Archive for the ‘Travel’ Category
There is not much blooming here in Geneva, but then that’s not the reason one visits Switzerland in April anyway, is it?
I will, in the absence of horticultural stimulation, satisfy myself with some observations from my visit.
Today is Sunday. The Swiss very sensibly take Sundays off. Stores and most restaurants are closed as friends and family stroll about and, presumably, relax. The tourists are forced to forego their shopping exhertions and focus, instead, on behaving like the Swiss, puttering in parks, playing giant games of chess, sitting in cafes sipping strong coffee or window shopping among the closed shops.
I dawdled over breakfast and the newspaper, feeling quite tired from my travels, work, lengthy sightseeing walks and, of course, the time change.
Although I grouse about the price of the hotel, it is quite nice. They put on a very comprehensive and stylish breakfast that is included in the cost. I have never had such wonderful yogurt, even in Amsterdam or Greece, where I raved about the yogurt. If you ever travel to Europe, please eat the plain yogurt. It is divine and absolutely nothing like you will get as plain yogurt in the States.
After attending to a few housekeeping chores (such as washing my socks in the sink), I headed out to catch the bus down to the old town.
There are few taxis here in Geneva. Those that are available are expensive and must be secured at one of the rare taxi stands around town. As a result, even the most well-heeled visitors at my hotel are advised on the location of the nearest bus stop and provided with bus/tram schedules and free passes to use for unlimited transportation during the length of their stay.
On leaving the hotel and chatting, yet again, with the doorman, I am reminded of how the Swiss have surprised me with their friendliness. Everywhere you go, people say hello and good-bye, so your day is a succession of “Bonjours,” “Au Revoirs” “Bon Weekends” and “Bon nuits.” On the bus, passengers always pile their purses, backpacks and shopping in their laps so that someone can take the seat next to them. And pedestrians with no intention of taking the bus will hold the bus door when they see someone running down the sidewalk to catch the bus.
Most people around town wear sensible shoes, although you don’t often see sneakers or other athletic shoes except, as in the rest of Europe, on the American tourists. The fashionable women often wear boots–ankle high to knee high–with short skirts or slim slacks. The women always wear their clothing close-fitting and it is rare to see anyone overweight.
When you do see someone heavy, it is nearly always an American. I hate to admit being ashamed of my fellow citizens, but when I see my fellow Americans ordering ice creams or pastries when they are already bursting from the seams of their bluejeans and toddling off in their Nikes, I do cringe. I have to wonder if circulating some comparative photos of Europeans and Americans might not shame us, as a country, into mending our ways. But then, the global flogging on other fronts hasn’t worked either, has it?
Here you see somewhat more colorful clothing that you generally see in Paris or even Greece, although I still wouldn’t call the clothing colorful. Most women and some men wear elaborately tied scarves with their coats and jackets and usually when they shed their outdoor clothes as well. These serve a practical as well as fashionable purpose, especially in April, since the weather is quite changeable and you never know when you’ll need an impromptu headcover to protect you from a rainshower or cold breeze.
This fashion is actually very typical of European cities and even among some people in large U.S. cities. Seeing the practicality of such a fashion I make a point of packing two or three of my favorite scarves when I travel. In fact, this is one of the luxury purchases I allow myself when I visit foreign cities–the memento of a scarf. I have an enormous black silk scarf I purchased years ago in London for a small fortune I couldn’t really afford, but that I’m glad I did, and that I still treasure today. I have a Hermes scarf of a circus scene–another small fortune–that I wear and am extremely careful to keep track of. And I have scarves from Amsterdam, Paris and Greece that I discover and wear again when looking for travel fashions that remind me of vacations I will probably never be able to take again. I haven’t yet found one here in Geneva yet, but the search will continue.
Yes, I have enjoyed the shopping. I confess, I went for a second visit to the food basement at Globus yesterday afternoon. The small produce section displayed exquisite salad greens–raddicchio, ramps, watercress. There were picture perfect artichokes arranged by size, so beautifully formed I could cry thinking of the splayed and stringly chokes they try to sell back at the Safeway in my small rural Maryland county. There were bunches of neatly tied bunches of oblong radishes. There must have been 40 varieties of olive oil and small bowls and bread for tasting.
Perhaps before I leave I will muster up the courage to take some photos of the windows of the numerous chocolate shops. There seems to be, for some reason, a fashion of shaping chocolates like small bugs and Geneva garbage cans. Yes, garbage cans. Perhaps the idea of the juxtaposition of otherwise icky things such as bugs and garbage with exquisite chocolate appeals to the Swiss sense of humor. When I find chocolates shaped like bumblebees, I will know I have found the place to make my gift purchases!
As I’m writing, I’m sitting in the stylish lobby of the Intercontinental Hotel where a group of four beautiful and fashionable thirty-something women have been laughing and chatting. A rakish 40-something fellow just joined them and engaged in a ritual of cheek kissing all around–kiss, kiss, kiss, three for each woman, alternating cheeks. He quickly snuck off to order a bottle of champagne that is now being poured in beautiful stem glasses.
I wish I were close enough to hear what they were talking about. I find that after all these years I still understand just enough French to have a vague sense of what people are saying and maneuver my way around, but not enough to carry on a proper conversation. I feel a bit left out.
There aren’t many street food vendors here–at least in chilly April. Really, it’s not necessary since there is a “tea room,” coffee shop or patisserie on every street block. Happily, Starbucks has not yet conquored Europe and has only a small presence in Geneva, albeit an apparently popular one. It is always crowded.
The street food vendors I have seen sell made-to-order crepes of Nutella, cheese or ham. There is also ice cream, which people seem to buy even in the coldest of weather. The most frequent item on the restaurant menus is perch filets, apparently from Lake Geneva. I ordered these tiny and tender filets in my first lunch here and was transported by them. I can understand their popularity.
I confess, I ordered cheese fondue during my dinner out with clients on Thursday night. It is featured on many Swiss menus. It was served bubbling in a handled crock and placed on a flame alongside the obligatory long forks. A simple basket of crusty bread was provided for dipping, although we had the option of also ordering some potatoes or meats. The bread was plenty and Mitul, one of my clients, indulged to the point where he felt horrid by the end of dinner. It was very good, if simple.
Mitul insisted that the fondue is now purely served for the sake of the tourists, but I’m not so sure. I noticed that the stores carry dozens and dozens of fondue sets in addition to fondue crocks. I find it hard to believe that the tourists alone are buying all this fondue paraphernalia!
Well, the attentive server here has kindly brought me a glass of wine, so I suppose I’ll close the laptop and indulge a bit.
Au revoir. Bon soir. Bon nuit.
Robin
I started my day at the Horloge Fleurie, the famous Flower Clock here in Geneva, Switzerland.
The Flower Clock is regularly replanted with 6,500 plants to cover the 16-square-foot surface. The configuration of the flowers and numbers regularly changes. You can see other Flower Clock configurations here. This season’s clock is planted with primroses and numbers scattered outside the typical circular bounds. Yes, the clock is accurate.
The Swiss planted the working floral clock in 1955 as yet another reminder that all visitors are required to purchase at least one watch prior to leaving Switzerland. Other reminders include the picture on your hotel room door key, all displays in all hotel lobbies, all banners on all light posts around town, names of famous watch brands atop all the tallest Geneva buildings, even clockwork innards springing out from all the animals on the local children’s carousel. Every other store sells luxurious bejeweled watches and all Geneva residents are required to wear at least one Swiss-made watch. If one cannot afford an expensive Swiss watch, there is always the Swatch watch, of which there are plenty.
Since winter is just now releasing its grip on the poor watch-making Swiss, I had to entertain myself with pursuits other than strictly horticultural ones. In other words, I went shopping.
In Geneva’s Old Town, the Vieille Ville, there are tightly packed galleries, cafes and boutiques that cater to highly specialized tastes. There is an antiques store that only sells scientific instruments. In one sparsely decorated gallery hung a couple dozen 8” to 12” animal sculptures made from raffia, twigs and other natural materials. Antique print and bookshops abound. Occasionally you’ll stumble across a more contemporary gallery, such as the one that sells some sort of robot prints. (I didn’t get it.)
I finally headed down to the main shopping district on the Right Bank, where I stumbled onto Globus, a multi-story department store. Good thing, too, since I needed a new umbrella. My Wal-Mart Totes umbrella busted on the first day of my visit, leaving me a bit soggy. But while I was there, I ambled down to the basement where the gourmet foodstuffs were displayed. Why do the big stores always put food in the basement? Have you noticed that?
Anyway, I found some very nice teas, including a beautiful hibiscus tea that will probably taste like dirt. I also found some tiny little mixed flower teas in beautiful mesh bags. If I didn’t know they were teas I would think I was supposed to plant them.Oh, and I picked up a couple of Swiss chocolate bars just in case there was a food emergency in my hotel room.
Since I had walked approximately 1,115 miles already today, I decided to sit down for a while on a boat cruise of the lake. It was a lovely 50-minute tour during which I understood not one word of the recorded narration. I didn’t care. The sun had finally come from behind the clouds, the air was warm and my feet were tired.
There is more rain ahead and the hotel concierge, Francoise, tells me I must make the most of the day tomorrow before the rains return in earnest on Monday. So I really must go and work on decoding the shower faucets now. After three days I am still using the trial and error method to regulate the water temperature. Apparently you need a Swiss engineering degree to operate Swiss plumbing. To complicate matters further, they seem to operate on the VTS (Variable Temperature System), which requires that the shower water temperature fluctuate +/- 10 degrees while you are standing under the stream.
My clients have all rushed back to the States for soccer games, baseball games and to frazzled mothers of infants. They, apparently, are at a different life-stage than I am. I can linger, but I’m all alone. My guys could not get off from work or school to play. And while I miss my guys, my little dogs and my garden, I’m not really suffering too badly. And there are always the chocolate bars I have for such emergencies.
Robin
Some things, I suppose, are universal—such as unfinished garden chores.
Even here in Geneva, Switzerland, where I am on business this week, this quaint pink house across from my hotel has had bags and bags of neatly stacked mulch sitting around the garden waiting to be spread since I arrived here on Wednesday. I’m so anxious to get back into my own garden to complete the long list of springtime chores I considered sneaking out at night to spread the mulch for them. Wouldn’t it be funny if they woke up one morning and found a garden fairy had done their work for them?
Sadly, I forgot my garden gloves. Still, I’ll be checking daily until I leave to see if the gardener has gotten his or her mulch spread. And I’ll be thinking about the second truckload of mulch I still need to purchase and get down in my own garden before long.
I consoled myself in my garden-less funk this afternoon with a leisurely stroll through the Jardin Botanique—the Geneva Botanical Garden. It is clearly early spring here in this part of Switzerland. The forsythia and daffodils are just starting the bloom. The greenhouses are stuffed with hothouse plants although I could hardly linger to examine them the humidity and plant funk smell were so overpowering. My camera lens clouded up and I had to rush back into the cool air before I passed out or my camera busted.
The gardens here also had a small assortment of animals—I suppose to make up for the fact that there is no big zoo here in Geneva. I was amused, however, to see some incredibly noisy Starlings. I’ll need to ask someone if they are the same invasive birds we have problems with in the US. It seemed odd to have them prominently displayed as some rare creature.
There is also a fantastical carousel with animals that seem to have clockwork innards. I’m guessing that’s a nod to the city’s watch and clock fame, but I did have to wonder if the children don’t find the animals somewhat frightening. What do you think?
All is not gardens and strolls while I am in Switzerland. I’m actually here in Geneva for work where I visited the World Health Organization (WHO) today to facilitate a meeting. On driving to the WHO’s massive office complex, we passed an apparent long-term protester who was set up for the day with an elaborate pictorial and slogan display vilifying the WHO for ignoring the plight of millions of children irradiated during the Chernobyl meltdown. I say he was an apparent long-term protester because his display was a bit tatty, he looked tired and bored—oh, and rather than trying to get the attention of the numerous passers-by with his important message he was leaning against a tree while reading the morning paper and drinking his coffee. I suppose even protesters must ease into their work day.
I take it that the WHO and the USA are not universally adored here in Geneva. Among the various themes on “USA s*%&s” (some slogans were quite colorful and inventive!) on the local bus stop shelter was “No WHO. No Bush. No way.” And an official at WHO referred to the US as the “most wealthy and arrogant” country in the world.
Prior to my trip people warned me of two things about Geneva—1) The people are cold and somewhat rude and 2) The prices are outrageous.
Well, from my short experience thus far, I will agree with the astronomical prices. The hotel where I am staying unabashedly publishes a US equivalent of $18 for a bowl of vegetable soup. A club sandwich will set you back $28 US. If you want grilled sole delivered to your room, expect to pay $65 US. And today, at a modest roadside patisserie frequented by the locals I paid $16 US for a half portion salad topped with some cheese and sitting atop a small piece of bread. Cocktails for me and two of my clients here in the hotel came to $68. And we only had one drink each!!! Thank goodness the client picked up the dinner tab. (HAH! I would have billed it back to him anyway.)
So, people were right about the prices here in Geneva. I won’t be shopping, that’s for sure. There are no Swiss watches in my near future.
Given the local sentiments toward the US, I was a little worried that with my less-than-fluent French and what I feared was my obvious American appearance, the reputidly cold Swiss wouldn’t be nice to me. But despite the fact that I’m from the USA, where Bush “s*%cks” and our country is “arrogant,” I have to say that I find the Swiss very charming, helpful and even friendly. It’s not just the hotel where they fawn all over you (as they should for what you’re paying). I stopped at a small local grocery store on the bus route to the hotel to buy some fruit and water. And although I didn’t understand that I had to bag and sticker my fruit, the cashier was very friendly and helpful when I explained “Je ne comprend pas.” Next door at the small wine shop, the young fellow didn’t speak a word of English when I explained the type of Swiss wine I was looking for, so he happily called his brother on the telephone to translate. But before his brother could relay the message a nice man in the store smiled and asked “It’s not easy, is it?” He inquired what I was looking for and helped me make a selection. Amazing, but true, it was a nice bottle of wine for the US equivalent of $8.
And although the Swiss aren’t given to excessive smiling (and in what country can you say they are?) they do not push or shove to get on the bus or ahead of you to get a table or in line. There is no honking in traffic here in Geneva. I have seen young motorcycle men snuff out their cigarettes on the sidewalk and carefully pick them up and put them in their pockets. People politely avail themselves of the helpfully placed plastic dog poo bags posted in dispensers on the city street corners when their dogs answer the call of nature.
I did have to laugh though when I called down to the hotel front desk to inquire if I was dialing my client’s room number correctly since the call didn’t seem to be going through. He tried the number and told me that the call wasn’t completed because the line was “engaged.”
“Oh, that’s the problem!” I said.
“No, that’s the reason!” he laughed.
So, I suppose it’s all in the matter of how you interpret things, eh?
Off to plan a weekend of activities now. I’ll be thinking of all of you toiling away in your spring gardens and somewhat wishing I were doing the same! Please don’t worry about me. I will console myself with some Swiss chocolate.
(I have added a new Geneva album to my photo albums if you want to see more of my trip. I’ll be posting more as I see the sights.)
Robin
Those Austin folks sure know how to show hospitality!
Pam (Digging), MSS (Zanthan Gardens), Diana (Sharing Nature’s Garden) and Bonnie (Kiss of Sun) hosted nearly 40 garden bloggers from 12 states at the Garden Bloggers Spring Fling. They spent months organizing tours of public and private gardens, soliciting prizes and gifts for welcome packages and communicating all the details about the event. They even offered their guest rooms and drove us all around Austin from garden to nursery to restaurant. I can’t imagine how many hours went into planning this event for a bunch of virtual strangers.
Laura (Greenfish Artist and Gardener), Diana (Sharing Nature’s Garden) and Kathy (Cold Climate Gardening)
Pam told me that when they first thought of the idea the big question was, “Do you think anyone would come?” Well, it seems to me that the question for next year’s organizing team should be “How will we deal with all the people who will come?” Because I can guarantee that come hell or high water I’ll be there. And after all the photos that I and the other garen bloggers will be showing you over the next few days, you’ll want to start a garden blog (if you don’t have one) so you can join us.
You know, I almost didn’t go? But when Kathy at Cold Climate Gardening mentioned in an email (yes, bloggers communicate off-blog too) that she was going, I couldn’t pass up the chance to meet her and so many of the other people I feel like I have come to know, just a bit.
Susan (Garden Rant), Suzanne (Verte), Vicki (Playin’ Outside) and Gail (Clay and Limestone)
Still, heading into this event I felt like I was going on a blind date–with 40 people. Would I have to talk about plants in their Latin names the whole time? What if someone asked me a gardening question and I couldn’t answer?
Well, I needn’t have worried. And, really, I did already “virtually” know some of the folks.
Among those folks that I “virtually” knew, I “actually” met Laura, from Greenfish Artist and Gardener. I had purchased three fabulous watercolors from Laura’s Etsy store and learned we share a love of tea.
Diana and Dee (Red Dirt Ramblings)
I also met Dee from Red Dirt Ramblings. I remember when Dee started her blog and have always admired her country home.
There was also Elizabeth and Susan (another Maryland gardener!) from Garden Rant, one of my favorite blogs because of its provocative posts.
And, of course, I met Kathy, who reminded me to go, and also Carol from May Dreams Gardens. I was grateful that Carol didn’t seem to think I am a raving lunatic for leaving a huffy post about the responsibility of owning a dog in response to her comparing getting a tree to getting a puppy. Or maybe she did think I’m a raving lunatic, but she’s just too nice to let it show. (Now that I think about it, she did mention it.)
So what are garden bloggers like? Well, as it turns out, all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all our gardens (and children) are above average.
Thanks again to all my new friends from Spring Fling!
Robin
One of the advantages of signing up for the early morning tour of the Philadelphia Flower Show…
…aside from being able to see the displays without having to jostle, stand on tippy toe and elbow my way through the hoards—was that the guide was a seasoned flower show volunteer. Our guide was a charming older fellow who seemed to know everyone on the floor and lots of stories that won’t necessarily make the official news. Here are some stories you won’t read about in the newspapers about the Philadelphia Flower Show…some his and some from my own observations.
One exhibitor at this year’s show, a nursery, didn’t win any of the judges’ prizes but did win the several of the popular vote awards among visitors, the People’s Choice Awards determined by written votes each day. The display was a music instrument repair shop, in keeping with the show’s New Orleans and jazz theme. A wildly popular fountain of repurposed brass instruments was a focal point, as was an old upright piano remade into a waterfall and a tuba fountain.
I was amused to hear the booth representative explain not once, not twice, but three times how no instruments were harmed in the making of the display—they were all old and useless anyway! It seems that some people had been complaining about how the nursery had destroyed instruments for the purpose of the display.
Our guide told us about one exhibitor in the nursery class, the J. Franklin Styer Nurseries Inc, a Philadelphia-area nursery that was recently purchased by Urban Outfitters as part of its quest to launch its outdoor chain Terrain. (If you haven’t heard about it, the goal of Terrain is to “to transform the local garden center into an experience that celebrates the beauty and abundance of nature while offering an eclectic mix of garden-inspired products tailored for the contemporary customer.” Watch out Smith & Hawken.) The purchase occurred just three weeks before the Philadelphia Flower Show, where the nursery has for years had a major display area. The nursery’s designer and flower show coordinator promptly quit, leaving the nursery—and Urban Outfitters—with just three weeks to fill a big hole that other companies spend months and months designing and planning.
Well, don’t underestimate Urban Outfitters and their desire for an untarnished reputation and a smashing 2008 launch for Terrain. Within a week they had hired a Hollywood set designer and came up with a stunning display that won Best of Show for the nursery division. Sadly, my photos don’t to justice to the display, which included a stunning Bougainvillea with vines as thick as my arm winding up on to a porch. It was breathtaking.
Our guide is also a member of the Philadelphia Men’s Garden Club. He said the club was formed because years ago there were only ladies clubs and the fellows felt outnumbered and misunderstood. With their own club, he said, “We can break all the rules and drink beer while putting up our display.”
Their display, in the by-invitation division, was a men’s private club in a swampy setting, complete with alligators swimming in the waters around the clubhouse and a porch sign that warns, “Beware! Poker Players and Loose Women.” I gave them high marks for creating a display appropriate to the group.
Our charming guide pointed out one nursery display that was heavy on salvaged pine trees. It seems that a while back the nursery owner broke his hip, lost is wife and his business. It was a very bad year. The Philadelphia Men’s Garden Club swung into action, passed the hat and collected some money to help with the doctor bills. They found a surgeon to do the hip replacement for free and even pitched in to complete some of the unfinished nursery work. Now, our guide proudly pointed out, the nursery owner was back in business and once again exhibiting at the flower show—an example of the camaraderie and support among the show folks.
The Best in Show award for the best florist went to the entrant who decided to suspend their display from the ceiling—the first time for such a “daring display.” Thousands and thousands of individual flowers in florist vials were arranged into a kind of chandelier cum mobile. Painted footprints on the floor indicated where visitors could stand to hear music under one of the three suspended floral arrangements.
Although he was an entertaining guide, his enthusiasm for the show is better than his hearing because he seemed to think the music was on when only the electric lights were buzzing. “Isn’t that fabulous?!? It’s beautiful!!! Listen!” I had to smile, but a young woman in our tour group kept yelling in his ear, “It’s the LIGHTS! It’s the LIGHTS!” Aren’t people funny?
Here are a few more photos from the show…
Okay, that’s it for the Philadelphia Flower Show stories except for a few choice finds that I found in the vendor area. Coming up!
Robin
I just returned from the Philadelphia Flower Show. Holy moly.
Let me tell you, this is no ordinary home and garden show. Nay, nay. This is a spectacle! It costs the fine folks of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society about $6.5 million to put on the show, although the estimated total expenditure by the show as well as the participants is three times that. The show covers a total of 10 acres in three areas: major exhibitions, competitive classes and horticultural schools and universities. There is also a large vendor area where you can shop till you drop.
Profits from the show go to benefit the Philadelphia Green program, which cleans up and beautifies outdoor spaces that have been derelict and unsightly. The program also sponsors a prisoner gardening program to raise vegetables for the homeless, neighborhood and community gardens and loads of education programs. Many cities could look to this program as a model of excellence with many side benefits.
This year’s theme was all about New Orleans and Jazz. The entrance was a recreation of the famed Bourbon Street, all decked out in flowers.
The competitions are in areas for landscaping, floral design, florists, by-invitation and by individual plant species. Many local high schools and colleges participate in the program, as do some prisoner groups.
In addition to the huge displays, there are also fabulous displays of smaller competitive areas: window boxes, container gardens, Ikebana, competitive impromptu arranging, stoop gardens, table settings…the list goes on and on. One of the most amazing areas was the miniatures–tiny little dioramas of natural and indoor scenes with real, live, miniature plants.
The Philadelphia Flower Show claims to be the biggest and best in the U.S. and is distinguished from the famed Chelsea Flower Show in London because the Philadelphia show is indoors. Chelsea is outdoors. That means that all the flowers, flowering shrubs, flowering trees–everything–had to be forced indoors. If you have ever tried to force a flower, imagine trying to force thousands, if not millions, of them. All at the same time. All on a particular day. And then arranging them in a small exhibition space to please the judges and the crowds.
And that, my friends, is why they call it a “show.”
(By the way, I arrived home just in time to unpack and pack again…off to Atlanta this time. I have about 1,000 photos to wade through, but will be posting them as soon as I return and recover. I also want to show you all the cool new stuff that I bought!)
Robin
Kris at Blithewold recently passed along the E is for Excellent award to Bumblebee…
She said that she particularly appreciated the discussions of public gardens and parks and the encouragement given to go, enjoy, learn.
Thanks, Kris, for the recognition! As you know, blogging is a labor of love, but it’s also sweet to get compliments–and comments from readers too.
Apparently I get to pass along the award now, so I want to recognize the quartet of writers at Gardening Gone Wild. Nan, Fran, Saxon and Steve have been doing an excellent job of writing substantive and thought-provoking posts. I particularly like their design series that encourages reader participation. It’s been some of the most interesting garden blog reading I’ve run across.
Thanks again, Kris. I hope to make it to Blithewold soon! So many gardens…so little time!
BTW, if I could figure out the HTML to get copy to wrap around an image, that big E wouldn’t be so darned big. All the HTML code I’ve tried doesn’t work. Grrrrr. I don’t win any awards on my clever use of HTML code.
Robin
Every place I visit seems to have its own unique “green” character.
In London, I was charmed by the profusion of creative window boxes around the town. In France, I was amazed at the enthusiasm of small towns to “green” their city streets compete for prizes. Here in the U.S., I adore walking around Charleston and glimpsing into tiny jewels of walled gardens. In Key West I was enchanted by the exotic, luscious, tropical plants growing with wild abandon in the yards of even the most humble cottages.
One of the most charming cities with a unique garden appeal I have visited is Amsterdam. The city of 12,000 bridges and 160 canals is also home to about 2,400 houseboats that line the canals and waterways around the Netherlands’s capital. Houseboat living became popular in the 1950s during a shortage of affordable housing. As boat owners upgraded their old and dated barges for larger and more modern vessels, ingenious and thrifty folks bought the barges and converted them into floating homes.
Despite the fact that they traded in earth for water, many of the houseboat dwellers still have gardens. Visitors to the city can tour the canals in well-narrated tours. But the narrative is just noise when you start snapping photos of all the picturesque waterways and the homes.
Not a few of the houseboat dwellers had converted portions of their decks into tiny but traditional gardens by carting in loads of dirt to create a replacement allotment. Most, however, were container gardens. Beautification of their aging vessels seemed to be important to many, as containers of geraniums, daisies and, of course, tulips were abundant.
Many of the houseboat dwellers had productive pots of tomatoes and herbs. Some of the canal dwellers just seemed to be giving their houseplants a good airing.
Amsterdam is a wonderful and inviting walking city. The streetscapes are safe, clean and lined with interesting plants. But the canals are what draw the eye and the imagination.
For me, it was a lesson in “make blooms where you are planted.” Regardless of how humble your abode or challenging your growing circumstances, create a bit of beauty to brighten your day and the day of those who see your home.
I certainly wish more of our American suburbs and small towns would take the lessons of our European cousins. A bit of greenery and flowers is not just beautifying. It sends the message that someone cares about the place where they go at night and raise their families.
Robin
“Butterflies and Plants: Partners in Evolution,” the Smithsonian’s new long-term exhibit at the National Museum of Natural History…
…opened today in Washington, D.C. In the works for 18 months the new structure is the only year-round indoor butterfly pavilion in the D.C. area.
Aside from the oooh-aaaah factor of so many butterflies, the exhibition uses video and interactive displays to give visitors a look at how butterflies and plants have successfully evolved, adapted and diversified together.
MONARCH SIPS NECTAR FROM A ZINNIA
Inside, the pavilion is kept at a 80 degrees and 80 percent humidity. Tropical plants provide a lush environment for the guest insects. All the walls are curved in order to keep the butterflies from being trapped in corners. Dawn happens gradually for the butterflies in the morning and sunset gradually descends in the evening. All-in-all not a bad way for a butterfly to live.
More than 300 butterflies and moths of more than 30 species and from as far away as Africa, South and Central America and Malaysia will reside here at a time. They’re first put in an emergence chamber where you can actually see the final state of metamorphosis and watch the butterflies take their first flights.
OWL BUTTERFLY
Exhibit curators replenish the supply regularly from shipments of chrysalides from around the world because the butterflies and moths are not allowed to reproduce because of strict USDA regulations. Eggs that are deposited are removed and destroyed.
And now for the controversy…
Of course, nothing happens in Washington, D.C, without some controversy. It seems this butterfly exhibition has been the catalyst for a controversy on museum admission fees. For the first time in its history the Smithsonian is charging admission for a permanent exhibition—between $4.50 and $6.00. Museum officials say that this will help to cover the nearly $1 million it costs to keep maintain the exhibition.
But since the Smithsonian is largely funded by the federal government (about 70%), some people have their panties in a wad about having to pay anything at all to get in. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton has even introduced a bill that would prohibit the institution from charging admission for any permanent exhibition. (I like Eleanor. But this isn’t one of her smartest moves.)
Since I worked in a major art museum for nearly five years, I can speak with some authority when I say that museums all over are struggling. Government support is down and private donations for the arts must compete with a proliferating number of humanitarian causes among donors. And running a museum is a very expensive proposition.
The Smithsonian has been in the news for several years now for the appalling state of some of its aging facilities. Artwork and historic objects don’t just take care of themselves. They must be maintained in climate controlled environments, cleaned and preserved. Security must be provided to keep the treasures and the huge numbers of people who visit them safe.
All that takes money. Sadly, it’s not realistic to think that taxpayers can pony up any more dollars to prop up this wonderful but aging national treasure. The money must come from somewhere. Selected admissions fees seem a sensible idea. It will allow the museums to maintain collections and continue their work to make the national treasures accessible.
The wealth of free attractions in the D.C. area is astounding. But just because something is free, doesn’t mean it doesn’t cost money to maintain.
Climbing down off the soap box now…
Anyway, I digress. If you’re interested in visiting the exhibition, you can learn more about it here. You can also see some of the butterflies from the exhibit in the photo section of this blog.
**Photos were supplied by the National Museum of Natural History
Robin
I truly hate crowds.
I finish my holiday gift shopping early not because I’m organized but because I can’t stand the stores when the masses arrive. You couldn’t tie me up and drag me to a parade. Go to a party? Is it a small one?
I make one truly significant exception to battling the throngs—flower shows! If you haven’t attended a flower show before, do yourself a favor and make plans. It’s a true visual feast where you can get ideas and learn quite a lot in a short amount of time.
I just booked my hotel arrangements for the upcoming Philadelphia Flower Show. If you haven’t already made arrangements to attend the show near you, you should do so now. Rooms are going fast in Philly. In fact, I found that I could only get the hotel I wanted by booking through the show’s website. All other sources showed the property was unavailable.
The Philadelphia show’s early morning two-hour tours are also filling up. You have to email your request to the show organizers for registration information. Groups are small—8 to 12 people—and are held from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. before the show opens. The cost is $105 per person.
If you’re planning a flower show trip and haven’t been before, here are some quick tips on getting them most from your flower show experience.
- Wear comfortable shoes and a jacket. The showplaces are often cooled for the benefit of preserving the plants, which makes it a bit chilly for the rest of us. Layer for comfort.
- Carry a notebook and pen. You can make notes, job down flower and vendor names or even sketch a particularly striking flower layout.
- Leave the handbag at home. I use a very small shoulder bag with a long strap that I can wear bandolier style. It’s just large enough to hold cash, credit cards, keys, a phone, small notebook and pen. It doesn’t add uncomfortable weight on my shoulder and allows me to keep my hands free.
- Check out the show’s photography policy in advance. Most shows allow amateur photography without previous permission. All shows prohibit the use of tripods or other equipment that can get in the way of heavy foot traffic.
- Check show schedules in advance for special demonstration and lecture times. Many shows have a first-come-first-serve seating policy, so arrive early.
- Plan your meals in advance. Food at these shows is usually hard to find, bad for you and disgusting. Eat a hearty breakfast and carry a bag of nuts. Or make a small, healthy sandwich that you can eat in the snack area while the rest of the folks are eating hot dogs and chips.
- If you’re going with a friend, carry cell phones so you can find each other when you decide to go separate ways or accidentally lose site of each other.
Bring money and a big car, truck or van. Most shows have areas for shopping. Unless you’re particularly disciplined, you’ll go home with an armload.
Have fun and post pictures! I can’t go to all the shows. Someday my dream is to go to the Chelsea Flower Show. It’s on my bucket list!
Upcoming Flower Shows
March 2 – 8 – Philadelphia Flower Show. The lecture and demonstration schedule is here.
March 8 – 16 – New England Spring Flower Show, Boston
February 20 – 24 – Northwest Flower & Garden Show, Seattle
March 8 – 16 – Chicagoland Flower & Garden Show, Rosemont, IL
March 12 – 16 – San Francisco Flower & Garden Show
March 14 - 24 – Hong Kong Flower Show
May 20 – 24 – RHS Chelsea Flower Show
Robin
