Floriade

Tuesday 8^th May

Today we planned to visit the Floriade and walked to the station to catch the shuttle bus to the site, a fifteen minute trip.  On the way we passed large flower and vegetable handling and selling complexes and indication of the importance of horticulture to this region.

At the entrance we were greeted with a sixty metre high building, an indication that this was a major event. 

The exhibition, unlike Chelsea and Hampton Court Palace Flower Shows, is divided into various theme areas; Green Engine, Relax and Heal, Education and Innovation, Environment and World Show Stage, these areas are separated by large expanses of natural forest with winding paths joining the themes.

Holland has for many years been a world leader in the development of new techniques and innovations in the horticultural industry and at the Floriade many companies and research facilities have stands and pavilions to display their products and promote new ideas.  Many of the displays promote environment awareness, recycling, energy efficiency, while others are glasshouses full of plants from around the world and the displays of the many orchid species were breathtaking.  There were also dozens of outdoor garden display of flowers, fruit and vegetables, including many heritage varieties.  One display was devoted solely to the growth and production of asparagus, which at this time of the year in Europe is a major culinary delight.

The displays also cater for children with many activities to amuse and entertain as well as to educate them.  Many countries also have displays featuring their plants and products and also to promote the countries to tourists.

Like all major garden events there were many gardens built by companies to promote their products or designs and a large number featured small lakes, ponds, streams, swimming pools and formal water features, while viewing one of the formal pools a women tripped and fell backwards into a pool, totally immersing herself, camera, camera bag, phone and other items.  This was before lunch time on an overcast day with intermittent showers, so I imagine her enjoyment of the Floriade came to an abrupt end.

Shortly before this “swimming” event Ann spotted a person from Brighton, whom she had gone to school with and they also nursed together.  In a venue with possibly 10,000 people wandering about it was an incredible coincidence.  However we have come to expect this occurrence because in over 37 years of overseas travel and also in Australia we have never failed to unexpectedly meet someone we know.

Walking through one of the forests we saw a sign saying the “Willowman Lives Here”, we walked along a little track and came upon a large number of structures woven from willow branches.

For centuries there has been a myth about an eccentric person who hides in the surrounding forests, his great grandparents built their first home, consisting only from branches twigs and leaves.  Over time the houses evolved into a village full of natural sculptures, tree houses, nests and cages all woven from willow branches.

I don’t know how long these structures have been in the forest but many of them were roofed with sods with the grass growing, many were suspended and contained canaries, doves, rabbits, guinea pigs and bantams.  There were several structures that appeared to be lived in, one was a kitchen and eating area, another had a “Porta Potti” and a third had a curtain over the entrance with “private” which we presumed to be for sleeping.  There were a large number of clothing items, trouser legs, pockets and other pieces of apparel suspended from trees with vegetables growing in them, a couple near the “living area” we presume were the residents.

At 5:00 we left to return to Venlo with about half the site still to see, this we will do tomorrow.