March 19, 2009

Keukenhof flower exhibition turns 60

Filed under: Art,Nature,Shows by Branko Collin @ 11:07 am

The Keukenhof flower exhibition, what Wikipedia calls “the world’s largest flower garden,” turns 60 this year. Last Wednesday Queen Beatrix opened this sixtieth edition, according to Blik op Nieuws (Dutch), which is themed ‘USA, New Amsterdam – New York, 400’ in honour of the claiming of the region by Henry Hudson in 1609, followed 15 years later by the foundation of New Amsterdam, which is now called New York.

Part of the exhibition is a giant flowerbed depicting the Statue of Liberty, which is not in bloom yet.

Photo by Nguyen Dai, some rights reserved.

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March 6, 2009

Keukenhof flower garden to buy poo artwork

Filed under: Art,Nature by Orangemaster @ 10:14 am

De Keukenhof in Lisse, the world’s largest flower garden which fills up with tourists in spring, is considering buying a lovely bit of artwork to spruce up the place: a big statue of poo made by famous multidisciplinary artist Wim T. Schippers. The director of the Keukenhof wants to place the 4,5 metre high artwork in the children’s play area, after having seen a picture of children climbing on it. And he wants to try and score the poo before Queen Beatrix opens the Keukenhof on 18 March.

(Link: telegraaf.nl)

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August 3, 2008

Flower-filled walk in Apeldoorn

Filed under: Architecture,Nature by Branko Collin @ 1:52 pm

Until August 30 visitors of the Triënnale in Apeldoorn will be able to walk the Royal Mile, a path lined with flowers on both sides. One half of the path contains annual flowers and bulbs, the other half—designed by Jacqueline van der Kloet—is planted with perennials. The organization claims that in total there will be 48,000 flowers and bulbs. The walk is located in Park Berg en Bos, entrance limited to holders of a Triënnale pass.

The Triënnale is a 100-day exhibit of “garden, culture and landscape” in and around Apeldoorn, amongst others in the CODA and Kröller-Müller museums, the Het Loo palace and National Park Hoge Veluwe, each location worthy of a visit by itself.

Via Blik op Nieuws (Dutch). Photo: Triennale.nl.

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March 23, 2008

Snowy Easter in Amsterdam

Filed under: Nature by Branko Collin @ 5:34 pm

Snopes says “the last time Easter fell on so early a date was 1913, and the next time it will do so will be in the year 2160.” It’s barely spring, and some late snow is melting on the petals of this daffodil, or paasbloem as it is also called in Dutch (Easter flower).

This weekend will have been the coldest Easter in the Netherlands sinds 1964, although the holiday then took place a week later, according to the Dutch meteorological institute, KNMI. Including this year, frost was recorded at De Bilt (in the middle of the country) during 14 Easters since 1901.

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November 15, 2007

Flowers change colour if you ring them up

Filed under: Art by Orangemaster @ 5:01 pm

In Delft, South Holland, people can call a free mobile phone number and potted geraniums somewhere downtown will change colour. Artist Leonard van Munster has placed 10 bunches of potted geraniums at the request of the Technical University of Delft. Van Munster is known to combine his art with the technical possibilities of the mobile phone. Delft’s public library has an ape orchestra by Van Munster. Visitors can call the apes at at free mobile number upon which the orchestra plays a fragment by classical composer Francisco Tárrega from the 19th century, whose music is now known around the world as the Nokia tune.

(Link and photo: ad.nl)

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