Discovering Gardens in the Netherlands

American Horticultural Society
Travel Study Program
Discovering
Gardens in the
Netherlands
June 9-21, 2015
With AHS Host Jane and George Diamantis
and Tour Leader Susie Orso of Specialtours
Announcing an
American Horticultural
Society Travel
Study Program
American Horticultural Society
7931 East Boulevard Drive
Alexandria, VA 22308
DISCOVERING
GARDENS IN THE
NETHERLANDS
June 9-21, 2015
This American Horticultural Society Travel
Study Program has been designed with the
connoisseur of garden travel in mind, offering
an exceptional itinerary that includes many
exclusive experiences and unique insights.
Your participation benefits the work of the
American Horticultural Society and furthers
our vision of “Making America a Nation of
Gardeners, A Land of Gardens.”
Please refer to the program reservation form for pricing
and instructions for reserving your place on this AHS
Travel Study Program tour. For more information about
the AHS Travel Study Program tours, contact Eleanor
Nelson at [email protected] or (703) 768-5700 ext. 132.
Explore the Netherlands’ hidden jewels
and national treasures with AHS.
Look inside for details.
Dear Friends,
We invite you to explore the historic connections between art
and gardens in the Netherlands on this very special Travel Study
program that is being offered exclusively to American Horticultural
Society members.
Our journey across this country will take us not only to landmark
destinations but also to a number of less visited sites that are full
of interest and character. We begin in the picturesque region of
Groningen, the Netherland’s northernmost province. From there
we travel to the country’s largest province, Gelderland, before
continuing to Amsterdam for a four-night stay. We will experience a
tremendous variety of formal and informal gardens, many of which
are private, while learning about the region’s rich horticultural
traditions.
The accommodations for this program offer a unique blend of
historic charm and contemporary comforts. The Hotel Prinsenhof,
a stylish city center hotel with its own formal garden, will be our
home base in Groningen. In Brummen, we will find ourselves in a
grand country castle set on 250 bucolic acres – including landscaped
gardens, a golf course, and even a private forest. In Amsterdam, our
nights will be spent at the grand hotel De L’Europe, centrally located
in the heart of this historic city on the banks of the Amstel river.
Hosting this program for the American Horticultural Society will be
AHS Board member Jane Diamantis and her husband, George. Both
are enthusiastic supporters of the AHS and have previously traveled
with us to Costa Rica, Sicily, France, Spain and New Zealand. Jane
is a true garden aficionado, with a long standing love of gardens that
began as a child growing up in England. She is an accomplished
garden designer and owner of a landscape design company. George
is an avid photographer who enjoys capturing amazing images of
plants and gardens on their travels. Both Jane and George look
forward to exploring the gardens of the Netherlands with you.
We are fortunate to have Susie Orso of London-based Specialtours
as our tour leader for this program. Susie has helped lead dozens
of AHS Travel Study Programs over the years —including several
popular tours to the Netherlands. Drawing upon her extensive
experience, Susie has crafted another outstanding itinerary for us
and is excited about sharing this fascinating country and its gardens
with you. It is through Susie’s personal contacts that many of our
visits have been made possible.
Space on this program is limited, so early reservations
are advised.
We look forward to having you travel with us.
Sincerely,
Tom Underwood
Executive Director
DISCOVERING GARDENS IN THE
WITH AHS HOSTS JANE AND GEORGE DIAMANTIS
AND TOUR LEADER SUSIE ORSO OF SPECIALTOURS
Join AHS Hosts Jane and George Diamantis (left) and tour
leader Susie Orso (right) for this once-in-a-lifetime garden
travel experience.
Itinerary Highlights
TUESDAY, JUNE 9—Depart for Amsterdam
Depart from the United States for Amsterdam (AMS-Schiphol).
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10—to Groningen (L, D)
Arrive at Schiphol airport. After assembling by mid-morning and
meeting Susie Orso, we board a coach for the Afsluitdijk, the
20-mile causeway and barrier dam constructed in 1932 as part
of a project to convert a salt water inlet of the North Sea into an
inland fresh water lake now known as the IJsselmeer. After lunch
in the charming small Friesian town of Franeker at Restaurant
de Stadsherberg, we will take a walk through the town, which
dates back to around 800 AD. Then we continue to the university
city and provincial capital of Northern Holland, Groningen, for
a four-night stay at the Hotel Prinsenhof, which is a historic and
garden experience in itself. Get to know your fellow travelers
over drinks and dinner in the hotel.
THURSDAY, JUNE 11 (B, L)
This morning we explore Groningen with garden designer
Linda Heikema, who will guide us through the historic center
of the city. We will see the Martinikerk, the oldest church in
Groningen dating from the middle ages, the main square and the
hofjes. We then take a short ride to Midwolda, where we visit
Hermans Dijkstra Oldambster farmhouse with its slingertuin.
This is an excellent example of how prosperous landowners and
farmers liked to show off their wealth in the mid-19th century
by creating an English landscape garden with trees, shrubs,
oval shaped flower beds and meandering paths in front of their
farmhouses. After lunch, we continue to Oostwold and visit the
private garden of Tuinfleur, belonging to Pieter and Rika van
Delden. The series of ten garden rooms bordered with colorful
plantings are a fine display of design and horticulture. We then
return to the hotel for some time at leisure before a private,
after-hours tour of the Groninger Museum with its eclectic
collections and modern wing designed by architects including
Alessandro Mendini and Philippe Starck. Dinner this evening is
on your own.
FRIDAY, JUNE 12 (B, L)
We begin our day in nearby Zuidhorn and the private garden of
Pabema. The owners have created a neo-classical style garden
with ingenious lime tree hedges pruned in the shape of triangles.
Apple and pear varieties dating from 1766 are found in the
orchard. Continuing west, we drive to Leeuwarden for a walk in
the center of this Friesian town to view scenic canals and historic
buildings. The famous black and white Friesian cattle—related
to Holsteins in America—that originated in this region have
been immortalized by a larger-than-life bronze statue. We then
continue to Beetsterzwaag for lunch and a private garden tour.
After returning to our hotel in Groningen, dinner is on your own.
SATURDAY, JUNE 13 (B, L, D)
This morning we will head north to Leens, where we will visit
the private gardens of Borg Verhildersum. The formal garden
of the 14th century manor house was designed according to the
golden ratio principle in the Renaissance and Baroque style. We
will then visit the Petrus Church of Leens, dating back to the
12th century, which is famous for its Hinsz pipe organ. After
lunch at Schathuys, we will visit the private garden of Els de
Boer in nearby Warffum. Created over a period of 40 years,
this garden contains themed borders, a knot garden, and topiary,
including an amusing boxwood “pig conference.” Next we visit
the castle and gardens at Kasteel Menkemaborg, where the
formal garden surrounding the manor house has been recreated
according to a 1705 design. Features include the sundial garden,
which indicates 18th century time, and the kitchen garden with
old world vegetables, a maze, and a pleasure garden. We then
return to the hotel and dine together in a restaurant in Groningen.
SUNDAY, JUNE 14—to Brummen (B, L, D)
After checking out of our hotel, we head south to begin our travels
through Gelderland. Our first stop is the gardens of the late Mien
Ruys, one of the most important landscape architects of the 20th
century, at Dedeemsvart for an early-opening private visit. Her
life’s work, including these gardens, has been inspirational for
many landscape architects in the 20th and 21st centuries. After
lunch in a local restaurant, we continue to Apeldoorn and the
Palace of Het Loo. The formal parterre gardens, which date from
the mid-17th century, have recently undergone a major restoration
based on the original drawings. The elaborate box parterre with
broderies, fountains, statuary, and symmetry make this a formal
garden par excellence. We then continue to Brummen and check
in at Kasteel Engelenburg for three nights. We will have dinner
together in the hotel this evening.
MONDAY, JUNE 15 (B, L, D)
This morning we head east to Vorden for a guided visit of the
gardens of Kasteel de Wiersse. Several distinct and charming
gardens complement the moated manor house, such as an 18th
century pleasure garden, a French style rose garden, an English
sunken garden, and a woodland park. From here, we continue
to Huis Bingerden for a light lunch in this delightful historic
garden which has been in the van Weede family since 1660. In
the afternoon, we have requested a visit to the garden of Piet and
Anja Oudolf near the village of Hummelo. An internationally
renowned landscape architect, Piet Oudolf is especially known
for his extensive use of ornamental grasses in his designs. Dinner
tonight is at Restaurant de Gouden Leeuw in Bronkhorst.
E NETHERLANDS
TUESDAY, JUNE 16 (B, D)
We begin the day at De Hoge Veluwe National Park for a guided
tour of the Kroller-Müller Museum and Sculpture Park. Superb
works by van Gogh, Braque, Cézanne, Fantin-Latour, Gris, Klee,
Leger, and Monet collected by Mrs. Kroller-Müller fill the gallery.
The park contains a vast sculpture collection by artists, such as Rodin,
Moore, Bourdelle, and Rosso, among the trees. We will enjoy lunch
independently in the Museum café. After returning to the hotel to
spend part of the afternoon at leisure, we leave for privately-owned
Kasteel Middachten, where the garden is in a cruciform design with
an open area opposite each façade of the moated castle and more
intricate, enclosed gardens in the corners. A gala dinner hosted by
Count Franz zu Ortenburg will conclude this special evening.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17—to Amsterdam (B, L, D)
This morning, we check out of our hotel and head toward Amsterdam.
Along the way, we stop at Kasteel de Haar for a visit to the castle and
gardens with landscape architect Robert Broekema as our guide. This
medieval fortress has been restored to its former grandeur, complete
with towers and ramparts, canals, gates, and drawbridges. It rises like
a fairy tale castle from a surrounding park with impressive trees, old
gardens, and ponds. Following lunch in a local restaurant, we continue
to Amsterdam for a four-night stay at the hotel De L’Europe. Dinner
is in the Hoofdstad Brasserie at the hotel.
THURSDAY, JUNE 18 (B, D)
The Rijksmuseum, the national museum of the Netherlands which
recently re-opened after restoration of the galleries, is our first stop
today. Guided by local artist Robert Uterwijk, we will view many
highlights of the permanent collection including works by Vermeer,
Frans Hals, Cuyp, Jan Steen, and Rembrandt. Enjoy lunch on your
own in downtown Amsterdam and spend the afternoon exploring the
city at your leisure. You can visit the nearby Van Gogh Museum or
walk in the Vondelpark, for example. This evening, we leave by coach
for dinner at Restaurant de Kas, housed in a tall glass building which
was created out of Amsterdam’s former municipal nursery.
FRIDAY, JUNE 19 (B, L)
Those who wish may join an optional early morning tour to Aalsmeer
to visit the world-famous flower auction. Experience the hustle and
bustle of the auction floor, where beautiful flowers are traded daily
from more than ten countries. We then pick up the remainder of the
group to go to Leiden, birthplace of Rembrandt. Here we visit the
Botanical Garden founded by the city’s university in 1590 for the
purpose of cultivating and studying plants from all over the world.
We then continue to Wassenaar where we will have lunch in a private
garden. From here we take a short ride to The Hague, seat of the
Dutch parliament and government, to visit the compact, yet worldrenowned art collections of the Mauritshuis. Recently re-opened
after a two-year restoration project including the addition of a new
wing, this gallery is a showcase for paintings of the Golden Age by
Vermeer, Frans Hals, Rembrandt, and Ruysdael. Upon returning to
the hotel in Amsterdam, dinner is on your own.
or do some last-minute shopping. In the evening, we will take a canal
excursion on a vintage boat to the Museum Van Loon where we will
be received by the curator for a private visit of the house and gardens
followed by a farewell dinner in the elegant dining room.
SUNDAY, JUNE 21 (B)
Following breakfast at the hotel, transfers to the airport will
be provided.
While no revisions of this itinerary are anticipated, the AHS and its
travel partners reserve the right to make changes, with or without
notice, that may become necessary.
Groningen
The North Sea
Amsterdam
Brummen
The Hague
NETHERLANDS
SATURDAY, JUNE 20 (B, D)
On our last morning, we walk to the Museum Geelvinck Hinlopen
Huis with garden designer Robert Broekema, a student of the late
Mien Ruys. We will visit the double canal house garden with curator
Ronald Speck, followed by other private canal house gardens. Lunch
and the afternoon are on your own today to explore the city by canal
GERMANY
BELGIUM