The people of the Kingdom of the Netherlands have a reputation for being excellent botanists, agronomists and gardeners. Flowers grown in Holland invariably win prizes at the most prestigious international competitions, and florists from all over the world come here for tulip bulbs. For those who love plants, are interested in landscape design and want to gain creative inspiration, the gardens of Holland are open. The most famous of them are located in Amsterdam and Leiden:
- One of the oldest European garden projects is the Leiden Botanical Garden. It was founded at the very end of the 16th century, and the botanist Karl Clusius became the first curator and caretaker of this garden in Holland. The rich collection of plants came about thanks to the enthusiasm of Clusius. He agreed to cooperate with the sailors of the East India Company, delivering plant samples from the most exotic countries. An oasis inside old Leiden - that's what the city's botanical garden is! Its paths boast perfect landscaping, and some of the trees are over four hundred years old. Visitors pay special attention to greenhouses with tropical representatives of the plant world and winter gardens, where luxurious flowers are fragrant even in frost.
- In the first half of the 17th century, the inhabitants of Amsterdam got their own botanical garden. Legend has it that at that time the Dutch were literally mowed down by a plague, and doctors tried to fight the epidemic with the help of medicinal herbs. They planted them near the fortress walls and, over time, the planting turned into a small garden. Later, coffee was even successfully grown here, and the modern botanical garden in Amsterdam boasts thousands of plant names on display to visitors. Of particular interest is the pavilion, where the climatic zones of different zones of our planet have been recreated. In the capital's botanical garden of Holland, you can find yourself for a couple of minutes in the cold tundra and arid desert, admire the bright paradise flowering of tropical plants and admire hundreds of motley subtropical butterflies.
Studying geography
Around the most famous castles in Holland, there are also magnificent gardens, walks through which should be included in the program of your visit to the country. The most beautiful and impressive examples of gardening art are the areas of Beham, Arsen and Het Loo castles.
The Appeltern gardens in the center of the country on the outskirts of the village of the same name are reminiscent of English classics, and Hortus in the town of Haren is a typical example of a well-kept Chinese garden. Not so in Holland!
