Sunday, May 4, 2008

Batavia woman makes world more peaceful, one garden at a time

Mark Hare, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
You never know when you plant a seed (or in this case, a tulip bulb), just what might grow.

Paula Savage lives in Batavia and works as director of tourism sales for Visit Rochester (formerly the Greater Rochester Visitors Association). Eighteen years ago, when she was living in Washington, D.C., and working to promote a higher profile (and more visitors) for the Canadian capital city of Ottawa, she had an idea. "I thought, 'Wouldn't it be a great idea if Ottawa gave some tulip bulbs to Washington for a peace garden?'"
Ottawa has been known for its tulips since its support for the exiled Dutch royal family during World War II. Queen Juliana gave birth to Princess Margriet in an Ottawa hospital, and after the war, Queen Juliana began to send thousands of bulbs to the Canadian city as a gesture of thanks.