Botanical beauty
Botanical painting
I myself went to China to visit family once and asked if I could bring something. A cousin asked me if I could bring her tulip bulbs. When thinking of the Netherlands, many around the world think of flowers, tulips in particular. Tulips are some of the most famous flowers found in the Netherlands. Many tourists also come to the Netherlands between March and May to see the many fields full of blossoming flowers.
Dutch flowers are popular around the globe. Even for Chinese, they are well known. China is an incredibly diverse place itself. Its flora and fauna differs depending on where you live in China and where you go. In the winter, it can get incredibly cold inland , whereas other places, especially in the south and near the sea, will have comfortably warm temperatures all year round, though the summers can get very hot. The vegetation in the north and south is thus also different. The north and west of China are more arid, whereas the south is more humid and has a higher percentage of forestation. Though China is an incredibly diverse place itself, Dutch flowers are still desirable.
The vegetation is quite different in the Netherlands. The book provides insights into the many plants that are found in the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe. Moreover, it has an artistic take to it through focusing on painting these plants.
The owner of the book likes to go outside, where she can be surrounded by vegetation. Plants cover such a large part of our globe that though they may be different, they are still something recognizable. When you see plants in the Netherlands, you have likely seen similar ones in China. They create a sense of connection with other parts of the world.
“You can find many different flowers here in the Netherlands, and there is much to explore.”
The owner of the book is interested in vegetation as well as art. Paintings of plants thus serve as an excellent in-between. Visiting the famous museums in the Netherlands such as the Rijksmuseum or the Van Gogh Museum are ways to appreciate art, and the owner has already done that, but enjoying both hobbies at the same time is of course more of a delight.
This book was also bought to start learning how to paint, so that the love for art, fauna, and painting can all be combined into one. The hobby of going out in nature can be continued here, and there is a whole world full of vegetation ready to be explored.
Would she also bring tulip bulbs back home?