By Linda Tancs

Today marks the start of Floriade, a world horticultural exposition that is held in the Netherlands once roughly every 10 years.  So you know that something that long in the making has to be really special.  Consider the last Floriade in 2002, featuring a floating roof made out of 19,000 solar panels and Spotter’s Hill, a 30-metre-high pyramid.  This year’s event, running through 7 October, features 163 acres of park and 98 acres of showgrounds covering five distinct theme worlds: Relax & Heal, Green Engine, Education & Innovation, Environment, and World Show Stage.  As you might suspect, the exhibitions are aimed at explaining how flowers, plants, trees, vegetables and fruit impact your daily life.  For the first time ever, the event will take place outside the Randstad, in Venlo.  On the border between the Netherlands and Germany, the region is one of the largest horticultural areas in Europe.