garden

History - creating a garden from scratch in a concrete jungle

My garden(s) in Rotterdam

It's only small, but packed with different areas and micro climates. A sunny front garden, 

a shady walled garden at the rear, a hot roof terrace and a woodland area.

below and right - the front garden rose 'tree' and lots of sun lovers - yuccas, fig, dill, sun flowers

The rear 'walled' garden is about 8 by 6 meters. It's got several raised beds and LOTS of pots.

There is galvanised steel trellis for climbers and a water feature at the rear.

 It used to be really sunny before the trees at the bottom of the garden grew tall. It's now more shady and I can grow more clematis than before :~)

The roof garden is also 8 by 6 metres.

I have a greenhouse up there for my collection of cacti and succulents.

There's a sitting area and LOTS of pots with more sun loving plants (it gets the sun all day long)

                 

The  woodland garden is very shady and a small canal runs alongside it. There I grow real shade lovers like hosta's, rhododendron, hydrangeas and lots of spring bulbs.

Near the canal are various bog plants and even a Gunnera :~)

If you'd like to see more pictures of the various gardens - click below:

Garden photo's: 

2022 / 2021 /  2020 / 2019 / 2018 / 2017 / 2016  /  2014-15 / 2013 / 2011-2012  / 2010 / 2009
Woodland : : 2022 / 2021 / 2020 / 2019 / 2018 / 2017 / 2014-15/16  / 2013 / 2012

Cacti, Succulents & Caudex      

           

One quarter of Holland is below sea level, and we live in the very lowest part in Rotterdam. The marker for -6 meters below sea level is just up the road from our house ! This means that the ground is very soft and swampy, with a high water table.

1995 >>

Our house and the whole street is therefore built on piles to support all the houses and even the road.

We moved here to Rotterdam in the early summer of 1995. Our old garden was in a wooded part of Holland and the new bare concrete expanses at the new house were certainly a challenge. The only part of the garden that had any soil and plants was at the front of the house. The downstairs 'walled' garden and the roof garden were paved with beastly boring concrete tiles that burnt your feet in summer (1995/6 were HOT)

The dowstairs 'walled' garden was a problem due to the three doors that open out onto it (kitchen/living room/garage). I knew I wanted raised beds and lots of pots. Maybe trellis to support climbers and maybe even a mini pond.........and I needed to create some shade as it got roasting in the sun.

The planning stage completed it was time to decide on the materials with which to construct my vision. Decking was decided on because it's kinder to bare feet than concrete tiles. There were (at the time) not many overhanging trees to make it green and slimy :~)) 

The result in October 1995 was this rather bare garden.

In the meantime (2009) the wooden decking had long outlived it's 10 year guarantee and we replaced it with a new lay-out. For the seating area we used black rubber tiles (used for kids playgrounds) in combination with gravel.

The roof garden also underwent a metamorphose from bare concrete tiles to this.... and the greenhouse was added in 1999

In March 2011 I commandeered the strip of (council) land at the back of our house to make a woodland garden.

I only used plants and cuttings given to me by friends. This just in case the council ever come and decide to mow it all down !

After two years this is the result >>>>>>

Gardening has always been my passion and I'm lucky to have loads of gardening friends - we have a very informal club called the "StekkenGekken"  

It has it's own blog : https://stekkengekken.blogspot.com