On Saturday 30 May and Sunday 31 May, everyone is invited to visit 25 inspiring gardens across Antwerp. Museums and residents will open their gardens to the public and share tips on creating a climate-friendly garden.
To mark the 500th birthday of botanist Carolus Clusius, a special route has been developed, with 13 Antwerp gardens exceptionally opening their doors. On Sunday, visitors can also attend free workshops and receive personal garden advice at the city’s EcoHuis.
More than 150 gardens across Flanders will participate in ‘Open Gardens‘ (‘Open Tuinen‘), an initiative by the Landelijke Gilden. In Antwerp, visitors can discover many green gems.
Example gardens
Antwerp residents looking to redesign their gardens but unsure where to start can find inspiration during a garden visit. On both Saturday 30 May (13 gardens) and Sunday 31 May (25 gardens), numerous Antwerp gardens will be open from 12:00 to 17:00.
A full overview of these gardens and a handy city map can be found at Open Gardens Antwerp | Landelijke Gilden.
Clusius route
Museum Plantin-Moretus has replanted its inner garden in honour of botanist Carolus Clusius (1526–1609) and is currently exhibiting five centuries of botanical images in ‘De Planten van Plantijn‘. This year’s Open Gardens Day in Antwerp is therefore dedicated to the 500th birthday of this physician and botanist.
Landscape architect Ronald van der Hilst designed the museum’s new inner garden, drawing inspiration for his plant selection from Clusius. Together with the museum, he compiled a special garden route featuring 13 gardens. Old and new gardens come together on the Clusius route, and all are open on both Saturday and Sunday.
EcoHuis
At Antwerp’s EcoHuis, visitors can drop in on Sunday 31 May from 12:00 to 17:00 with all their green questions.
They can attend a free workshop, ‘Design your own nature garden‘, by Velt, receive personal garden advice, or simply enjoy the garden and green roofs. The first 50 visitors will receive a free plant. Children and adults can enjoy a delicious ‘tea hospitality’. Registration is required for the workshop.
All information is available at Antwerp for Climate | Visit the Eco Garden.
Alderman for environment Karim Bachar: “In Antwerp, we help residents get started with water and greenery in their environment. At the EcoHuis, visitors can find inspiration, receive personal advice, and design their own nature garden. This year, we are placing extra emphasis on biodiversity, and with the Climate Premiums, we support Antwerp residents in making their gardens biodiversity-friendly. Do you have a boring lawn? Replace it with native, attractive plants. The bees will be happy, and you won’t even need to mow it!”
Peek at the neighbours
On Sunday 31 May, several private gardens will also be open to visitors, with a focus on biodiversity. Thanks to the tips and experiences of the owners, visitors can easily get started in their own gardens.
All private gardens can be found at Antwerp for Climate | Peek at the neighbours.
Get started yourself
Climate premiums support the removal of paving, the reuse of rainwater, and the biodiversity-friendly greening of gardens. The gardens and green roofs opening on Sunday 31 May offer plenty of inspiration for choosing a good, biodiverse planting.
Residents who want to work with greenery and water can find all the support they need at Climate premiums: your support for more greenery and water | Antwerp.
