URBAN LIFE 'N STYLE OCTOBER 2016 | OUT THE BOX | Page 40

Tulipmania at Keukenhof
Gardens

The Queen of Roses in
Portland

A group of 20 bulb farmers pulled together in 1949
to build an exhibition of their Spring flowers.
Today at the Keukenhof Gardens in Holland, there
are now close to 7 million bulbs that bloom every
year in the same tradition.

Almost like being in Alice in Wonderland, the
International Rose Test Garden in Portland,
Oregon (the city of roses) is rich in sweet smells and
deep floral colours. A historic space for hybrid rose
testing, where the park gets its name, the wet
microclimate is ideal for growing all sorts of rose
species.

The ‘Kitchen Garden’ dates back to the 15th
century but was redesigned by a father and son
team in the mid 1800’s. An impressive 15km in
paths will keep you and the other 800,000 plus
visitors busy drawing inspiration for your own
home from tall tulips and other exclusively Dutch
floricultural developments.

The city hosts an annual Spring Rose Show (that
has been going for 128 years) with awards for floats
with top notch floristry and a Rose Festival Queen’s
Coronation.

Rolling greens at
Powerscourt
Mossy green gardens with vibrant shades of
natural colours, Powerscourt Estate is a jeweled
garden on the Emerald Isle just outside of Dublin.
Drift down to the Dolphin Pond and make your way
to the different style gardens including Japanese
and Italian designs and a long rolling river walk.
Impressively detailed oriented with clean lines and
a royal appeal, the well-manicured landscaping
ranks this Irish national treasure as one of the top
destinations in the world to see a variety of flowers
in bloom throughout the year.

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Whimsical fuji wisteria in
Ashikaga
Blue, white and pink fuji, also known as wisteria,
drape down wilted branches that look as though
they are broken hearted, it’s terribly romantic. The
trees’ flowers sway above paths that are
overwhelmingly beautiful. So elegant, breathtaking
and significant, the Japanese even have a historic
language, Hanakotoba, offering a poetic
connection that intertwines flowers with culture.
The Ashikaga Flower Park, in Japan, hosts 8 seasons
of flowers, including an ‘illuminated flower show’
that displays over winter season so the Japanese
never have to live without the festivity of flowers.

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