Rather belatedly, I’m writing about my lovely trip to Amsterdam for the annual Open Garden days.
I first heard about Tuinen Dagan about ten years ago, and it has been on my Wishlist ever since. But it only happens on one weekend a year, and the timing never seemed to be right. Finally, the planets aligned and off we went, having pre-booked tickets online via the Museum Van Loon. It’s only 20 euros per person, and the aim is to draw attention to the city’s green heritage, while raising money for charities which promote access to gardens and garden-related activities.
It’s years since I last visited Amsterdam, and just as I recalled, it is an easy city to navigate. We stayed in a tiny air bnb, near the big green space, Vondel Park, which is a 45 minute walk away from the centre. It was a lovely location in a quiet, residential neighbourhood with a few cafes and bars. We were up and out early on Friday 14 June to collect our garden map and trail. All the open gardens are situated in the canal belt, and they have been around for centuries. Some belong to private homes, some are communal spaces, others are part of institutes or religious groups which occupy the historic canal-side buildings (a Mennonite Church, for example). Originally, the gardens would have served a utilitarian purpose, used for growing crops or as a place for laundry. Later, they were purely ornamental, never designed for relaxation, but rather to be viewed from inside. I was intrigued. What would we find behind the doors of those beautiful old houses lining the waterways? I had no idea what to expect.
The answer was an incredible mix of styles. The gardens seemed to fall into two camps. A surprising number are formal, with clipped hedges, statues, water features and topiary, probably fairly faithful to the original ornamental layouts. The rest are informal, definitely not primped and preened as they would be for an English garden open day. What you see is what you get. It just so happened that this was often a magical small space, with ancient walls, perhaps a little summerhouse tucked away at the end of the plot, and in one case a micro-library. But I have to confess that in a couple of instances, I did long to do a bit of weeding and styling!
Lush and leafy with a studio at the end of the garden, this plot favoured jungle style.
I could not help coveting this bathroom! In fact, the glimpses of life inside the houses was often just as intriguing as the gardens.
This communal garden was one of a number that we saw. It combined a formal layout with a feeling of neighbourliness.
Topiary was a recurrent theme. As were the amazing hydrangeas!
The garden visits are an absolutely brilliant way to explore Amsterdam. We walked miles, opting to go on foot between the gardens, rather than by tram. It took us to some beautiful parts of the city, and very few tourist hot spots.
I loved the feel of this garden, at the Vrije Academie. It had been redesigned last autumn, with three interlinked sections. Though formal, it did feel very calm. There was a beautiful bar and cafe area, which allowed us to appreciate the gorgeous bones of the house. And as for this kitchen….be still my beating heart.
The weather was quite crazy while we were exploring. We experienced gusting wind, a little bit of sun, rain and thunderstorms. But we’d gone prepared, and I don’t think we would have managed to visit so many gardens if the temperature had been broiling. Nevertheless, on the second day, with rain forecast, we decided to have a change of scene. On the recommendation of a friend, we took a train to Delft for a day trip. It was a brilliant decision. Just an hour by very efficient train, and you get a really good view of the countryside, including tulip fields (empty at this time of year, of course), pastures and towns.
Plant lovers should definitely visit historic Delft. It is full of flowers. From hollyhocks fringing the incredibly pretty waterside houses, roses scrambling over walls, window boxes billowing with blooms, and a Saturday market with a fantastic flower stall, there is much to admire. There is a grand central square, with lots of small canals in the streets around it, lined with small shops and larger chains. A flea market winds along the waterways at the weekend, too, and I was thrilled to be able to browse. Prices were pretty good. If only I had not flown with hand luggage only on EasyJet, which has to be the most miserly allowance ever! I had to walk away from the glass Victorian garden cloche for 15 euros, and that did hurt.
Hollyhocks…
The general market had excellent food stalls, including classic Dutch cheeses and smoked fish.
Loved this shop! Baskets and plants. It’s all I need.
So many waterside cafes, we were spoiled for choice, and the predicted rain held off apart from one shower.
We stopped for coffee in a little square, and tried the legendary Dutch appeltaart….oh my goodness.
It’s a tall apple pie made with brown sugar shortcrust pastry, stuffed with apples, nuts and cinnamon. All I can say in my defence is that I had walked about 15 miles that day!
Back in the ‘Dam, we had one more day of garden visiting, which again lead us off the beaten track. We did get lost a few times, but it only lead us to explore more.
I enjoyed Huis Willet-Holthuysen, a formal garden with parterres of boxwood and espaliered lime trees. This grand house was originally the home of a 17th century mayor, and later in the Victorian era, it belonged to a wealthy couple who were avid art collectors. I opted to take a tour around the house (husband had defected to a bar to watch the first match of the Euros). It was fascinating, especially as it was simultaneously hosting a Queer takeover, so among the rarified art and portraits, there were large cabinets full of sex toys, with whips dangling across tables. Very Amsterdam. I absorbed the message, but really I just wanted to move it all aside so I could get a better look at the china, flower paintings and the rugs!
Our tour was coming to a close and we finished up at the Hortus Botanicus, a wonderful place in a quieter part of the city. Again, I wasn’t expecting this, we just found ourselves outside, so of course I had to go in, and I spent a lovely hour exploring the fairly compact botanical gardens.
A living roof on a boat – the Dutch are very good at these!
It had been a fascinating trip. I think we saw 17 of the 24 available gardens. I would thoroughly recommend it – if you like walking and plants. There is quite a bit of both involved.
I hope you enjoyed my brief tour. I’m on Instagram @fionacumberpatch if you want to keep up to date with my garden adventures and related art.