Lucky Clover
On top of that, the middle-aged British rose was steadily losing her eyesight. Still, nothing could stop Gertrude from pursuing her dreams. After all, isn't gardening itself an exercise in optimism? You plant a seed, nurture it with water and love, and hope for a lucky clover. And sometimes, hope is all you have. Like the WW1 soldiers who planted not just vegetables to eat but also flowers in the trenches, showed: gardening is a radical act of faith and hope.
And so, Gertrude Jekyll worked around her visual handicap to create a unique gardening style. For example, since distant views were a blur to her, Gertrude focused on details and textural delights. She planted flowers in mass, so they would appear to her as gorgeous washes of color in an Impressionist painting. Some say that when Adam and Eve were leaving the Garden of Eden, Eve plucked a four-leafed clover as a souvenir of paradise and a sparkle of hope.
Passing on this lucky clover to many generations of female gardeners - and anyone who could use some hope! - is perhaps Gertrude Jekyll's greatest legacy.
- Share
MD Friends
Building bridges
From the Erasmus Bridge and the Mercedes-Benz Museum to Qatar’s metro network; Ben van Berkel’s iconic landmarks bring people together in rapturous beauty, again and again. I talked with the Dutch architect and educator about sensuality, ‘healthy’ buildings and the remarkable parallels between our designs.
- Share
MD Friends
More than a feeling
Don’t ignore your emotions; they are much more powerful than you can imagine. By linking the magical world of emotions with hard science, Dutch scientist Pierre Capel, professor emeritus in experimental immunology, shows us the consequences of our feelings and the power of our minds. The message: we can do much more than we think. “Meditate. It’s the single best thing you can do for your health.”
- Share
Marlies Says
Keto curious?
The fact that I feel bikini-confident all year round is, of course, a nice bonus. But for me, the biggest payoff of following the keto diet is the way it optimizes my health and gives me tons of energy.
- Share
Marlies Says
Super (skin) food
‘If you can’t eat it, why put it on your skin?’. I pretty much live by this beauty adage. After all, with your skin being one of your body’s largest organs, anything – and I mean anything! – you put onto your skin will end up in your bloodstream.
- Share
 food "Pinterest")
