Spring Greens

I haven't visited Landgoed Oostduin Arendsdorp, in the Benoordenhoud district of the city, since my sister and I got lost there a couple of years ago, looking for a park with lots of roses. Why there and why the roses? Well, my brother had gone for a wander alone when he visited the year before, and came across a massive, open park, filled with thousands upon thousands of rose bushes, and was, according to his photos, a sight to behold. He said it was east, so looking at Google maps we found a rosarium in the park at Clingendael, so that was where we headed one sunny Summer's day.  

We arrived at the Oostduin (East Dune) estate, and thinking it was actually the entrance to Clingendael, went in, got lost, eventually got out, found Clingendael a little further on, and its disappointingly tiny show of roses that did not deserve the Rosarium appellation, and made it home, thoroughly exhausted, and equally annoyed with our brother for supplying such atrocious directions.  

He meant North. It wasn't until I'd spent more months taking my constitutionals around the city, learning about the parks and pretty streets, that I finally came across Westbroek Park and it's ACRES of rose-beds. Yup. To the North.

Tomorrow is my birthday, and I shall be partaking of a visit to the Japanese Garden at Clingendael (open only a few weeks of the year) for a birthday treat, so today I thought a little visit to its neighbour park might be a pleasant jaunt on this breezy day. I really didn't remember the park at all from my last foray into its grounds, and it was rather lovely to have the time to acquaint myself with it's pathways, waterways, and beautifully kept grounds. It looks like there was quite a show of bluebells earlier on, although most are past now, the rhododendrons are running late this Spring and are still in bud, but there was some wild garlic growing in the shade that was out and showing perfect form.  

This is a lovely park; well-kept grass almost to lawn standard, the archetypical Dutch brooks, and majestic old trees of many species; by far the most diverse of the parks and woods I've been in here - I can't wait to see what colours Autumn brings here. And by then I should know my way around!