Open Tuin  -  OpdeHaar  -  Open Garden

Visits to OpdeHaar open garden The Netherlands can be arranged by contacting us:

John and Joyce Ramsbotham

E-mail: ramsbotham@planet.nl

Mobile: +31 (0) 653753221

You can also use the contact form

Our garden lies in the middle of the woodland in Hoevelaken, near Amersfoort, on the boundary between Gelderland and Utrecht in The Netherlands.

OpdeHaar is a plant lover’s garden with more than 4500 different species of plants. It  is primarily a woodland garden, with spring flowering and shade tolerant plants. However it is always interesting throughout the year.

OpdeHaar open garden The Netherlands is ideal for group visits (groups of 8 – 50 people). Indeed we have had several over the years. In fact, comments after these visits are largely responsible for our decision to share our hobby with other keen gardeners and plant lovers. Consequently an area has now been set up where visitors can sit undercover and enjoy tea/coffee. Here they can get information about the garden and plants of special interest. Visits invariably take 2-3 hours in total. The majority of plants, especially the unusual ones, are clearly labelled. So visitors may wander around at their own pace. Guided tours can also be given. At least one of us is always present during these visits. We request a contribution of 7 Euros p.p. which includes coffee or tea and cake.

This is a private garden. Therefore casual visitors run the risk of confronting a closed gate if they have not made a prior appointment. Moreover, we need to let you know exactly how to find us. We are not on a public road and even car navigators sometimes fail to find us!

John in our visitors centre at OpdeHaar open garden The Netherlands Visitors listening to info about our garden Visitors lunching on our patio Visitors in our info-centre Visitors at OpdeHaar open garden The Netherlands

Clicking on the appropriate month gives you a quick impression of garden highlights to be seen. However, one should be aware that these can be influenced by the weather, particularly in the period January to April

January February March April May June July August September October November December

In July 2016, Jef Cools, a very talented amateur photographer and also a garden lover visited our garden with the Flemish Perennial Plant Society. Below you will see our garden as photographed by Jef. Click on the photos for a larger image and a slideshow. (With thanks to Jef Cools for the photos.) 

OpdeHaar name board Visitors first get coffee or tea at OpdeHaar open garden The Netherlands John explains something to visitors at OpdeHaar open garden The Netherlands The Millennium garden Hakonechloa macra Aureola + Hydrangea phinculatum Prim White "Dolprim"+ Shikoku flash + Wim's red Begonia helmseleyanan x taliensis "Silver Splendor" The summer borders The summer borders Hydrangea scandens subsp. Chinensis f. obovatifolia Rodgersia podophyllum Rotlaub + Astilbe Hydrangea pahiculata "Zorro" The summer borders The rose garden Thalidctrum delavayi splendide The gardener and his wife Visitors in the "rabatten" wood Squirrels in the wood Hares crossing a ditch Visitors in the "rabatten" wood Two sheep in the wood The "rabatten" wood An otter in the wood The bamboo path Trachystemon orientalis in the wood The long drainage ditch in the wood Ferns and metasequoia glyptostroibes in the wood Owl and Hosta sieboldianan Elegans Visitors wandering through the wood The "rabatten" wood The "rabatten" wood The "rabatten" wood The pond The pond The pond and summerhouse Path leading to the pond The summerhouse next to the pond Martagon lily Arabian Night Fire and Ice Garden

If you have enjoyed a visit to OpdeHaar during the spring, summer or autumn, perhaps your club would like a presentation during the winter months about our garden. We have prepared two powerpoint presentations, entitled: 

• • OpdeHaar gardens – colour and contrast
  • The evolution of plants on earth

For more details, click here