Welcome to OpdeHaar the open garden of John and Joyce Ramsbotham in Hoevelaken

OpdeHaar garden is an open garden in the woodland in Hoevelaken, on the border between Gelderland and Utrecht, The Netherlands This garden is open to the public by appointment Especially suitable for groups of 8 to 50 people 7 different style gardens in one garden (ca 5 acres) A unique landscape in the middle of an ancient wooded swamp Over 4500 different plants, trees and shrubs Most plants are labelled Renowned for its woodland and shade tolerant plants During 2020 we planted a new raised bed, created a stumpery, with a large collection of ferns, and built a new pergola.

We have a powerpoint presentation  on colour and contrast and shadow plants in our garden with more than 100 photographs and also a presentation about the evolution of plants on earth. Something for the winter months perhaps.

 We are members of the Royal Horticultural Society, the Nederlandse Tuinen Stichting and Groei en Bloei Nijkerk

Click here for information about a visit to OpdeHaar garden

Contact Op de Haar garden

John and Joyce Ramsbotham

Email: [email protected]

Telephone: +31 (0) 653753221

Contact form: Click here

View the video’s and TV progammes made about our garden. (Sorry they are in French and Dutch)

Click here to see the television programme made by RTBF (Belgium) in Juni 2015 and screened by RTBF in “Jardins et Loisirs” on 24 January 2016 Click here to see a video made by Dutch television in the winter for the programme “BinnensteBuiten”. It was screened on 23rd February 2016 Click here to see a video made by Dutch television in May 2016 in the pouring rain for the programme “BinnensteBuiten”. It was screened on 11 May 2017

Photos of flowers and plants in OpdeHaar garden (All photographs on this site have been taken in our garden)

Click on the image to see photos of highlights in May at OpdeHaar Click on the image to see Spring highlights at OpdeHaar

A small selection of highlights in May

Rhododendron Mrs A.T. de la Mare

Basic botany

The main focus of this website is naturally on our gardens and the plants in them. However, keeping plants healthy and happy and meeting the criteria for “the right plant in the right place” requires  an understanding of some basic botany and in this context we have written several articles:

• • • Photosynthesis
    • Plant nutrition 
    • Why is a plant shade-tolerant?