Wordless Wednesday: Lilac

Wordless Wednesday: Belgian Spring

Everything Is Blooming At Keukenhof Gardens

My last post provided a peek of the flowers at Keukenhof Gardens. But no matter how good the pictures, they simply can't do justice to the acres upon acres of intricately planted blooming gardens, meticulously manicured lawns and whimsical displays that are Keukenhof. And it is their beauty that draws millions of visitors for eight short weeks each spring.

Keukenhof traces its roots back to the 15th century when Countess Jacqueline of Bavaria gathered fruits and vegetables from the gardens surrounding the area. Keukenhof Castle was built in 1641 and encompassed a total of 200 hectares but it wasn't until 1949 that the gardens became a permanent exhibition of spring flowering blooms. The gardens may only be open for a few short weeks each spring but maintaining the gardens is a year around operation. Starting each September, 30 gardeners spend three months hand planting over 7 million flower bulbs. But these aren't just any bulbs that are planted. Close to 100 suppliers provide their best bulbs to the garden each year and the garden designers work to create unique gardens and displays that best highlight the beauty of the flower. Additionally, new grass is planted each year as well to ensure the manicured perfection that guests see. And much to my surprise, once the garden closes for the season, each of the 7 million bulbs are dug up and destroyed before the planting cycle starts all over again.

So what do visitors to Keukenhof get to see during their visit? Flowers of course but there is so much more. Flowering bulbs bloom in three waves: early, middle and late. (I learned this during my visit to the gardens). The varied blooming seasons ensure that visitors will see flowers regardless of when they come to the gardens. We were there during the middle season when hyacinths seemed to be the predominant flower. I love hyacinths---particularly the purple ones--and their aroma filled the air with an unmistakable sweet fragrance. But hyacinths of all colors were everywhere. There were lots of tulips as well. Rainbow like waves, edged by perfectly green lawns, filled just about every open expanse of the garden. It was breathtaking and beautiful and as someone who can only get weeds to flourish, it left me spellbound. There are water features as well; canals, fountains and ponds complete with swimming swans lend a tranquil atmosphere even when the gardens are crowded. Portions of the gardens are shaded by towering trees and a stroll through the Japanese inspired garden provides not only shade but an array of yellow daffodils. Kids of all ages can wander through a boxwood maze to make their way up to a viewing platform where you can take in the fields of tulips surrounding the gardens. And best of all there are plenty of places to sit and take it all in. And even on a crowded day, it was easy to find a quiet spot to sit and contemplate the flowers. (And for the more energetic younger set there are two age appropriate playgrounds and a petting zoo).

Waves of flowers (and crowds)

Shades of purple

In addition to the seemingly endless color filled gardens, there are indoor pavilions hosting revolving flower shows ranging from orchids, lilies and gerbera daisies to anthuriums, roses and daffodils. Each week features different flowers so you can visit more than once, seeing new flowers each time. My favorite area, however, was the inspirational gardens paying homage to the canals of Amsterdam. This year's gardens recreated the tiny patio, rooftop or canal side gardens that fill Amsterdam's residential neighborhoods. At Keukenhof, we could pull up chairs and sit along the canal amongst potted plants, climb up to the rooftops to enjoy the flowers and the views or pop into makeshift patios and guest cottages that were beautifully adorned with flowering plants. To me, these miniature gardens with their window boxes, potted plants and beautifully painted accessories truly were inspirations making me want to go home and recreate my own little piece of heaven in my garden.

The many faces of Van Gogh

Each year the gardens have their own theme and for the 2015 season that theme is honoring Vincent Van Gogh on the 125th anniversary of his death. Van Gogh may have begun his artistic career in Belgium, but he was born in the Netherlands in 1853 and spent much of his life living and working in various parts of the country. It was just beginning to bloom during our visit but the centerpiece of the Van Gogh tribute is an expansive 250 square meter bulb mosaic comprised of tulips and grape hyacinths. Making Van Gogh modern is a selfie garden that is inspired by Van Gogh's numerous self portraits. Here you can pose in reflective mirrors for your own selfie as well as have your picture taken alongside the artist. And if you're thirsty you can even get yourself a bottle of Van Gogh beer!

There's still time to see Van Gogh in bloom

But there really is so much to see at Keukenhof so a visit is a must. If you are fast you too can catch the last weeks of the 2015 blooms. If you miss it, mark your calendars for the 2016 season. I was there in 2015 and plan to return in 2016. In the meantime inspiration has struck me and I'm trying my hand at establishing my own little flower garden. Let's hope a green thumb prevails over black.


If you go:

Keukenhof Gardens
Stationsweg 166a
AM Lisse-Holland
+31 252 465 555
www.keukenhof.nl

Daily 08.00-19.30
Open for the 2015 season: 20 March - 17 May
Open for the 2016 season:  24 March - 16 May
16 Euro adults, 8 Euro ages 4-11, under 4 Free
Parking 6 Euro

The Blooms Of Keukenhof Gardens

Nothing says spring more than brightly colored flowers and few places burst with colors the way Keukenhof Gardens does for a few weeks each spring. Here's a snippet of the beauty I experienced during my recent visit:

Wordless Wednesday: Botanical Escape

Ah... Ah... Choo.....

Spring has definitely sprung here in Belgium. Flowers and trees are blooming all around me and with the brightly colored foliage comes all of the pollen. And at least for me, pollen triggers allergies. The sneezing, congestion, and watery eyes of my allergies are like the perpetual cold that just won't quit. And frankly, since it has been going on for months now, it stinks.

I know many people suffer from allergies much worse than mine so I am grateful for the fact that my allergies are seasonal rather than year around. In the concrete jungle that was our neighborhood in Albania, trees and grass were few and far between. I bemoaned the lack of green at the time but  in hindsight I realize that the dearth of foliage kept my allergies at bay. (Now if I had dust or mold allergies I would have been singing a totally different tune). But Belgium is lush. Very lush. I love all of the green grass, trees, and flowers that are around me but I am now suffering because of their beauty.

Despite the most potent of allergy medicines I've been taking the symptoms just won't go away. I didn't realize just how much I was suffering until I spent time in Istanbul last week. The flight was miserable and I thought my head was going to explode but within a few hours of landing I could magically breathe again and the sinus pressure that had been plaguing me for over a month had disappeared. Who knew that I would have to travel to a sprawling city with a population of close to 14 million people to be able to breathe freely again. But apparently the lack of green space and the maze of car filled streets agreed with me.

But I am now back in my green world. When my eyes stop hurting long enough to see I am enjoying the lushness of a Belgian spring. The flowers Sidney picks for me grace the table but I only sniff them when he insists. He wants to plant a flower garden and I'm trying to figure out how to do it while keeping my allergies at bay. I'm popping my allergy medicines again and wondering when the pollen will subside. Soon I hope. But despite all of my suffering it could be worse. I have friends back in the U.S. who are dealing with late spring snows. Given the choice I'll take my sneezing any day!

The Beauty Around Us

A long, narrow, and very straight road
through the Belgian countryside

I'm a city girl at heart; honestly, too much country kind of freaks me out. I thrive when surrounded by the hustle and bustle of urban life while the peaceful serenity of the country is often just too quiet. Stars are beautiful to look at but I need street lights to feel safe. Rational or not, I don't fear the boogie man in the bushes but a feral animal jumping out from behind the trees is enough to give me nightmares. All the more reason we are living in the heart of a city (a small one, but a city none the less) and enjoying it so much. But this being a rather rural part of Belgium, we only have to drive for a few minutes to find ourselves surrounded by rolling green fields, farms, and country life. And some days I rather enjoy getting out and having my dose of rural. Today was one of them.

The calendar says spring and the weather has been inching closer and closer to it with longer days, (We finally switch over to Central European Summer Time this weekend), more sunshine, and warmer temperatures. Today was the quintessential spring day with a crispness to the air that was offset by the warm sun. And it was an awesome day to be outside and out of the city proper. While running errands I did what I find myself doing so often since arriving in Belgium. With time to spare and a new community to explore I turned off my GPS and just drove. While I had a vague sense of the direction I was moving in I slowing drove down country lanes, through hidden hamlets, and along miles and miles of country roads. They were all paved albeit some were covered with cobblestones. With the windows down and the sunroof open I explored the countryside surrounding Mons passing only farmers preparing their fields for the planting season, a lot of grazing cows and a lone rider on horseback.

And as I drove, I realized just how beautiful the world around me was. I've driven around this area often but always on the main highway heading from one destination to another. I know where the speed zones and congestion points are along the way but I never realized what was down all of those narrow side roads. At one point I stopped the car in the middle of the road (after all no one else was around me) and got out to just take in my surroundings. Breathing deeply I took in the fresh (and fertile) air. Standing there miles from anything I realized just how lucky I am to be living here in this corner of the globe. I have the best of both worlds; my urban house with quick and easy access to country when I want it.

But I am now back home, ensconced in my row house listening to car doors slam and the clatter of feet on the sidewalk outside of my window. These are the sounds that are now both familiar and comforting to me. That doesn't mean I can't appreciate the serenity of the country. I do and I enjoy experiencing brief periods of it. And knowing it is so close for those times when I want it is even better. This certainly isn't too shabby of a lifestyle we are living.

Nothing but Belgian countryside for as far as the eye can see

(Mostly) Wordless Wednesday: Spring Is Springing

The calendar almost says spring and the trees are ready!

Spring Forward!

It has finally arrived; three weeks after our US friends and family, we are finally springing into daylight savings time here in Europe.  (Why Europe and North America aren't in sync on this simple change of the clock is beyond me).  For the past few weeks this difference has reduced the difference between us and our East Coast based families to five hours; as of today we are back to the six hour gap that separates us for most of the year.  As strange as it sounds it feels as though things are returning to normal and I no longer have to think about what time it is where...........

Sure, last night we lost an hour of sleep.  Since I can't even remember the last time I got a full night of sleep, this loss didn't really change anything for me.  I awoke this morning within my typical wake-up range of time to the sound of pouring rain beating on the roof.  Yes, we were experiencing yet another rainy spring day.  The dark skies gave me no clue as to the actual hour but I knew that even if I wouldn't actually see the sun today it would in fact remain lighter longer.  This one hour difference might not seem like a big deal but psychologically it makes all the difference to me.  I love being able to come home at the end of the day and still be able to enjoy the daylight.  More daylight means a greater chance that our too dark house won't feel so dreary.  This extra daylight makes me feel like I actually do something other than work all day.  Spring and summer sunsets over Mount Dajti viewed from our balcony are the best part of living in this house.

Today is also the last day of March.  There is an old adage that March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.  (April showers also bring May flowers but I'll pass on the rain since we have already received more than our fair share).  With the rain and fierce midday thunderstorm this was one angry lamb.  However, as the sun should have been setting, the skies cleared and the sun made her first bright appearance of the day.  The sunset was pretty nice too.   Maybe spring is finally here for good.

The Sun Will Come Out???????

Winter and early spring make up the rainy season here in Albania and in a country where hydro-electricity is the main source of power I know this rain is needed, but I am getting really tired of it.  The sun did come out this past weekend but the unseasonably cold temperatures resulted in snow falling on the mountains outside of Tirana and gave me no indication that spring will make an appearance any time soon.  Other than those brief hours of sunshine I think it has rained a part of each and every day for the past two weeks and forecasts predict more of the same for all of the week ahead of us.  This weather is getting really old very quickly. On the "good" days its been gray and overcast with showers but most of the days and nights have been filled with heavy soaking downpours.  The rain has been coming down so heavily that the already saturated ground can't absorb any more.

On the "good" days its been gray and overcast with showers but most of the days and nights have been filled with heavy soaking downpours.  The rain has been coming down so heavily that the already saturated ground just can't absorb any more and this results in muddy runoff and pools of stagnant water.  Trust me, it really isn't a pretty sight.

I find the rain in Albania particularly hard to deal with since it just makes an already difficult way of life all the more so.  Our house is concrete and despite rugs, wall hangings, and heat that we probably turn up too high, it always feels damp and cold inside.  No matter how many pairs of wool socks and layers of sweaters I put on, I just can't seem to make myself comfortable.  My primary complaint about the Albanian rainy season, however, is that it severely limits what we can do.  While the country is filled with hundreds of amazing places to see and visit during dry weather, wet weather options are limited.  Tromping around a castle, old ruins, or sidewalk-less city streets just isn't any fun--and due to all of the stone, can be downright dangerous-- in wet weather.  Indoor venues, from restaurants to shopping malls, and movie theaters are cold, dark, and more often than not despite the ban on smoking inside, filled with smoke.  This is hardly the type of environment I want to spend time in.

So when will the rainy season end?  According to meteorological forecasts, not any time soon.  Like I said the rain is supposed to continue for the foreseeable future.  Rain, rain go away.

Spring Has Sprung

When you move on a regular basis you never know what each season will bring.  Chances are that summer and winter in your old location will not look or feel the same in your new home.  Locals, or at least those people who have experienced a seasonal cycle or two will tell you that this year's weather isn't normal, rather it is colder, wetter, hotter, drier, etc. than normal.  What does this really mean?  I mean what is normal weather like any way?

Greening Tirana foothills

Mother Albania surrounded by green

We're approaching the one year mark in Albania and with each new season have been told that the weather isn't what is used to be (can you say global warming????).  Summer was supposedly hotter than usual and this past winter was colder.  I don't know if this is true but summer did feel very hot and this past winter was a lot colder than I had expected.  I don't know what to anticipate in terms of weather any more.

Garden plants

Spring has officially been here for over a month but I think the weather is finally catching on.  Overnight the weather has turned from cold, gray, and rainy to bright, clear and sunny.  It feels as thought the entire country is undergoing an awakening after a long sleep.  Flowers in our yard are in full bloom (as are my allergies) and the mountains outside of Tirana are once again turning green.  The sky is a brilliant shade of azure blue and the air is crisp and clean.  The days are growing longer with sunlight filling both our early morning and late evening hours.  The sidewalk cafes are once again filled with lounging coffee drinkers and we've returned to our late afternoon ritual of going to the playground. 

And container gardening

I love the weather and am taking every opportunity I can to get out and enjoy it. And I must. Because before I know it summer will be upon us again with her stifling hot temperatures and smog filled air.  But like I said, in the mean time I'm going to enjoy it and get out and play.