My last two posts have dealt with the basics of Dutch gardens and the moestuin. This post will talk about the different flowers and plants that are common (to my knowledge) in the Netherlands.

In order for bloemen or flowers to thrive in the Netherlands, they must be able to take lots of rain and be winterhard (strong enough if it freezes). There are plenty of flowers that can withstand these conditions, but there are many others that cannot and simply become seasonal or seizoenbloemen. 

Tulpen are, of course, common in Dutch gardens. These bloom in spring and last quite a long time. While these are not necessarily winterhard, you can put the bulbs in a paper bag and store them during winter until its time to plant them again. Hyacinten or hyacinths are also popular bulb flowers that bloom beautifully in the Spring.

Lavendel is a plant that adapts really well to the Dutch climate. It is winterhard and resistant to the loads of rain we get. It also puts up with the warm weather really well. Lavendel is a very low-maintenace plant that attracts many bijen.

Hortensia (personal photograph)

Hortensia is another beautiful flower that works really well in the Netherlands. It is a bit more high maintenance when the temperatures soar because it needs to stay hydrated. In my village, many crossroads are filled with the white or the blue version of the flower and it is just beautiful! The hortenisa is not necessarily winter hard in the sense that it will not bloom durign winter. It will go away during the winter, but in spring the plant revitalizes.

Another bijen vriendelijk flower is the vlinderstruik or the butterfly flower. The plant is winterhard and will stay nice and green all winter. During spring, the flower blooms and gives a beautiful honey scent that attracts butterflies and bees. The following video gives more information about vlinderstruiken.

Local tuincentra and markten are the best place to get flowers. The people who work there can usually give you great advice as to what to plant.

What flowers do you like to have in your garden?

Useful Vocabulary

planten- to plant
tuinieren– to garden
bloeien– to bloom
graven- to dig
de boom– tree
het gras- grass
de hark- rake
de schep- shovel
de stam- stem
de gieter- watering can
de wortel- root