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| Bad Ems, Germany: The Fishman's grandfather grew up in this town, so we made a special side trip to spend a day exploring. |
We recently returned from an amazing trip to Europe! We visited six countries: The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Germany, and Switzerland. While the trip wasn't specifically a "garden" tour, plant people naturally notice fun garden arrangements and creative combinations, don't we?
So for this "Six on Saturday," I'm sharing six nifty little gardens I noticed along the way.
First, the simple herb garden on the top deck of our river ship. The chef regularly gathered herbs for the delicious dishes he served us.
Next, this whimsical sphere display in Brussels, Belgium, with glass balls and flowers on top, and...sunglasses? I later found out this display was created to celebrate the eclipse. (I think some of the flowers were real and some were fake, but it was cute.)
Our trip was a river cruise, so our excursions brought us to cities and towns along the Rhine River, its tributaries, and connecting rivers. This beautiful bridge display brightened the riverfront in Strasbourg, France.
And this grouping of stunning Roses greeted us in Breisach, Germany.
Also in Germany, in the Black Forest town of Furtwangen, carved rock planters created an earthy, solid mood.
Finally, in Bad Ems, Germany, colorful towers of ornamentals abounded.
What a wonderful trip! I hope to share more in the months ahead, but it's taking me some time to process what a treasure it was, for so many reasons!
For more "Six on Saturday" entries, visit Garden Ruminations. Thanks to Jim for hosting!
Lovely images! Thank you for sharing! Very fun to see! It makes me think of all the plantings where I work and how they impact visitors.
ReplyDeleteHi Elizabeth: Thanks! Oh yes, the little corner and side plantings can really make a difference, right? :)
DeleteWelcome back! Oh, the photos are beautiful. Can't wait to see more, but take time to relax and recover first. Travel takes some recovery time.
ReplyDeleteThanks! It's good to be back, but we had an amazing trip! Most of my photos aren't really related to gardening or plants, but the architecture, history, food, and culture were incredible!
DeleteStunning photos from this trip! It obviously looks very familiar to me, since it's quite close to where I live—about 300 km from Belgium. Thanks for sharing them.
ReplyDeleteHi Fred: That helps with my perspective. I live about 235 km from Chicago, so it helps me understand the distance. We were thrilled to spend a little time in both Belgium and Luxembourg, since they weren't in the original plan. We missed most of the castles along the Rhine, but the switch to Belgium and Luxembourg was nice. And then we got to see some castles from the train on the way from Basel to Koblenz and Bad Ems.
DeleteNext time, visit Normandy and have a stop there !
DeleteOK, it's one of the places I'd like to visit, Fred!
DeleteOh Beth, you've enjoyed a magical European trip. I love your thinking to bring these different places to your Six-on-Saturday. Chapeau!
ReplyDeleteYes! It was wonderful! Thanks! All the destinations were delightful--the culture, the history, the architecture, the food...all fabulous!
DeleteThank you for that European tour! That floral display on the bridge in Strasbourg is very beautiful indeed.
ReplyDeleteStrasbourg was bright and magical...well, all the locations were special in their own ways. I can't really pick a favorite.
Delete"Thanks, for the memories" :) I lived in the Rhine Valley—in Germany but not far from Strasbourg, 50+ years ago!
ReplyDeleteWow, lucky you! Was that in the Black Forest area? We spent some time there--hiking and visiting a clock shop and glassworks store. The Black Forest reminded me of forests in the northeastern and northern midwest U.S. states.
DeleteYour river cruise sounds - and looks - like it was wonderful fun, Beth! The scenery is beautiful too.
ReplyDeleteHi Kris: Yes, it was wonderful! It seems like a dream now. It was great fun to visit so many countries and delightful communities. :)
DeleteHey, it's Amelia. Lovely! It always seems the container plantings in Europe are better?
ReplyDeleteHi Amelia: The container plantings over there certainly were impressive! I've seen some pretty amazing ones in North America, too--depending on the community and the local gardening culture. :)
DeleteWelcome Home,
ReplyDeleteI am excited to see more. :-)
Thanks, Carla! It was a wonderful trip. I highly recommend it! It's an investment of time and money, but when all your meals and transportation (except for flights and side trips) are included, it's well worth it! Great vacation!
DeleteSounds like you had a wonderful trip! I love all of these photos, but the arrangement with the eclipse glasses is darling! The Europeans always have such lovely outdoor container gardens. Tina
ReplyDeleteHi Tina: Yes, it was so fun! The arrangement as a nod to the eclipse really caught my eye. I wasn't sure at the time of the purpose, but it was so creative!
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