A Rococo Gift

A generous gift of a kind friend included a few bags of tulip bulbs. They came with the funny comment the species were unknown. 'But i know they are the more uncommon one's. So enjoy!' And with that, they were gratefully excepted and planted 6 months ago.

And so, as they came up and started to flower last week, they were eagerly watched with anticipation and curiosity. As it turned out to be, some were parrot tulips. The irregular colored flames and fringed edges are typical. Known and loved since the 17th Century they were often portrayed in still live paintings and eagerly traded.

tulipa parrot 'Estella Rijnveld'

tulipa 'Black Parrot' 

tulipa parrot 'Rococo'

And finally; tulipa 'Golden Nizza'

There is a funny story to tell about these tulips, linking it to our modern day issues & challenges. Because going fast forward a few centuries, we are now -at the beginning of the 21th Century- experiencing a financial crisis. And these specific bulbs were the reason behind the first known crash in the financial world; Tulpmania.

Like i mentioned above, they have distinct flames and some are fringed or curled up around the edges. When they were first discovered in the early 17th Century they didn't know the cause of it, other then they were rare and strange. Nowadays it's known it was caused by a bacteria that infected the bulb, hence they were rare.

In the mid 1630's these flowers became so popular... a single bulb would sell for ten times the annual income of a decent tradesman. Or the price of a single canal house in Amsterdam. When during the spring of 1637 a single bulb was sold for over Fl 6,000,- (+/- $ 3,000,- today) folk started to protest. The greedy speculation of the traders was seen as a form of gambling. Something that was regarded a great sin in those days. The protest became so strong that within a week prizes dropped dramatically. People went bankrupt and some even committed suicide because of their great losses.

It makes you wonder... will we ever learn from history? :)

Have a wonderful day,

Impressionism

It's all too clear that summer has gone here in the Netherlands. Most of the colors in the garden have gone from the flowers to the leaves and every variation between red and yellow is there;

Even my small collection of Hosta's have changed to yellows and browns. Cos they were variegated green just a few months ago...

I'm glad my workshop at the back of the garden overlooking it all; it lets me enjoy this final explosion of color since the autumn storms are rapidly ripping away the leaves now that all the plants are closing down for winter.

Hope you enjoyed this small impression of the garden,


ps. i'm enjoying all of this cos on my work bench is yet another folding chair. It takes quit some time but i's gonna be a really nice one. I'll show it to you pretty soon :)

miniature giant

Autumn is setting in, here on the Northern hemisphere.

That means shorter days and falling leaves. Leaves that have turned from a green to all sorts of reds and yellows and everything in between. It's given the garden a whole new look and i love it!

But... this transition also gives rise to another phenomena, something most people are not so keen on; the abundance of spiders in and around the house. The most common specie around here is the Cross spider, or Araneus diadematus. These little creatures (no more then 10 - 12 mm) thrive this time of year and you can observe them building wheel webs all around the garden. And they grow bigger and bigger with every day passing.

I'm actually quite impressed by them, to see how they spin their webs with devotion and accuracy. And to watch them 'hunt', or should i say 'sit & watch' with nothing else but patience, and solely relying on their building skills. Bravo! I really like 'm and am not scared of 'm cos they stay out of my way. And i avoid them too, making sure i don't destroy their means of life (i.e. their web).

So far so good, but the other day i was clearing up my workbench, getting ready for a new project. (For those who don't know it yet, my workshop is at the end of the garden, separated from the main house) I was happily tidying up and I came across a jar in the corner, filled with water to rinse some brushes i'd used. I left it there a few days earlier but now the time had come to clean it up.

It was then i saw something that scared the wits out of me; a spider, the size of a giant! I'd soon realized it was dead cos it was floating in the jar, but being in the water it looked huge!

As it daunted on me it could do me no harm i had a closer look and actually felt sorry for her. Cos she'd drowned... It's a 'she' cos i looked it up in some determination books i have. I read the females of this specie (Tegenaria gigantea) are way bigger then males (you can say thát again!). It's said in autumn the females explore their surroundings, looking for males to mate with and that must have been how she found her end. Poor thing...

It also stated they don't build webs; they hunt in an active way...  and are known to be seen running around... ooh boy! I'm glad i'd never seen them before, but to know they seem to live in my workshop too?! Brrrr...





ps. I realize some of you miniature friends live on the other side of the globe and probably laugh at my fright... for all i know you consider this spider as just a tiny one compared with the even bigger specie that are common in your neighborhood?  Just know i admire you all!

flowers for Mom

Today it's Mother's Day.

A special day to celebrate the important place that mothers can have in our lives, even at an older age. Cos although we grow out of their care when we move out of our parents house, a Mom never seems to stop caring. They continue to worry when we encounter misfortune or they care when we're in trouble. Whether we're 12 or 42, we will always be their little girl or boy. Whether we like it or not :) I'm blessed to have not one, but two Mom's. My own biological Mom and my Mother in law, that has become my second Mom over the years. To thank them for the care and guidance that they've given (and still give!) there is this special day. And that's today; Mother's Day. But for me they deserve that respect and gratitude e-ve-ry day of the year!






For instance last December, i expressed that by giving my MIL two clematis plants for Sinterklaas. (the Dutch equivalent of Christmas) I'd bought them  at the Arnhem dollhouse fair from Templewood Miniatures, run by Kathryn and Alan Gray. They make fantastic laser cut kits that are a treat to work. To add realism and depth, I've painted extra colors to the leaves of the flowers and plant, and made the pots they are in. The results are two climbers, rambling the walls of her Zaanse Dollhouse, full in flower and with still a few buds. 

Enjoy Mother's Day