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| Clusius, the tulip named after him, the Clusius tulop or Tulipa turkestanica Liliaceae and a Dutch 17th century garden (courtesy of Leiden University) |
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This documentary traces the fascinating history of gardening and horticulture in the Netherlands and how this passion for plants even extended as far as the royal household in the late 1600s.
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To understand how the Dutch developed the know-how of growing exotic plants and flowers and why they built their gardens in a particular style, we must go back to the end of the 16th century.
Then, a Flemish doctor and lawyer, known as Clusius, came to the city of Leiden. He was a keen gardener and collector of plants from around the world - he was the man who introduced the first tulip to the Netherlands - and he was invited to establish a university garden in Leiden to grow herbs and plants for medicinal study
Clusius began importing plants from around the world and managed to grow exotic species in the cold Dutch climate. At the same time, the Dutch began venturing abroad for trade, establishing their empire and becoming the richest seafaring nation on earth.
Plants and flowers became exclusive currency for the stakeholders in this new world, and the beneficiaries of this new wealth, the merchants, began building their grand houses and gardens in Holland, and in particular, in Amsterdam.
They built their gardens according to the scientific and religious thinking of the time to demonstrate not only their riches, but also their knowledge and power.
Tags: Clusius, Dutch, flowers, gardening, horticulture, Leiden, plants, tulop