OK, this is totally out of sync with our trip sequence but it fit into my life today.
Organized every ten years in the Netherlands, this International Exhibition runs from April to October. You'll find over 150 acres of exhibits, cultural programs, gardening displays/products, innovative gardens and gardening ideas from all over the world.
Highlights for us included:
A field of things that looked a lot like "butterflies"
A forest of buttercups or luminous daffodils
A crocheted tree trunk and branches
OK, I wouldn't say that what I photographed provides comprehensive coverage of Floriade. I think we were more intent on seeing the entire show, which required a lot of walking/why didn't we take that aerial tram/gondola? And we lost each other a few times which meant less photos/more time spent searching. Finally, for the first time in Holland/Belgium, we had a lot of sunshine/heat which slowed our pace. In any case, here are the few pictures I culled from the lot.
Why didn't we wander down the path to the Willowman's home? We still didn't know! Tomorrow, links to his exceptional life and work. WOW.
"Recycling trash isn't just the right thing to do/it's the only thing we can do. We like to think we've mastered the art of waste reduction by transforming used coffee grounds into the substrate for this mushroom kit. After the mushrooms have been harvested, the leftover roots enrich the coffee grounds, turning them into premium compost for your plants and thus closing the loop on your BTTR Gourmet Garden."
Oyster mushrooms have been revered for thousands of years in mid-European and Asian cultures and now you can grow them right in your own kitchen!
Low in calories
High in protein and fiber
Full of iron, vitamin B-complex, glucosamine and calcium
great source of anti-oxidants
Just place box in an indoor area that has access to fresh air and avoids direct sunlight. Spray with BTTR mister 2-3 prays of tap water twice a day. In 7-10 days, you will see small, grayish-blue "pinheads" appear. These are baby mushrooms beginning to grow. Harvest in 3-5 days by twisting off the caps when they are 1-2 inches in diameter.
Repeat process for 2nd crop using the back of the box!!!
So incredibly interesting! Great fun to photograph. Thanks, Don and Nacole! What a terrific gift!
Purple beans with green interiors!!! How unbelievably cool is that? While they ultimately turned green when heated, the slicing/dicing was so much fun. And the resulting flavor, superb.
Fresh mixed greens from the garden. Red spinach with far more vitamin C than the common green variety, rainbow chard, marigolds, tomatillos, tomatoes, nasturtiums, romaine, pansies and violas. Freshly transplanted sunflowers and a crow hoping for a handout. I had our old rocking chairs painted to blend with the bocce balls. And the other more muted vegetable colors.
Dinners these days could not be easier/something basic (fish, grass-fed beef, chicken) on top of the mix of greens. Get those gardens growing, friends. In a box or a bag. A wagon or wheelbarrow. You won't be sorry.
Have I been living under a rock for the past two decades? Don't answer.
Beyond the superb spring garden tours that they've so successfully hosted as far back as I can remember, I haven't really spent time on the grounds of Gamble Garden. I do not like admitting this.
Gamble’s gardens are sooooo worth a visit, particularly this time of year when summer perennials are beginning to burst into bloom. Two and a half acres of sheer delight situated in the heart of Palo Alto just off Embarcadero Road en route to Stanford University. And, of course, Stanford Shopping Center.
One of the many things that I adore about Gamble is that the entire property is open to the public/free of charge/during daylight hours. I was there very early one morning last week taking pictures and again later that day with good friend and former Gamble Board member, Susan. Both times many others were visiting, too, photographing flowers/using the site for family photo sessions/soaking in the beauty/taking notes and learning.
Please visit their website, Gamble Garden, for details about history, location, classes, events and numerous other multi-generational offerings and possibilities. It's a terrific place to meet friends for coffee, lunch or an early evening walk. You'll find demonstration, working and cutting gardens, as well as a greenhouse and lath house.
Labels let you know what everything is so that you can easily transplant the ideas back to your own garden. Or simply enjoy the space that the many, many volunteers have created.
You may discover, as we did, Paul Althouse, retired owner of Redwood City Nursery (one of my all-time favorite shopping ops), tending his cutting garden. Pretty amazing/very marvelous man who donates his time, plants and talent to Gamble. And to you, too/those who visit the garden.
Pick up one of the brochures enumerating the many upcoming offerings. Paul’s class is sure to sell out. So sign up today.
Meanwhile, “visit Gamble” via my photos. I could not capture everything, so schedule a visit soon.
And support Gamble by joining this wonderful non-profit community foundation available for all of us to enjoy.
Enjoy the music as you take your tour by clicking below. Cycle through the photos when they end because the slideshow may have started without you!
Thank you, Friends of Gamble Garden. Send me the form, OK?/I want to become a Friend, too.
Update on Thursday, July 8, 2010 at 8:17AM by
Lois
Finally a few moments to go back to Gamble to take pictures of the main house. Unable to resist walking through the gardens again. Here is the result of yesterday's visit. Clearly evidence that I could/should stop by far more often/sure to find something surprising. And lovely. And positively beautiful. Often breathtaking.
And I think we’re on to something. After Judi, Jan and Susan left, I began experimenting with leftovers from our time together. Spreadable goat cheese, purple basil, miscellaneous edible flowers.
Then, for some reason, all my pictures disappeared. Last time that I "delete originals" after importing them. Not good.
It was a spontaneous “Come at 4:30 to brainstorm ideas for Father’s Day and beyond.”
We began picking and eating fresh things from the boxes and mixing them with what little I had on hand (Bolani, goat cheese, a few ready-made sauces).
Judi rolled a piece of arugula around the goat cheese. And it went from there.
Not only were the ideas that were generated ones that I definitely/ultimately want to implement (go horizontal with fabric to define an intimate eating space) but sharing time together laughing in the newly formed, not quite completed, garden, was simply terrific. Thank you, good friends.
Let’s do that again. And again. Soon, OK?
Next time, I’ll give advance warning so that perhaps you, too, will join us!
And, Anne, I loved our time together both walking this morning and tonight after your Big Tournament.
Much love and safe travels to you, wonderful person/mom/soon-to-be grandmother.
OK, I know some of you were a little skeptical about my wheel-it-anywhere, moveable feast. But take a look now. Little yellow squashes almost ready to harvest/much farther along than those planted earlier in our beds. Bees buzzing around the licorice basil. Nasturtiums nodding in the wind. Exceedingly happy marigolds/a fun addition to salads or beverages/see below.
It's not too late to enjoy this edible/educational/green and growing concept. And, more importantly, to share it with your child and/or grandchild. Or simply with yourself.
Just pick up a bag or two of potting soil. Position plants into holes that you've poked in the plastic. Plant strawberries down one side. Herbs down the other. A tomato on top and a squash of some sort. Basil to compliment the tomatoes. Nasturtiums to accent the dish.
Here's to you, amazing miniature garden on a wagon.
Trust me, this little garden is well worth the small amount of effort it takes to construct it.
You'll be delighted you did.
Update on Tuesday, June 15, 2010 at 7:16AM by
Lois
Fun/sometimes funky/definitely friendly/very informative. What could be better? You may have heard about their collection of roses. What you may notknow is that they stock all the traditional annuals and perennials as well as an abundance of other plants that you might not find at most other garden centers.
Crank up your volume. Then click left and listen to Jack Johnson while viewing. I'll eventually figure out how to merge music with info/until then, enjoy.
It's Regan's Nursery on Decoto Road in Fremont, CA. Just a few minutes from Menlo Park/Palo Alto via the Dumbarton Bridge.
Take a short ride to find: Some pretty sensational succulents. Numerous heirloom vegetables. Interesting and often unusual herbs. Lots of labels featuring educational bits of info and/or fun facts.
It was raining recently when Susan and I were there pretending to be in England. We loaded up on herbs guaranteed to boost brain power (gotu kola). She apparently has a slew of very smart snails in her garden. Back to restock what they quickly consumed.
There's not much shade, so come prepared. And hold on to your hat. If it’s windy on our side of the bay, it’ll be much windier there.
I think you'll enjoy, as I always do, their awe-inspiring array of plants. If this info piques your interest, plan to spend at least an hour wandering around Regan's well-organized five acres. Clear your trunk just in case you locate a few new finds to bring home.
I make the short trip on a regular basis. See you there one day?
Bay Area friends...other than the following nurseries: Redwood City, Ladera, Portola Valley, Half Moon Bay (another top pick), Los Altos, Summer Winds (Palo Alto), Roger Reynolds (Atherton), Wegmans (Redwood City)...where else do you go/what other nurseries do you enjoy?
I'm thinking that Annie's Annuals could be a great adventure. Want to go one day? I'm game.
For me the list includes: laughing with my family and friends. Being with people I adore. Explorations in town and around the world. Being in, on or near water. Visiting gardens. Filling my car with flowers and plants to add to our back yard. Growing our own vegetables. Discovering new ways to do almost anything/like growing tomatoes in gutters or hanging them upside down from trees. Photographing everything. Creating something.
Keep the list going and growing. Submit your ideas by posting comments below. Let's expand our repertoire to include more of these memorable, often magical, moments. Imagine the impact this might have on our lives and on the lives of those around us.
"Let anyone who comes to you go away feeling better and happier. Every one should see goodness in your face, in your eyes, in your smile. Joy shows from the eyes. It appears when we speak and walk. It cannot be kept closed inside us. It reacts outside. Joy is very infectious."
Tuesday, May 8, 2012 at 2:30PM 
