Hidden Gardens in the Heart of Brussels: Tillens Block Part 5

Tillens Block Part 5

 

As I said in my previous post about Tillens Block. Although it is primarily a piece of land for local residents to grow vegetables and is not really a place to find flower displays, if you keep your eyes open and look around you you will see flowers in unexpected places.

It has been said that weeds are only plants growing where you do not want them too.

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Nine-Dragon Juniper in the Beijing Temple of Heaven

Nine-Dragon Juniper in the Beijing Temple of Heaven

While in China we had the good fortune to be able to visit a number of historical sites. While visiting the Temple of Heaven we saw the Nine-Dragon Juniper and other ancient trees.

These ancient trees might not be as old as some other ancient trees found around the world but as with the trees found through out the varrious historical sites such as the Forbidden City and Summer Palace it brings things a bit into prespective knowing that these trees were alive during some momentous historical events.

 



It is little wonder that many ancient civilizations revered trees especially ancient trees.

The Nine-Dragon Juniper has a fence around it.

There are a number of well known ancient trees around the world which I would like to visit. Hoepfully sometime soon I will be able to post some pictures of them here as well as any information that relates to them.



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Floria Brussels, Château de Grand Bigard: PART 8

Floria Brussels, Château de Grand Bigard: PART 8

This is the bridge and Gatehouse to the Chateau. The moat has white swans, geese and ducks.

In the top right hand corner you can make out part of a building. That is part of the Greenhouses and Cafeteria which unfortunately I did not visit.

This was taken on the bank across from the Charteau. You cannot see the moat because I crouched down to get a better shot of the tulips and the Keep and Stately House in the background.
One of the things about all those tulips was that even the unopened buds managed to look stunning.

As I mentioned in previous posts they deliberately organised the planting of the bulbs in a manner that ensured that the bulbs would flower at different times. This ensured that not only would the flower show last longer but also provided an ever shifting floral vista.
I truely regret not getting a multi day pass and making several visits. Not only because there was much that I did not see but because I was not able to take pictures of this change in clolours and flowers.

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Flowers and Trees on Avenue Louise Part 1

Flowers and Trees on Avenue Louise  Part 1

Aside from the hidden green spaces, massive forests, tree lined avenues and front garden gems one thing that you see a lot in Brussels and other cities, towns and villages in Belgium are flowers in median strips, along roadsides in baskets hanging from lamp posts and in roundabouts starting from spring until Autumn for as long as the hardiest flowering plants last.

Around spring time in July 2012 I went down to Avenue Louise because I wanted to take some photos of some statues that I have been meaning to photograph for a while, in particular this big composition at the entrance of the Cambre Forest of two men on horsesI think i will call it: Everything and nothing in particular, until I come up with something better or have enough material to split it up.

Then I got distracted by the flowers planted along the median strip of Avenue Louise in Brussels- Close to entrance of the Forest of La Cambre (Dutch: Ter Kamerenboos , French: Bois de la Cambre which is an urban public park on the edge of the Sonian Forest in Brussels.

 

Sorry I have no idea what the names of the flowers are. I have a suspicion as to the purple ones but want to check up on that first.

Ok I know that the Red ones are Begoinas, but that is it.

This is one thing that I really like about Brussels and cities like it: Tree lines avenues with  REAL Trees that provide lots of shade not to mention homes for all sorts of birds. It is not unusual to hear birds singing in the middle of the city in such areas.
In Spring 2012 at night tyou could often hear a nightingale singing on Avenue Des Sept Bonniers

 

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Facts:

The Sonian Forest (Dutch: Zoniënwoud,French: Forêt de Soignes) is a 4,421-hectare (10,920-acre) forest that lies across the south-eastern part ofBrussels, Belgium

Additional details:

As I said I will be posting the photographs of the statues on another blog which will cover  art, sculpture, food, history, culture, literature among other things. Basically this blog will be a catch all for other topics that I cannot logically cover in my existing blogs:

·         Flora and Fauna - Plants and Critters (on plants, animals as well as gardening, conservation and environmental matters)

·         The Blood of  Souls (language, translation and etymology)

·         Whiskers on Kittens (Life with Kittens and Cats in general)

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Forest and Uccle in Spring PART 4

Forest and Uccle in Spring PART 4

This is a continuation of Forest and Uccle Communes in Spring. These are some photos I took in July of some of the Traffic Islands on Chausse d'Alsemberg and Avenue Des Sept Bonniers.

ENJOY!

 

As I mentioned in previous posts these were the result of a project by an association who wished to encourage people living in the neighbourhood to participate in the growing of flowers in the various areas such as traffic islands, squares where trees were growing and other places.

 As you can see the project was very successful. Hopefully it continues. But then since they used selfseeding prairie flowers I think that it should.

Below you can see one of the trees that a resident planted flowers in. I am not sure what kind they are but they grow quite tall as you can see. I have seen yellow ones also. These were not part of the beautification project and were bought and planted by the individual who probably lives there. Not everyone needs an incentive to plant flowers to make their neighbourhood look nice. In fact if you have been reading my blog you will probably have noticed that.

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