Landscape Garden Nijemirdum

When the Vink family moved to Gaasterland in Friesland, their property consisted mainly of ryegrass. There was little connection with the green surroundings, the old landscape elements had disappeared, and they experienced waterlogging due to the boulder clay layer sealing the soil like a watertight lid. Their ambition: to transform the meadows into a biodiverse landscape garden. Smartland created a landscape design that invites life back onto the site and allowed implementation to begin immediately.

The design focuses on restoring the grasslands and landscape elements of this old cultural landscape. New ditches lead the rain water to the lower parts. The top layer of a portion of the meadows has been stripped and sown with a native, herb-rich seed mixture. This benefits both water management and biodiversity. The horses also enjoy eating the herb-rich grass. Mowing paths allow for walking through the meadows, and a boardwalk crosses the damp grassland.

Using the cut turf, a túnwal was constructed - a characteristic landscape element for boulder clay areas such as Gaasterland. The túnwal provides microclimates, which attract many special plant and animal species.

The pond has been expanded with ecological banks, creating a rich riparian habitat for insects and amphibians. The open alder belts have been expanded and supplemented with wooded banks and hedgerows. A careful selection of plants was made for this, using native species that suit this landscape and are non-toxic to the horses grazing in the pasture.

With the help of the 'Restoration of Agricultural Cultural Landscape Fryslân' project by Landschapsbeheer Friesland, trees, shrubs, and seeds could be financed.