From Mrs. Otto Weisley’s Christmas letter December 18th, 1950.
      "THE NETHERLANDS SECTION will be a typical representation of the homeland.” So reports Theo A. Mebius, Executive Chairman of this group. “One who enters the Peace Gardens will see at his right this Garden with its dominating windmill.
      "So many people know that the Netherlands have many windmills, but not all of them know that purpose they serve. In order that this windmill might be of educational value, two ponds have been constructed.
      "One has a higher and the other a lower water level, typifying the many canals in the Netherlands with their different water levels. As the windmill pumps the water in these ponds, so will the windmill in our garden pump water from the lower to the higher water level pond. The turning of the arms will give a realistic effect to it.
      "Another demarcating part of the garden will be the wooden shoe or ‘klomf’ of about 15 feet. This shoe is placed in the middle of a huge flower bed which will show imported Dutch bulbs of the finest type with many rare samples of the art of growing bulbs. We are convinced that many people who love and enjoy flowers will come to see these selected bulbs that will surround this wooden shoe.
      "Surrounding the wooden shoe ,the windmill, and the two ponds, and border in the garden will be a strip of 10 feet width in which are planted approximately 25,000 bulbs."
      "In springtime when visiting the Netherlands, everybody is always impressed by the vast beds of flowers in the bulb districts. Traveling by train or sight-seeing car from the Hague to Amsterdam is a continuation of joy and thrill in seeing thousands and thousands of tulip and hyacinth beds. In these districts where the art of growing and developing bulbs is cultivated almost to perfection, the eye sees flowers in almost every direction and the air is filled with the fragrance of flowers.
      "We hope that these 25,000 flowers in the Garden of the Netherlands may make the same impression on all the visitors, and that they will be a sweet remembrance to those who once saw the splendor and colors of flowers in the lowlands. Moreover, we hope that our garden will breathe and convey the sweet influence of peace that we need so much in this world today.”
      And now- Mr. B. Van Dongen, vice consul of the Netherlands for the State of Utah, gives us the following beautiful thoughts: “PAX OPTIMA RERUM” Peace is the Highest Achievement,” is the slogan of the people who are to build the Netherlands section of the International Peace Gardens at Salt Lake City. A slogan well chosen by the executive chairman of the Netherlands Project, Mr. Theo A. Mebius.
      "International Peace Gardens"
      "When only a few months ago, the invitation came to me to take the initiative in forming plans for the Netherlands Garden, I wondered how to proceed. Mrs. Otto Wiesley, permanent chairman of the IPG and past president of the Salt Lake City Council of Women, had explained to me the purpose of the Gardens, and as I thought about the scope of the plan, a picture of beauty, with tremendous possibilities for good, unfolded itself before me.
      "International Peace Gardens!" Pax Optima Rerum!
      "Would those people of Utah whose cradle once stood in the lowlands accept the project? Would their children and friends be willing to assist them? Of course they would! Hollanders everywhere have always been peace loving people and they would grasp the opportunity to promote the idea of peace in the world. Pax Optima Rerum! People from nearly all nationalities will build these gardens, and the beauty of it is that they are all unitedly building for PEACE. Someday, when the gardens are all completed and they will express the character of every land, the world will learn that the people who gathered from all corners of the Earth built here unitedly and happily to show the world that nations CAN work together to restore BEAUTY and PEACE to the EARTH. All Hollanders and Holland-Americans who reside in the state of Utah will soon be further informed of our plans by the executive committee of the Netherlands Section. They are Theo A. Mebius, chairman, Albert Sievert, construction, Thys Sipkene, finance, and John W. Kveno, publicity.
      "My highest esteem goes to Mrs. Otto A. Weisley who conceived the idea of the project worthy of the support of all who live in the state of Utah."
      "Our sincere appreciation to you, Mr. Van Dongen, for the inspiration this will give to all. Here I must tell you that Mr. Weisley and I shall ever remember the colorful picture that met our gaze on Thanksgiving Day when we visited the Gardens and found so many of your people, happily working, planting those thousands of tulips in your garden. Success to you."
     

      The foregoing describes the Dutch Garden in its first year. All was built later. Today however, only a lawn exists and a small flower bed spelling out “Holland” What a shame that this most attractive Garden has all but been forgotten by time. Please join our movement to reconstruct the Netherlands Section of the Garden to its original beauty. Share your memories and photos with us. Donate tulips. Volunteer. Contribute to the Windmill fund.