Marjolein's green garden, full of cozy nooks and crannies (60 m²)

In Bennebroek, North Holland, you’ll find Marjolein’s small garden. It’s a green garden that provides a home for animals, birds, insects, plants, and flowers. Marjolein loves creating cozy nooks in the garden: in many spots, you’ll find pots, planters, baskets, and zinc tubs filled with flowering plants.

Between the porch and the garden shed

It’s a fairly sunny garden, with several shaded spots. Next to the house is a porch, topped by a (covered) pergola. From here, you can look out over the rest of the garden (through the climbing plants), with the chicken coop, two trees (including a cherry tree), and several seating areas. At the far end of the garden is a shed, with a small patio in front of it.

Climbing plants are a favorite. They grow all over the garden. For example, there’s an old grapevine (Vitis) on either side of the garden. A wisteria (Wisteria) and a climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala petiolaris) wind their way through a large part of the garden. Marjolein loves ivy (Hedera) because it stays green all year round. Hops (Humulus lupulus) are also one of her favorite (climbing) plants, but since they can get out of control, you have to keep a close eye on them… She likes to plant lavender and bellflowers (Campanula) in pots and planters.

A Place for Animals

Animals are very welcome in Marjolein’s garden. She deliberately keeps her garden from looking too neat. Especially in the winter, she leaves most things just as they are. She sweeps all the leaves into a big pile—perfect for insects and hedgehogs. Hedgehogs regularly come to eat in the garden. One hedgehog has now found the special hedgehog sleeping house and has begun hibernating. A fox has also visited the garden on occasion. And there are plenty of birds to be seen, such as sparrows, blackbirds, blue tits, great tits, and Eurasian collared doves.

From Chickens to the Vegetable Garden

Until recently, there were three chickens living in the large chicken coop. Unfortunately, she had to say goodbye to her chickens. Marjolein would like to turn the space where the chicken coop used to be into a vegetable garden; for now, she’s still growing vegetables in pots and containers in various spots around the garden. The first preparations for the new vegetable garden have already been completed. Most of the posts from the chicken coop could be left in place and will serve as an additional pergola for the grapevine.

Cozy corners

The garden is full of cute little things. There are wooden cabinets and tables, various garden chairs, a workbench, boxes, baskets, buckets, watering cans, whiskey barrels used as rain barrels, and a garden fireplace. Marjolein finds a way to grow even more flowers and plants everywhere she can. She especially likes to grow annuals in pots and planters. That way, the garden looks just a little bit different every year! There are so many cozy nooks in the garden that you’d think it were much bigger.

Changes are made to the garden on a regular basis. A small table is swapped out for a box, chairs are rearranged, and the decorations are adjusted to match the season. You can see that in the photos, too. Marjolein thinks it’s important to have a nice view of the garden from inside the house during the fall and winter. For example, she loves pumpkins and string lights in the fall and a small Christmas tree with lights in the winter. And of course, birdhouses are a must.

No time to sit down…

Marjolein loves sitting under the cozy and inviting pergola on the porch in front of the house. Especially when it’s raining lightly, because the little roof keeps you dry. The setting—with a rug, lots of decorations, and comfortable chairs—invites you to sit down and relax for a while. But actually, she doesn’t spend that much time in the garden at all, because when she looks around, there’s always something else to do…

The biggest project for the coming year is the new vegetable garden, for which she’s going to build raised beds. Now that the chicken coop is gone, she finally has plenty of space to enjoy gardening!

What does your garden look like?

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