Spaensweerd is a small castle built in 1650 on the remains of an earlier building dating back from 1326.In 1835 the castle was renovated for the last time, in the empire style, and this is how it remains today. Here endeth the history lesson and we move on to the fun bit: the gardens!
The gardens are very romantic in style with many lovely old fashioned and fragrant roses, arbours, topiary, over 200 meters of colourful borders, long vistas, striking views of the surrounding countryside and, set like a jewel in the crown, the castle itself.
Several old and even rare trees grow in the lovely gardens, some trees were planted around 1835. The gardens are privately owned but open garden days are held every year. More information can be found on their website.
Spaensweerd is situated in the province of Gelderland, the Netherlands, not all that far away from Huis Voorstonden and Piet Oudolf's nursery and gardens.
Two years ago I visited the gardens of Spaensweerd on a beautiful, sunny summer's day. The pictures I took are not what I'd like them to be because of the too bright daylight. Anyhow, we went on our bikes (how very Dutch) from Voorstonden to Spaensweerd and the trip took us about 20 minutes. By the way, Piet Oudolf is about 1 1/2 hours' drive away by car.
They do B&B at Spaensweerd, so if you want to experience what it's like to (pretend to) be lord or lady of the manor, here's your chance. Hmmm, I'm beginning to sound like the tourist information board (VVV in Dutch).
Although Spaensweerd has large gardens, they feel very intimate and personal. I loved the old fashioned roses and their wonderful scent. We spent over 2 hours there and it was absolute bliss. The gardens are very tranquil and they clearly have been designed by people who just love to garden and are not made to impress but to be enjoyed. And that's exactly what I did, to my heart's content.
The castle hath a pleasant seat; the air/
Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself/
Unto our gentle senses.
William Shakespeare, Macbeth
13 comments:
I learn a lot about the Netherlands beautiful gardens on your blog Yolanda, I think I have to visit them sometimes soon!
Carola hat recht, man lernt in den anderen Blogs viele schöne Gärten kennen und das finde ich prima.
LG Lis
That's lovely--so lush and bucolic. Thanks for the tour.
Yolanda Elizabet, I'm going to be in Amsterdam for a day and a half in July. Are there any public gardens in town that I shouldn't miss? I'll only have a few spare hours, as I'll be doing the usual touristy things (canal cruise, museums, etc.). I'd love an insider's recommendation.
Somehow the idea of "a small castle" sounds more intriguing that a large palace - gorgeous, but on a human scale, perhaps?
I love the gravel used near the house, with the roses on the walls.
Thank you , Yolanda Elizabet.
Annie at the Tranplantable Rose
Take me away! You got to bicycle here?? You can't even hardly bicycle around the neighborhood here! That's great! What a perfect thing to do on a beautiful day!
(Do you have a great life or what!)
That pic of the long view with the urn really draws me.
Thanks for another nice visit!
Very nice house and garden. Excellent pictures.
Just beautiful
I enjoyed catching up on your last two week's blogs. That seed box is a great idea! These gardens remind me of my visit and pics of the castle garden at Ivoire.
What a wonderful place! This is just what I love about Europe - the old, old buildings that have been kept up so beautifully. We Americans could take a lesson in this, though we'll never have as old of buildings as yours. (Well, maybe a couple hundred years down the road...)
Thank you for the virtual tours!
What a coincedence!!!!!
I just found your blog through Stadtgarten today. It's so nice to see someone here that's also from the Netherlands! En dan nog zo dichtbij....ik woon namelijk in Bergen op Zoom.
Wat leuk!!!!
Ik heb trouwens al wat prachtige foto's gezien hier, maar nu ga ik je blog even verder bekijken.
Groetjes,
Monique.
How beautiful, I think I would be quite at home if I lived there!!!
Wunderschöner Garten! Es erinnert mich an Ausgaben von Home & Garden o. ä. Traumhaft angelegt. Respekt! Grüße aus dem Nachbarland, Birgit
Lovely pictures.I enjoyed the visit.
Steven Wilson
Yolanda! that house is almost identical to Mount Vernon in Washington DC!! Just take a look at a picture! I wonder who copied who! Those Americans never have an original idea, I bet they used the same European architect.
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