These six delightful gardens in Belgium are worth visiting at any time of the year!
Easter 2018 may be a little earlier than usual, but some parks and gardens in Belgium are already opening their doors and hoping for some sunshine to show off their colourful displays. Here are six of the best.
Kalmthout Arboretum
Located near Antwerp, from 31 March to 30 April the focus is very much on their flowering cherries, and you can follow a cherry route. However, there’s a lot of other plants to see, and their magnolias will soon be blooming. Entrance fee €7. More info here. If you would like to know a little about the history of the arboretum and some of its special plants, you can read this article which I wrote a few years ago for a Belgian newspaper.
Pieris japonica in Kalmthout Arboretum
Annevoie Gardens
One of my favourite Belgian gardens, the water gardens of Annevoie opens this year on Easter Sunday with a chocolate Easter Egg hunt. Entrance fee €8.20. More info here.
The beauty of Annevoie: and all without a single electric pump!
Japanese Garden Hasselt
A delightful and calm place to walk around and enjoy the water, the plants and the peace. The Japanese cherries should be in full bloom over Easter. Entrance fee €5. More info here.
Ooidonk Castle Garden Fair
During Easter weekend 2018, the annual “Lifestyle Garden Fair” will take place in the park of Ooidonk Castle in Deinze, East Flanders. Lovers of gardens, nature and home decoration will find more than 100 exhibitors of plants, forgotten vegetables, regional products, furniture, home & garden decoration, garden antiques, and more. Open 10:00 to 18:30. Entrance fee €8.50. More information here.
Castle Freyr Gardens
As far as I know, nothing special is planned for Easter, but the castle and gardens are open from Easter Sunday so you can enjoy the walled terraced gardens, the fountains, the 300-year old orange trees, 6 km of hornbeam hedge mazes etc. Entrance fee €8.50. More info here.
Wespelaar Arboretum
In Flemish Brabant province near Haacht, this beautifully landscaped arboretum containts 2,000 trees and shrubs. Its speciality is its 192 species of Magnolia. It opens this year on Easter Sunday. Entrance fee €5. More info here.
If you have other suggestions, don’t hesitate to add them in the comments below.
Wow, we’re so envious, here in the northeast U.S., this all looks absolutely beautiful!
I like the shot of the Pieris japonica – – it’s such a neat shrub, because you enjoy the blossoms, and then the new growth is such a vivid red, it’s almost like a second series of blooms.
“Discovering Belgium” has really been effective, I’m determined to visit your adopted country, next time I’m in Europe.
Thanks Robert, I am glad you enjoy my blog. Sometimes I’m tempted to say that not all Belgium is as beautiful as in my blog posts! You seem to know your Pieris. Do you grow them yourself in your garden?
My parents have a couple growing next to the house, it’s one of the very few shrubs I can identify!
Then I chose a good picture for you!
I feel the same way about my region of New York – – there’s beautiful lakes, hills, forests, and streams, and I want to present things in the best light, but there’s also a lot of tumbledown hamlets and shuttered businesses. Quite a lot of the woodlands exist, because the government bought clapped-out farms during the Depression and replanted them.
I really must do a post on the city of Charleroi one day. It was voted Europe’s ugliest city a few years back!
LOL. Sometime ugly subjects look beautiful in photos.
Have a great day.
Beautiful, Denzil. Happy Easter!
And the same to you Eliza. I have been enjoying seeing your garden flowers “spring” into life!
Thank you!
Great post again !
Thanks Stefan, although of course you know all of these – and many more that I don’t.
But haven’t been in 3 of them yet and the garden fair in deinze was new for me 😉
What beautiful places for a stroll with the gods!
I couldn’t have put it more succinctly Rosaliene!
The botanical Gardens at Meise are also open (only closed a few days in the year)
Thanks for your addition Ann! I will add it to the list.
I would enjoy visiting all these gardens, Denzil. I do like the sound of the Lifestyle Garden Fair and suspect I would come away with a few lovely purchases.
Yes I’m sure you would Carol. Shipping them back to Australia might be a problem, but these airplanes have big holds!
That might be the only thing preventing me from shopping. 🙂
The water gardens look fabulous,and I suppose it won’t matter too much if it’s wet. The forecast isn’t good. 🙁
Ha that’s a good point Jo. I should write a post on water gardens as places to go when it’s raining!
We spent a rather damp day at Studley Royal in Yorkshire a while ago. It didn’t entirely ruin the experience, but most things are better when the sun shines. 🙂
Oh how I’d love to see that Japanese Garden. I’m sure it’s gorgeous in spring. I’m sure they all are.
Thanks Carrie. Yes it’s amazing how popular this particular Japanese export is in Europe. Is it the same in the States too? Do you have a lot of Japanese gardens?
There’s actually a small one near me, but most are far from me. The one in San Francisco is beautiful.
I sure would be one happy person if I had an opportunity to see these lovely gardens. Hope their open houses are huge successes. 🙂
I can imagine you feeling very much at home in these places Judy … and taking lots of photos!
Wow. These are all glorious gardens Denzil. I would love to see those cherry blossoms.
Unfortunately the forecast is not looking too good for the weekend over here Brigid, although things can change. Hope you are enjoying your own garden in the “springier” weather!
Hopefully the meteorologists have got it wrong Denzil. I am outside as much as possible. Spring is such a wonderful time in the garden. 🌼
Wow the parks look nice there, i wish i could live there. 🙁
Each country has its benefits Rinalds, wherever you live.
et kasteel van Freyer staat nog op mijn to do lijstje
I would love to see those cherry blossoms. all these gardens, Denizen. I do like the sound of the Lifestyle Garden Fair and suspect I would come away with a few lovely purchases.
Wow these all look so pretty. Why haven’t I spent more time in Belgium?!