Life in the Netherlands--Spring

This time of year, many of us in the Northern Hemisphere are busy with gardening and home repair. Those of us in the Netherlands are no exception.


But how do you go about installing a solar panel on a steep clay tile roof? Ah, the neighbor knows how. Just take out a few of the tiles to make a steps up and down the roof.



We don't have to do too much to the front yard.This golden rain tree was here when we moved in. 


(Note the row houses. Our entire neighborhood is either row houses, apartments, or more luxurious "two-under-one-roof"houses.)

Dutch people like to mold nature. Sometimes that means taming the sea by building dikes and creating polders. And sometimes that means shaping a tree to fit a small Dutch backyard. This keeps everything neat and tidy. It also keeps the neighbors happy--which is about as important as being neat and tidy.

(Note roof line for the row of houses behind this backyard.)

Some people go to a neatness extreme and brick up both front and back yards. The government discourages this. Plants absorb rainwater and cut down on flooding. Plants also have a cooling effect and lessen heat waves. And then there's the birds and the bees  . . . .

Enjoying creation in our own way, Keith & Mary