Category: Switzerland

An eye on grapevines in April – what a spectacle unfolding

An eye on grapevines in April – what a spectacle unfolding

Daniela - the Lady behind the Bird

So, here we are dear readers, plunging right into the natural spectacle that miraculously happens every year in spring in Switzerland: the awakening of nature. Of course, in this post, we again have an eye on grapevines on the Lindenhof farm, but not only, because way too much is going on there :0).

What a difference to what we saw in February and March! You may want to look at the posts on a split screen to enjoy and be even more amazed by the changes :-).

Grapevines’ buds have swollen a little bit by the first days of April and you see how they are still tenderly protected by what reminds me of a ball of wool. Through it, the first leaves are finely shimmering. Isn’t this pure magic?

Shortly after, the buds explode and grapevines start to grow. Read more →

An eye on grapevines in March

An eye on grapevines in March

Daniela - the Lady behind the Bird

A month has passed in a twinkling of an eye since our first look at grapevines in February, don’t you think? Let’s see what this means for our grapes.

Not much of a difference compared to February, I guess. They are still sleepy, the buds also remain very small and are well protected from bad weather. But the undergrowth is greener and that is why sheep are now grazing within the vineyard and freely using the grapevines to scratch themselves :-).

That does not mean, nothing is happening…  Read more →

From Brown to Wow

From Brown to Wow

Daniela - the Lady behind the Bird

Winter in Central Europe can be quite demanding. Especially, when the sky remains grey for several days in a row (or weeks in some parts) and the vegetation does not add much colour, either, as it comes in fifty shades of brown.

While last winter was one of the darkest ever, this one is gentler on us. As a matter of fact, it is quite the opposite as we are spoiled with so much sunshine that February broke records for the amount of it in Switzerland.

Either way, the awakening of nature is something many of us long for. Nature so wonderfully shows us the circle of life, the rhythm of the seasons, and the alternation of quiet rest and powerful growth, don’t you think?

Looking down to the ground is therefore worthwhile right now, because it is that time of the year when the brown soil turns into a wow. The wonder does not last long, however, so I would like to share with you what can be marveled at on a stroll, a bike ride to work, or on a sneak peak into other people’s gardens ;-).

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Surely, you all know snowdrops! But what about spring snowflakes that are not made of snow as the word spring in their name may suggest? Read more →

An eye on grapevines in February

An eye on grapevines in February

Daniela - the Lady behind the Bird

A warm welcome to this new story!

Today I’d like to start a series that will accompany us on a monthly basis throughout the year. Are you in to to see your wine grow, develop and change over the seasons?

Isn’t it mind-boggling to watch nature awake after (the European) winter? To witness nature coming into the tender green of spring dotted with rose, red, yellow and white flowers, insects flapping over meadows, birds singing to their fullest?
In summer the light green is turning into a darker heavier one changing into a colourful blast in autumn before going to what looks like a deep sleep at the beginning of winter. Read more →

Mummy mallard and her ducklings on an expedition

Daniela - the Lady behind the Bird

Once upon a time when Ladybird was on her way to work and just got off the train, she was stunned to see a mallard (Stockente in German) walking around on the other platform.

What the heck! She did not believe her eyes. What was the animal doing here in the middle of a very busy city quarter away from the lake and several meters below street level?

Ladybird stood still for a while watching the duck as people around her minded their own business. She soon realised that the duck was calling and immediately thought: “Oh my, this is mummy looking for her young ones. I’d better help her.” Read more →

Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!

Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!

Daniela - the Lady behind the Bird

How do you feel about snow? Does it make you dance? Does it give you the joy you so often experienced as a child? Do songs like the one in the title of this post come to your mind and stick for the day? Or is it simply a nuisance to you?

Do you get any snow at all in your corner of the world?

White landscapes are magical and snow is a natural wonder for me. So today, I feel like sharing some winter photographs – which I have taken in the Swiss Alps – with you. It wonderfully coincides with the first snow of the season in the lowlands of Switzerland for we awake to a winter wonderland this morning. Unfortunately, it does not last long as temperatures have already risen above zero and streets and pathways have immediately been “cleaned” with snowploughs.

Most people here still hope for a white Christmas in the cities and lower regions, but it is rare these days. Mountain resorts, however, are lucky as snow has fallen in huge quantities lately. The following pictures give you a little idea what to expect when visiting the Swiss Alps in winter :0).

Enjoy and come visit! Read more →