In the exhibition Floris Verster – At Home in nature, the love for everyday nature is the starting point. For the first time, Museum De Lakenhal combines work by the famous Leiden painter Floris Verster (1861-1927) with contemporary art. Annelies Dijkman, Esther Hoogendijk and Seet van Hout are inspired by Verster and enter into a dialogue with his work. From life-size paintings to sculptures and a pop-up garden; the love for local nature can be found in every work. The exhibition can be seen from 12 April to 24 August 2025.

Also in autumn there is still a green, flowering garden. The International Garden Festival in Chaumont-sur-Loire ends on November 5.

In TuinSeizoen November/December 2023 a very nice article about The Patchwork Garden by Annemarie Gorts

Nice article in Tuin + Landschap by Emiel van den Berg.

On June 21 The Patchwork Garden was awarded ‘Le Prix du Jardin transposable’. The price for a garden that can best be translated into a private garden. We are very happy with this appreciation and thank the jury and the Domaine Chaumont-sur-Loire.

We are honored that our design The Patchwork Garden is part of the International Garden Festival in Chaumont-sur-Loire. The design was developed and executed in collaboration with Lau Heemskerk, grower and garden designer. The theme this year is ‘resilient garden’.
Climate change threatens both nature and humans. The Patchwork Garden is a garden where you can experience the beauty of plants. At the same time, the garden is self-sufficient because all plants have edible parts. The garden offers a place where you can take care of yourself both physically and mentally. Read more:  International Garden Festival 2023

The design of the Patchwork Garden is a rhythm inspired by a flat landscape. The long strips consist of rectangular surfaces. There is an edible plant species in each colored area. On the sides of this grid are shrubs, annuals and ground cover plants.

The outline of the garden becomes visible.

Puzzlestuk is a residential care complex for young adults. The building will open in April 2023. There is a large, enclosed garden surrounding Puzzlestuk, for which I made the design. Construction started in recent weeks. The trees, climbing plants and shrubs were planted with many volunteers. Perennials coming soon. To be continued!

The plants are growing like crazy!

Together we put about 800 plants in the ground!

A group of 12 students wanted to participate in replanting the 5 borders surrounding the school. Here they learn to recognize different soil types.

Harvest from the Wiebeltuinen in Elst in the Betuwe is donated to the food bank.

A FRUITY IDEA is the name of this great initiative by Reinoud Post. Other orchards in the region are also available.

Volunteers for the picking can still register: postbart@telfort.nl

In recent months, together with teacher Mayke de Groot and the students of De Brug primary school in Leiden, I have renovated five borders around the school. It is a participation project in which the children participate from the beginning to completion.

BordersRead More »

film.

On October 16, Theo Houthoff, head of gardens at the Hortus, and I harvested the pumpkin ourselves. He weighed about 8 kilos. Hortus chef Simon has made delicious Cinderella soup from this. A video of the harvest can be seen at Instagram.

Radio Hortus is a bi-weekly podcast about the ups and downs in the Hortus, created by Robbert Folmer and Mathilde Simons. In this episode I am a guest to talk about the Pumpkin Greenhouse.

Radio Hortus

Beautiful picture of the Pompoenkas! Photo: Hielco Kuipers.

The website of the Lucas van Leyden Fund is online! I am pleased that as a member of the City Curatorium I can contribute ideas about art projects in the public space of Leiden. In addition to supporting applications from the city, the fund organizes the Lucas Art Award and has a driving role to initiate new projects.

Lucas van Leyden Fonds

This season the pumpkin greenhouse is again in the Hortus Botanicus Leiden. The greenhouse has been loaned by Museum de Lakenhal.

In the greenhouse the ‘Rouge Vif d’Etampes grows, it’s one of the oldest pumpkin species. More info:  Pompoenkas, Hortus Botanicus Leiden