Willows along the Dutch dike by Thea Bouwman

About "Willows along the Dutch dike"

by Thea Bouwman

About the artwork

It couldn't be more Dutch: A row of pollarded willows with gnarled trunks and proud branches. A refuge for birds, insects and other living things.

From our backyard, we look down on this dike that protects us from the high waters of the North River. During the 1953 flood disaster, the dike broke here and flooded the Alblasserwaard but since the dike was raised, we feel safe behind the strong dike again.

The talus is overgrown with fresh green grass and meadow flowers: dandelion, the yellow morning star, daisies and spearweed. The reeds shoot up along the wide ditch that runs along below. But before it does, the ditch side is overgrown with velvetweed and cattail.

Once every few years in early spring or autumn, the willows are pruned. This is necessary because failure to do so will cause the trunks to split and the willows to die. But as soon as summer arrives, the pollarded willows sprout and the branches form a beautiful crown.

Birds and aquatic animals like to live there: dragonflies manoeuvre over the water, coots nest in the reed beds along the bank and the grey heron regularly perches along the water's edge to devour a fish or a frog. When the sun shines, the light shines between the branches and the wind has free rein! With pastels and water colours, I tried to capture this fresh atmosphere of the Dutch landscape. Once again: Holland at its best: A row of pollard willows with gnarled trunks and proud branches. Highly recommended for your wall!