Thijsse's Hof, Wildlife garden in Bloemendaal, Netherlands
Thijsse's Hof is a wildlife garden covering two hectares of transformed dune landscape in Bloemendaal, preserving native plant species in distinct biotopes. The space includes ponds, dune forests, and wet valleys that represent the habitats of South Kennemerland.
The garden was created in 1925 to celebrate naturalist Jac. P. Thijsse's 60th birthday, developed from a former potato field by designers Leonard Springer and Cees Sipkes. This marked the beginning of a new way to present native plant communities.
The garden introduced the heemtuinen concept, an idea to show native plants as they grow together in nature. Visitors experience how species interact across different habitats, from wet areas to dry grasslands.
The garden is open throughout the year and offers guided tours, nature education programs, and seasonal events like Butterfly Day in August and Mushroom Day in autumn. Walking paths wind through the different habitats and are easy to navigate.
The site is home to about 800 native plant species found in the Kennemer dunes region, a rare concentration of local flora in one place. Many of these species have become scarce in the wild.
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