants to try “community for a day.”
We keep our fingers crossed that the pandemic situation will soon allow us to discover things together again, to work on understanding nature, to experience things. We are ready to go and will start as soon as we are allowed to and you want to. It’ll be amazing!
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Found an exciting topic? You can book without hesitation – we offer a money-back-guarantee in case of cancellation of the event(s). Choose at any time between a straightforward refund, or a voucher for a later seminar date, the farm store or our online store.
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PRICKING–ACTION Since Easter Sunday, we’ve been pricking out for all we’re worth. Pricking out: that means we give every single newly sown plant a place where it can grow perfectly. Lettuce, various vegetables and especially colorful flowers for the gardens have all now moved into our ‘quickpots’,as the planters are called, for a few weeks. The gardening season has begun!
OUTPOST FARM BANRATZ Our meadow orchard on the right side of the Elbe is growing, agriculture is expanding. In addition to the young animals of our herd of cattle, sheep and goats, many little chicks are currently enlivening the farm and are incredibly cute to look at.
UP IN THE AIR – DOWN TO EARTH Fresh from the printer: By popular demand, we present Michaelshof, its areas of work and future plans in a separate brochure. Our “vision” is ready for the world. Everything that drives us and what we dream of in one booklet.
UNDER CONSTRUCTION We are just getting our first Tiny House ready for occupancy – and everyone wants to move in. Hip!
CUTENESS OVERLOAD…the lambs are in kindergarten, the kids are born. Be sure to check them out! (Don’t forget masks this weekend) +++ Because of beauty and good behavior all Sammatzer rabbits sold! Take care and have fun out there! +++ Mother sow Frieda has new kids! How many piglets are there this time? – No pig knows (Don’t worry, it’s a German joke).
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