Who doesn't love a garden? Around the world, gardens nourish people; with food, with peace, with the loveliness of nurturing seeds and seedlings, and the delight of working hand in hand with nature. In The Morville Hours, gardener and writer Katherine Swift writes "Gardens are about people first and plants second. Like our multi-layered language, gardening is made up of different elements, bits and pieces from far and near, now and long ago..."
The two of us visited all sorts of gardens during our three week trip - here's a glimpse of four of them.
Garden #1: The Hortus Botanicus at the University of Leiden is the oldest in the Netherlands and one of the oldest in the world. Those giant lily pads grow in one of the many glasshouses where hundreds of orchids fill shelf after shelf. We wandered inside and out for most of a day, stopping for a late lunch in the garden restaurant.
Garden #2: Hidden behind tall houses fronting the canals in Amsterdam are lovely green gardens. During Open Garden Days, hosted once a year by the Museum Van Loon, about 30 private gardens are open to the public. Many are accessed only through the houses or businesses. Some were formal, such as the one shown above, with gravel paths, statues, and neatly organized beds. Others had children's play areas or a more casual atmosphere. Garden houses stood at the ends of several gardens. Lots of greenery and hydrangeas, along with tall trees providing shade.
Participants are given a map with the addresses, and young volunteers mark the gardens visited upon entrance. We visited only a fraction of the 30 gardens, but thoroughly enjoyed those we did. I was so glad our visit coincided with Open Garden Days.
Garden #3: Isafjordur, Iceland lies just below the Arctic Circle, and is surrounded by tall snow-capped mountains that tumble steeply into the fjord below. We discovered there an abandoned sculpture garden, Simson's Garden (Simsonsgardur), built by a Danish artist who settled in this small northern town in 1916. We happened on it by accident while walking to another site. The gate was not locked and so I ventured in alone, my companions wondering if it was quite proper. No sign warned against entry and I found out later that visitors were welcome. Although not well-maintained, the garden structure was visible, with crumbling statues and lush overgrown shrubs. I'm glad I wandered into this small space where memories hung in the air.
Garden #4: In Akureyri, Iceland another Hortus Botanicus, this one maintained by the town. We climbed from the port to the top of the town where neat paths lead in and around layered beds growing with wonderful views to the water far below. Seen in summer the garden is rich with plantings featuring hardy specimens, many of which are grown in less harsh environments and were very familiar - petunias, roses, poppies. To see them flourish here was lovely.
In my own garden Icelandic Poppies similar to these grow. Ironically, they are not native to Iceland, but to subpolar regions of Asia and North America.
How surprised I was to see this small clump of Henderson Shooting Stars, native to the west coast of the United States and in Canada, only found on southeast Vancouver Island. Plant collectors want a bit of everything, it seems. I know that in my own small garden I have a hard time choosing what to grow.
Meconopsis, or Himalayan Blue Poppies looked at home in this northern setting. Notoriously hard to establish, there were great clouds of them in the garden. They like cool weather, so Akureyri is the perfect place for them to flourish. ![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOotwN5t6N-BRDhBHlOdeOt2NidDurVZYQmnMQVifxd_lltq5Ewiwp3ufWPRkmkCq_LhmKb0HOeVnWA0Je-kunEybhxSCzIZ4K6A7NS-Lq2tiIxB_aRpogSxNsPeIe-DPnjHjVwiF9jvtzu9Qc0Tk49PB6nkAjFS3Hrmo7x4b8lnren403-w4z/w508-h640/IMG_9274-2.jpeg)
On the way out of the garden I noticed the peonies in full bloom. Since my own peony blooms were long over, I loved seeing these ruffled specimens smiling brightly in the morning sunshine.
Thomas Moore wrote "The garden reconciles human art and wild nature, hard work and deep pleasure, spiritual practice and the material world. It is a magical place because it is not divided."
I've been spending time in my own garden these days and I'm happy to see progress. Things are less overgrown and the weeds less populous. Dahlias are beginning to bloom and the roses continue. Tomatoes are setting fruit after a cold start to the season, and pole bean tendrils make their way slowly up the trellis. I love going out right after breakfast, in the cool mornings.
Do you enjoy gardening or visiting gardens?
I love Meconopsis - Himalayan Blue Poppies, but they don't love my soil. I have seen them growing happily in Scotland and the Lake District - right soil and climate.
ReplyDeleteThe only place that I have seen Victoria amazonica - giant lily pads growing outside was in Brazil.
Lorrie, what an absolute treat that must have been for you. To be so surrounded by such wonderful gardens, all different, must have been almost too much to take in. I have seen giant Lily pads in a lake in Brittany, quite amazing.
ReplyDeleteI remember the Meconopsis being prolific in a garden we visited on the Isle of Skye a couple of years ago. Certainly cool damp conditions there. Lovely to see gardens from around the world. B x
ReplyDeleteDearest Lorrie,
ReplyDeletePieter and I always have enjoyed visiting gardens and done so a lot.
We preferred that above any inside tour of homes...
Sadly post accident my gardening years are over with and now I have to train others by telling them what and how to do things.
So glad you had this chance to visit the Hortus Botanicus in Leiden and others!
Hugs,
Mariette
I do very much appreciate gardens and the work that goes into them although I am not a gardener myself. You've been in some beauties. We enjoy visiting them on our travels, too.
ReplyDeleteLorrie, what a gorgeous post. So nice to see your visits to gardens on your recent trip. All beautiful. I love visiting gardens and I love sitting in my own garden admiring what's growing and blooming. I love this quote you shared today by Thomas Moore: "The garden reconciles human art and wild nature, hard work and deep pleasure, spiritual practice and the material world. It is a magical place because it is not divided."
ReplyDeleteThanks for a lovely visit!
What wonderful gardens!! And how fortunate that your visit coincided with open garden day.
ReplyDeleteTime in a garden is time well spent! Such beauty in these photos,
ReplyDeleteI agree with Thomas Moore who defines the garden a magical place. You've had the privilege of visiting four such magical places. Good for you!
ReplyDeleteI love visiting gardens and I also love those blue poppies, how unusual. My garden is woefully neglected, which I am hoping to put right over the next few weeks.
ReplyDeleteLovely lovely gardens! So much inspiration!
ReplyDeleteTitti
Beautiful. I love visiting gardens. In the U.K.we have The National Garden Scheme where you get to visit so many interesting gardens. And then there are separate events whereby certain villages hold similar events. It’s so inspiring! 😁
ReplyDeleteAs a gardening enthusiast, I know you were in your glory as you visited these beautiful gardens! Now I must travel back through your blog and see some more of the sights from your trip. (I saw some of them on IG, but I am eager to see more!)
ReplyDeleteWhat wonderful gardens you visited. I am so jealous. I have never seen blue poppies in person but have tried to grow them several times....no luck-we have too much summer heat. I hope you have a wonderful week ahead of you- xo Diana
ReplyDeleteWe always put a few gardens on the agenda when traveling. These are extra special. I have tried several times to grow the blue poppies, but to no avail. What a lovely trip!
ReplyDeleteWe love visiting gardens these one’s looks beautiful. Ounce I had blue Himalayan poppy I love the blue colour!
ReplyDeleteThe last garden we visited last month was an exotic garden in Cotentin.
These look fabulous. You must have been in seventh heaven!
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