Garden exhibitions in various cities
Spring has begun. We are returning to our gardens, whether our own or the allotment. Naturally, a visit to the garden centre will not be missed. In short, we are all back outdoors after a gloomy winter period. What does it take to design a garden? Look at and experience the history of gardens in various exhibitions. I will take the exhibition at Het Nieuwe Instituut in Rotterdam as an example, which ends on Sunday, April 13, 2025. So hurry to this beautiful exhibition where the history and future of gardens can be seen simultaneously. Links to other garden exhibitions, which are also worth visiting, are included at the bottom of the blog.
Gardens of the future
Gardens of the Future is an exhibition about the history and future of the modern garden. The garden is once again very much in the spotlight, not only as an idyllic place to retreat, but also as a testing ground for new ideas and experiments regarding biodiversity, social justice, and a sustainable future. Gardens of the Future was previously shown as Garden Futures at the Vitra Design Museum.
Personal gardens
In Gardens of the Future, you see gardens by designers and artists such as Roberto Burle Marx, Jamaica Kincaid, Mien Ruys, Piet Oudolf, and Derek Jarman. Landscape designer Burle Marx's garden grew into an experimental landscape laboratory where he played with volumes, colors, textures, and perspectives. For writer Jamaica Kincaid from Antigua, her garden in Vermont, USA, has been the place where she connects with her own history and memories for thirty years. Filmmaker Derek Jarman cherished his garden on the rugged coast of Kent in the face of his own mortality at the height of the AIDS crisis.
Politics and commerce
But gardens are by no means always an expression of our personal preferences or motivations – they are also shaped by political or commercial interests. Take the colonial trade through which we were introduced to tropical plants in the 19th century, or the (vegetable) garden as a form of self-sufficiency and food security in times of war and scarcity. The exhibition also shows how our taste has conformed to the fine promises of manufacturers of garden tools, fertilizers, and patio furniture.
(Insects are invertebrates belonging to the arthropods. Typical of these creatures is their three-part body, consisting of a head, thorax, and abdomen. Insects always have 6 legs (spiders always have 8). Almost all insects have wings; otherwise, their posture, shape, and size vary greatly. They are the only invertebrates that can fly. There are at least a million different species of insects worldwide. In the Netherlands alone, about 20.000 species occur. Three-quarters of all animal species belong to the insects. They therefore play an essential role in the cycle of life. Bees and butterflies pollinate flowers. Other insects process dead plants and animals. In doing so, they ensure a healthy soil that plants and trees need to grow. In addition, insects are indispensable as food for countless other animal species, from songbirds to bats. The following insects play the leading role on the Garden Insects stamps: cinnamon glasswing bug, large leafcutter, crimson underling, (eye-spotted ladybug, rosemary beetle, blunt elf, eastern white-nosed dragonfly, green shield bug, stag beetle and yellow meadow ant.)
Sustainable gardens
Nowadays, the garden is increasingly viewed as part of an ecological system, rather than a delimited piece of land. This leads to numerous experiments with alternative, sustainable garden concepts. The exhibition features examples of winter gardens, vertical forests, community gardens, floating gardens, school gardens, rooftop greenhouses, food forests, urban farms, and woodland gardens.
Vitra Design Museum
Gardens of the Future was developed as Garden Futures in collaboration with Vitra Design Museum and the cultural and heritage foundation Wüstenrot Stiftung. The exhibition was previously on view at Vitra in Weil am Rhein, Germany.
(The Garden Birds in the Netherlands stamp sheet is a follow-up to the issue released by PostNL for PostEurop on April 23, 2019, *Birds in the Netherlands*. While *Birds in the Netherlands* focused on only 2 birds, the *Garden Birds in the Netherlands* stamp sheet features 6 garden birds: blue tit, wren, robin, house sparrow, goldcrest, and great tit. Every little bird has a soul. On the *Garden Birds in the Netherlands* stamp sheet, the illustrations of the birds fill the entire image on the stamps. 5 of the garden birds are sitting on a twig; only the house sparrow is on the ground. The illustrations by Michelle Dujardin feature her characteristic minimalist style: realistic, with a slightly abstract-impressionistic touch. Michelle: “I chose 6 common garden birds. They are birds whose names everyone knows, at least. Last summer I saw a goldcrest here in the garden. Remarkable, because normally you don't come across them often in the west. I have a soft spot for the shape of this type.” little birds, to which the wren also belongs. Real little balls that actually still resemble the egg from which they hatched. On the stamps, I have depicted them as I prefer to see them. As if every little bird is alive, has a soul, and could fly away at any moment. In addition, the presentation *Memory of the Designed Landscape* is on display in the exhibition. Through four case studies from the program of the same name, we see how varied garden and landscape architecture archives can be, with their own challenges and opportunities in terms of management and preservation.
Various depictions (1923)
Book: Climate-Smart Gardening
It cannot be denied: our climate is changing. But how do you deal with this as a garden enthusiast? Which plants are the most climate-resistant? How do you protect your plants during periods of prolonged drought or, conversely, extreme rainfall? What role do non-natural materials play? How do you ensure more plant and animal life in your garden? Garden designer Moniek de Bakker designs nature-rich gardens with room for plants, people, and animals. Gardens that are low-maintenance and in which existing plants and other materials are reused as much as possible. In this richly illustrated book with beautiful photos by Anneke Beemer, Moniek shows that by making smart choices, it is possible to make your garden both nature-friendly and future-proof. From soil to balcony, all aspects of climate-smart gardening are covered. And with her practical step-by-step plans, you can get started right away. A very comprehensive book from soil to balcony!
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