Hi GPODers!
A couple weeks ago we went on a wonderful trip to the Netherlands thanks to Kielian DeWitt (Check out those posts here: GPOD on the Road: Kielian in the Netherlands and Keukenhof Garden Park). Kielian showed us the garden culture of the Netherlands from a tourists perspective, but today we get to see how the locals garden! Ramon Smit lives in Gouda, the Netherlands, but he takes inspiration from Japanese garden design. The result is a lush, tranquil, and colorful space in a city brimming with history… and cheese!
My Name is Ramon Smit and I live in Gouda 🧀 the Netherlands. This year my garden exists 20 years … I started the design in spring 2005. My garden is in Japanese style, I tried to make it really authentic with a low budget, and I did all the work myself (with some help here and there carrying the heavy things in).
The garden is behind a 1930’s brick house build on peat soil that is 6.5 meters below sea level and with groundwater levels at 50cm below the surface. It is full of azalea, ophiopogon, junipers, mugo pine, almond trees and lots of natural moss and ferns. All the Niwaki (or cloud trees) I shaped myself: Taxus, cedar, birch, ginkgo, and Japanese maples.
Because I didn’t had the budget to completely build it at once we spread it over the years…. an old house need maintenance too 😉
I studied to be a gardener but never got a degree in it…. this is pure amateur gardening.
I hope u enjoy my pictures.
The centerpiece of Ramon’s garden is this incredible pond that branches off into a small stream. Water elements are often included in Japanese designs for a multitude of reasons, but mainly for their ability to create calm introspection. A still surface provides a spot for reflection, and waterfalls emit soothing sounds into the atmosphere.
Thoughtfully placing rocks and greenery around the pond gives it that naturalistic feel.
In spring, Ramon’s garden is ablaze with pops of bright pink azaleas dotted throughout all the lush greenery.
And I absolutely adore the meandering path that leads you through the garden. Stones of all shapes and sizes create lovely patterns that mimic the diverse shapes in Ramon’s plantings.
The amount of interest Ramon has crafted and cultivated in his garden is absolutely astounding. The amount of work it took to create this space single-handedly is hard to imagine, but the result is a true personal paradise.
Thank you so much for this glorious tour of your spring garden, Ramon! All of that hard work absolutely paid off, and you’ve created a true oasis in your city.
We’ve been getting a little influx of international gardens, and I hope I speak for all GPODers when I say it’s been amazing! North America provides plenty of diversity in landscapes and climates, but there is something truly special about seeing gardens from all over the world. No matter where you garden, consider sharing your space with Garden Photo of the Day! Follow the directions below to submit photos via email, or send me a DM on Instagram: @agirlherdogandtheroad.
We want to see YOUR garden!
Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!
To submit, send 5–10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.
Have a mobile phone? Tag your photos on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #FineGardening!
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