Is horticulture hot? Heck, yes. Find out for yourself at a once-in-a-decade horticulture exhibition in the city of Almere, the newest city in the Netherlands. The 148-acre International Horticulture Exhibition Floriade brings in the big names in horticulture for a six-month exhibition. This year’s focus is on growing greener cities and inspiring people to live greener, healthier lives. And it’s a great place to get innovative ideas for your home and garden. I hear the Netherlands calling you.
“In a world where nature often has to make way for concrete, glass and steel, horticulture is the key to a liveable world. In our view, those working in horticulture, from the gardener to the asparagus grower, to the technician in the greenhouse, are superheroes.”
Floriade 2022
Growing Greener Cities
Floriade’s theme of “Growing Greener Cities” echoes the importance of sustainability. Yes, it’s important, especially when you consider that 68% of the global population will live in cities on just 2% of the earth’s surface area by 2050. The exhibition’s four sub-themes focus on improving city life, now and in the future:
- Greening the City
- Feeding the City
- “Healthying” the City
- Energizing the City
Greening the City
There’s an old Chinese proverb that says, “The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” That’s a philosophy followed in Almere.
Old trees mix with newly planted trees, reminding us that green cities are healthy cities. Trees provide shade and cool down buildings, reducing the need for air conditioning and lowering energy costs. They also absorb water and release it as water vapor, not to mention the added curb appeal to homes and buildings. You’ll see an arboretum and a wide variety of trees, including some that have been woven into canopies and bridges.
And trees are not just for the land. Growing a greener city can involve water, too. In Weerwater, 20 Dutch elm trees sit in colorful sea buoys recycled from the North Sea in the “Bobbing Forest” display. With the amount of water in the Netherlands, this makes perfect sense. The floating trees, in their vibrant buoys, add color and reduce particulate matter and CO2. You’ll think about planting trees in a whole new way!
Feeding the City
With the population growing and food supply challenges increasing, sustainable food production is critical. Floriade presents so many solutions through experimental agriculture and horticulture, urban agriculture, artificially produced food, and sustainable agriculture.
Check out the Dutch Innovation Experience pavilion, where you’ll find things like “knitted steak.” Okay, it sounds a bit weird. Researchers found a way to culture a meat thread from long strands of meat tissue and create a deep-red thread into a steak, as shown here.. They’ve also grown see-through sashimi without blood vessels, nerves or organs. The resulting transparent fugu sashimi is claimed to be even tastier than the original fish. And the floral-design plating is pleasing to the eye.
Looking at the future of food can involve a journey into the past. Forget about chicken nuggets. How about dodo nuggets? Food scientists used a dried specimen of a dodo from the Oxford University Natural History Museum to engineer the long-extinct species.
Leave your time machine at home and travel back to 1598. Imagine discovering dodo, a treat enjoyed by the first sailors visiting Mauritius. Yes, it could be in your future.
Want a healthy snack or a fine dining experience while visiting Floriade? Stop at ROOTS Restaurant, where everything is plant-based. Reservations are required, and there are three slots available: 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., 2-4 p.m., and 4:30-7 p.m. If everything is booked, you can always arrange a pick-up order.
Poffertjes is another restaurant possibility. Munch on Belgian waffles or Dutch poffertjes, the popular and yummy, round, puffy pancakes. Or enjoy the healthy offerings at the other food outlets or the food trucks located near the stage area.
“Healthying” the City
People want to live healthier lives, and Floriade Expo 2022 looks at ways to do that. Cleaner air, water, and soil help accomplish that goal. Providing sustainable housing for an aging population is also important. Floriade has a residential care center for people with dementia, which offers a beautiful view of gardens and pavilions for a healthy mental outlook.
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Energizing the City
When you think of the Netherlands, you probably think of windmills. So, it’s no surprise that the country has countless wind farms. But new sources of sustainable energy are a high priority, especially as energy requirements for a growing population increase. Don’t worry, though. The Dutch have been busy with inventions for generating, storing, and saving energy.
Innovations
What will you see at Floriade? I don’t even know where to begin. It’s a bit overwhelming. Start by picking up a map, so you don’t lose your way.
The exhibition is set up in five areas: the Urban District, Hortus Avenue, Green Island, Utopia Island, and the Eco District. I’d recommend a visit to the information booth where you can book a park tour. The guides are volunteers and very knowledgeable. Our guide, with the unusual name of “Ym,” shared fascinating stories about the park and the town of Almere. It really enhanced our visit.
The 143-foot-high Flores Tower block, pictured here, is hard to miss. Its colorful floral exterior incorporates images of 1,800 plants and trees on display at Floriade. Now, it is being used by exhibition participants during the event. Later, it will be transformed into a residential tower with 80 rental apartments and ground-floor commercial space. In fact, the Floriade site will become a residential district once the exhibition ends.
Sixty apartments will be reserved for middle-income renters. Of course, the Flores tower is energy efficient. It will be connected to the “Smart Thermal Grid” energy system for its heating and cooling. Pretty cool.
There’s even a little architecture for some tiny guests. Bastiaan Meijer is a village for insects. Insect houses, made of red baking clay, are copies of some of the buildings in Almere.
Dutch Innovation Experience
Don’t miss the Dutch Innovation Experience. This pavilion is like a trek with the Jetsons, a futuristic, animated cartoon from the 1960s. There are so many innovative, technological possibilities on display! The pavilion forecasts life in the future, including ways to build sustainable homes with less harmful gas emissions. Some of the applications are quite surprising such as leather made from mangos and an elevator without cables. You’ll even see walls and furniture made from a product created from mycelium. You’ll never guess its origin!
Mycelium is made from the roots of fungi and is formed into blocks. It makes sense from an environmental standpoint. Fungi feed on waste streams from coffee grains, corn cobs, grain, paper pulp, and sawdust. Under controlled conditions, the roots can be grown into fungal threads in whatever form you want. The furniture and walls on display look like they would be a headache to dust and clean, though, because of their rough surface.
Bridging the Gaps
A variety of environmentally friendly and sustainable bridges demonstrate new ways to reduce the CO2 footprint in the construction industry. Discover the “Smart Circular Bridge,” which is created from flax. Combined with a special bio-resin, flax can be converted into a material that is comparable to aluminum and steel! The expo also has a living bridge woven from a live Sequoia tree and another bridge made from recycled railing material. And some bridges are decorated with flowers, making them beautiful additions to the urban landscape.
Counting Sheep
Using nature to dye wool is the concept behind the Alsmeere Wolunie Shades of Nature pavilion. It’s a must-see. Not only is it a fascinating collection of color, but it shows how fabric can be dyed with the sun. The colorful glass jars filled with flowers and vegetables create natural dyes that are then used by a Dutch textile company. You can spot tiny, white knitted sheep in the jars, which show how the colors are absorbed by the wool. It’s a visual feast! And the building, surrounded by a colorful garden, pictured at the top of the page, was my favorite structure.
©Deborah M. Bernstein
How to Get to Floriade
Floriade Expo 2022 is centrally located in Almere in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area, next to the A6 motorway. It’s just under 19 miles from Amsterdam and 28 miles from Schipol International Airport.
The smartest, eco-friendly way to get there is by public transport. Take a train to Almere Centrum, where you can pick up a shuttle bus for €5. You can also take a boat. Walk 10 minutes to the Esplanade, where you can board an electric boat for €4.50 round trip.
If you drive, buy your parking tickets in advance as there is limited availability. Parking (Enrico Fermistraat, 1341 CB Almere) is not within walking distance of the entrance, so you’ll need to take a shuttle bus. The first shuttle bus from the car park to Floriade departs at 9:45 a.m. and then shuttles back and forth throughout the day. The last bus returns to the car park at 7:30 p.m. Parking costs €19.50, but you can save €5 by ordering your parking ticket online for €14.50.
Tickets
Tickets are €29 to €35 for adults and €19 to €23 for children 4-12. Admission is free for children 3 and younger. Tickets include a one-way trip on the energy-efficient cable car. Buy your tickets now, or if you want to visit several times, opt for a Floriade pass and get unlimited access. Book your tickets here. You have until October 9, 2022, to make your visit.
Enjoy your day at Floriade and get inspired by horticulture, sustainability, and nature.
