An environmental city escape - an enormous farm and parkland of flowers, working windmills, even a refurbished hotel - is a joint China-Netherlands project to assist bulb and flower producers and lure visitors, writes Douglas Williams.

               

Dutch man Co Bushman puts in the bulbs that will create the spring colors of the Flower Exhibition Garden.

Emerging in the Nanhui istrict between Pudong International Airport and the new Yangshan Deep-Water Port is a floral oasis and an explosion of color called the Shanghai Flower Port.

The man with the plan for this horticultural extravaganza is a Dutchman by the name of Co Bushman who has been visiting China since 1997 to lend his considerable growing ability to this enormous project.

"I've been coming to China as part of a joint Sino-Dutch project to assist bulb and flower producers here while also assisting Dutch producers looking to do business in China. It's been a win-win situation for both parties," says Bushman who comes from a rich tradition of flower producers and sellers. Both his father and grandfather were in the business and, as a war baby, he was even weaned on a soup made from tulips.

The Sino-Dutch Horticultural Training and Demonstration Center, or SIDHOC, part of the Flower Port, is developing and conducting horticultural training courses. There are modern training facilities including classrooms, conference rooms and comprehensive training equipment.

In September Bushman was presented with the Golden Magnolia Award for Horticultural Excellence by the Shanghai government.

"We've been holding various courses here and we've had students from around China attending," says Bushman, who has taught all over the world. "I just hope that these horticulturists take away what they've learned here and introduce some of the new improved growing techniques that will ensure more color and beauty for their hometowns."

Bushman is a very busy man, just now putting in the bulbs that will create the spring colors of the Flower Exhibition Garden. The park area is a replica of the Netherlands' Keukenhof Garden, 28 hectares of flower beds, a lake and reproduction Dutch windmills.

On a clear sunny day, clouds blown away by fresh sea breezes and a riot of color, it feels a million miles from downtown. That will be the situation in the spring but just now the park is a hive of activity with a small army busy digging and planting. Bushman pedals about on his bicycle overseeing operations and the workforce of more than 200 is planting more than three million flowers of 300 species.

"I am helping with the design, where the different bulbs will be placed and this is a complex process - all the different colorings and timings need to be considered," he says.

In addition to the open flower beds, there are 36 hectares under glass, including the largest greenhouse in China at five hectares. The farm covers 100 hectares and includes a recently refurbished hotel.

The area is expanding and the area under glass alone is expected to be 100 hectares by 2008.

There are a dozen working windmills, as well as the ornamental ones. The windmills and extensive solar power system will provide all the energy needs of the Flower Port.

In addition to the flower beds and the greenhouses that are mostly producing plants for commercial florists, there are also two hectares that are part of SIDHOC providing training in the production of vegetables.

Last April more than 200,000 people visited. This spring that number is expected to more than double as word of this environmental city escape gets out.

Address: 2 Zhengdong Rd, Donghai State Farm, Nanhui District
Tel: 021-5829-1918

How to get there: A taxi from Metro Line No. 2 Longyang Road Station will take about one hour and cost about 100 yuan (US$13)

For more information, visit www.sidhoc.com.cn