Katja

Meise (ii)

108 The greenhouse complex in Meise botanic garden is probably the largest I’ve seen. A long row of spacious, modern greenhouses, covering the major biomes on Earth. If there ever was a place to learn about botany from all corners of the world, this is it. Photo: Plantentuin Meise / Jardin Botanique Meise, Brussels, Belgium,Continue reading “Meise (ii)”

Kew (ii)

107 The little waterlily greenhouse, one of all the small greenhouses in Kew Royal Botanic Gardens. It is completely taken up of a round pool full of waterlily leaves. It was such a lovely little place during my visit to the garden in 2013, and so warm. London was cold and raw on this particularContinue reading “Kew (ii)”

Göttingen (ii)

106 Göttingen, being an old university town with biology and agronomy as two of their strong disciplines, has three botanic gardens. I managed to visit two during my visit in 2017. And I fell like a pine (as the Swedish saying goes). The old garden, situated on the edge of the old city center, isContinue reading “Göttingen (ii)”

to tame a goshawk

105 A while back, I read ”H is for Hawk” by Helen Macdonald. It is a memoir of her grief following the unexpected death of her father. How she started training a goshawk and it almost made her lose herself, into the bird, the grief – but then, also, guided her out of it. ItContinue reading “to tame a goshawk”

Helsinki (ii)

104 The greenhouses in the Kaisaniemi botanic garden are made up of a main lush tropical palm house and several adjoining smaller greenhouses housing plants from biomes such as the Mediterranean and deserts, a water lily pond and even a gorgeous little room completely dedicated to African violets. My Swedish grandmother used to have theseContinue reading “Helsinki (ii)”

Copenhagen (ii)

103 The botanic garden in Copenhagen has a beautiful old greenhouse. And butterflies fluttering around among the rainforest trees in one of its rooms. I sat there, in the humidity, while touristing Swedish families tried to catch the flighty butterflies on camera, amused at their efforts. And it was very nice, on this last stopContinue reading “Copenhagen (ii)”

Bergius (vii)

102 The last snow is melting. We got a month. On my run in the forest today, it was so strange, I saw a fly. In the shadows under the trees, the ground is still covered in melting snow. And there: a fly. It must be so confused. But I did enjoy the snow, whileContinue reading “Bergius (vii)”

Portland (ii)

101 The snow is melting now. Big puddles of water everywhere. It makes me think of spring. And flowers in the spring. Flowers after a heavy late spring rain. I can’t wait. This is a time of biding. // Few flowers beat the rose for beauty. Voluptuous, soft, fragrant. And after a summer rain, theContinue reading “Portland (ii)”

Edmonton (ii)

100 It’s not big, the conservatory in Edmonton, with four greenhouse pyramids: the arid, the tropical, the temperate and the feature (during my visit in 2012 holding an exhibit of teddy bears having a picnic). It’s pretty, though. The smells and the sound of running water in both the temperate and tropical pyramids have suchContinue reading “Edmonton (ii)”

Oslo (i)

99 This morning, I had a Zoom hang with half of my former master’s class. It was such a wonderful community, the group of people I got my master’s degree with back in 2015. Now, sitting by my kitchen table, it felt like such an amazing thing, to be able to connect across space andContinue reading “Oslo (i)”