We Are Here

On the 7th of February Jodi from Bloomingwriter challenged us garden bloggers to write a post (or two) about where in the gardening world you are. Well, that question is very easy to answer so here goes:
The Netherlands can be found in Europe, in between the cream coloured Germany and the yellow coloured Great Britain on this map. The Netherlands is that small beige coloured blob. I'd better show you a bigger pic of my country as it is a bit hard to find, one blink and you missed it. ;-)
Here we are, that's much better. The Bliss garden is situated in Dinteloord, a small over 400 years old village, half an hours' drive from Rotterdam in the southward direction. It's not on this map as it is so small; less than 5000 inhabitants, which makes for a very peaceful village life in the Dutch countryside.


Jodi also asked us to write about something that really tells us where you are in the world. What's really special about your community.
But do I really have too, because I'm thinking you all know far more of the Dutch and the Netherlands than you realise. Because, let's face it,
you've probably drunk it,

and tasted it,
and wore it,
and used it. And if you're a gardener, chances are that you are now
drooling over it.

Through blogging I have discovered that quite a few of you have visited the Netherlands and even if you have never been here, there's a big chance that you've seen my country anyway. How? Well my dear, unless you've spend your entire life in a deep dark hole in the ground you have seen at least one or two of these paintings, depicting my country in such a great way. In a nutshell ; the Netherlands is a mixture of sky, water and land.

Paintings by Jacob and Soloman Ruisdael and Aelbert Cuyp, Dutch Master Painters.
Because of those vast skies, light plays also a very important part as is demonstrated by this painter here.
Rembrandt van Rijn, self portraitsome of his paintings

Nowadays the work of the old Dutch Masters is still very much alive and an inspiration to other artists. They recently made a movie about this painting by Johannes Vermeer, Girl with the Pearl Earring.
We have more famous painters of course and although he's not an old Dutch Master Painter, he is considered by quite a few to be a genius. Here's Vincent (yes, van Gogh) take on the Dutch bulb fields.
And two of his views on pollarded willow trees near the water's edge, something which in my view is quintessentially Dutch.

Even more so than this.
Jan van KesselAnd that's saying something as we've been making cheese since prehistoric times and exporting it since the Middle Ages.

A look at Vincent's sky.
The American singer/songwriter Don Mclean was inspired to write a song about Vincent van Gogh ....... starry, starry night ..... (Vincent by Don Mclean)

I leave you with some gorgeous Dutch eye candy from long ago. Enjoy and have a great weekend!
Jan van Huysum
Rachel Ruysch
Vincent van Gogh

copyright 2008 Y.E.W. Heuzen