The Belmonte Arboretum is on top of the Wageningse Berg in the city of Wageningen, province Gelderland, the Netherlands.
Facts en figures:
There are different approaches to qualify garden and collection: beautiful pictures, witrth description and the correct name, but facts and figures are also an exprssion of the abundance! An overview:
10,7 hectare
4 kilometre walking paths
10.000 plants in a database with descriptions and known origin;
6.000 different species;
30 % wild origin, 70 % cultivars;
120 mother-trees;
7 National Plant Collections
850 species rhododendrons;
500 species rozen
Landscape:
From David Zocher up to now…
The garden as you see it now has a design history of almost two hundred years. The logical, historical line in the landscape was cruelly disrupted by the Second World War. In 2015, historical research was carried out, among other things to find out about the design history of our garden. This research was done by René Siemens, the results have been described in a special Bulletin, to be ordered for €5,=.
Broad line
The history of the landscape begins in the second part of the 19th century, when the fields on the “Wageningse Berg” are used initially to build a tea pavilion, and to design a garden around it. The original designs are by David Zocher jr, a landscape architect who was influenced by the English Landscape school. Lawns, plant sections and mainly round shapes characterized the garden. From old photographs and available maps, we see that, over the years, a number of changes have been applied. For example, the entrance of the garden used to be a lot further east.
After the war
After the second World War, not a lot was left over from the garden. On what was then still the estate Belmonte, German supplies for the war had been stored, a target for shootings and bombings. To protect both themselves and the supplies, grooves were made by bulldozers that could accommodate trucks with supplies. These grooves were covered with large trees that had been cut down.
Botanical garden
In 1951, a design by professor Bijhouwer was used to turn the garden into an arboretum. Longer, straight lines became the leading concept, collections were planted. Later, a large rododendron collection was added, for which purpose the eastern part was reshaped. The last changes that were carried out happened in 2015, when the entire rose collection was replanted.
History:
The “Wageningse Berg”
The “Wageningse Berg” is steep. In the third glacial period, an ice tongue ran through the “Gelderse Vallei”, that pushed the soft earth forward on either side. Thus, the “Veluwemassief”, with the “Wageningse Berg”was created in the eastern part. The “Utrechtse Heuvelrug” with the “Grebbeberg” was formed in the western part. Because of the ice in the river bed, the Rhine could no longer flow northward and turned westward. When the ice melted, the earth that had been pushed away by the the ice tongue was carried off through the river, thus creating the steep walls of the “Wageningse Berg” and “Grebbeberg”.
Estate
The estate Belmonte was founded in the middle of the nineteenth century, by Thierry Juste, baron De Constant Rebecque de Villars. Around 1845, he built a resplendant country house in Italian style on the highest point of Belmonte. His father in law bought adjacent parcels of land, resulting in an estate of seventeen acres. For years, barons and baronesses lived there, in the house that came into possession of “Het Gelders Landschap” foundation in 1936.
Second World War
Twice, in 1940 during a German attack, and in 1944, during Operation Market Garden by the Allied Forces, Wageningen was the scene of serious fighting. In both cases, the estate Belmonte was hit. A report, made up after the war to establish damage to buildings, stated that there was heavy damage. At the end of the war, the estate with the country house, outbuildings and garden lay-out had been destroyed for the large part. From the house, only ruins were left, and many trees had been severely damaged.
Botanic garden
Wageningen UR (at the time still known as Agricultural University) bought the estate in 1951 for a modest sum of money, in order to expand the botanic garden “De Dreijen”. In 1954, the restoration of Belmonte and the lay-out of the arboretum were so far advanced that the botanic garden was opened. At that time there were, apart from the original line of trees in the center, only small trees. Deciduous trees, because there were already many collections of conifers. Belmonte has only few conifers. The ideas for the lay-out and revegetation came from professor Bijlhouwer and professor Venema.
From University garden to the Belmonte Arboretum Foundation
The botanic gardens in Wageningen were no longer used for education and research, which made WageningenUR look for another solution. Together with “Het Geldersch Landschap” and the “Arboretum Stichting Wageningen”, it was decided in 2012 to establish the Belmonte Arboretum Foundation, and instruct this Foundation to make the garden self-sufficient, both in a fiancial and management aspect. As of 2017, the three ‘founding fathers’ are no longer involved in finances or management, and the Belmonte Arboretum Foundation is independent.
Owner:
Managing Belmonte Arboretum: different choices
As of 2012, the Belmonte Arboretum Foundation manages the arboretum. A number of things have changed in that time. The implementation is now done over the period of several years by “De Enk Groen en Golf” from Renkum.
A more natural image – We want a more natural image than before, one that renders justice to all functions of this garden. Consequently, offer more space to, for example, butterflies, insects and birds, by mowing the grass areas later, allowing them to blossom and go to seed. Moreover, the special collections need to be preserved at all times for future generations, the main aspect of our management.
No chemical detergentia– we use no chemical products in the daily maintenance. With one exception: when collections are threatened by diseases. But no preventive spraying, in any case. In a more natural image, we do not mind a few weeds here and there, we really want a lot of herbal plants, it is all right for the paths to have weeds here and there.
No plants around the trees– The black plant circles around the trees in the lawns, customary in the old days, have now been replaced by grass, to achieve a more natural and harmonious image. Grass can, of course, be mowed closer to the tree and less maintenance of the borders is required. However, additional manual mowing is now required.
Mulch with leaf around roses and rododendons – Around the roses and rododendrons, a thick layer of leaf has been applied, well up to 15 cm. This thick layer prevents weeds from growing too abundantly, and now less irrigation is required. The roots of the rododendrons have the additional advantage of not getting too cold in winter or too hot in summer. Nice for these plants.
Heath compost under rododendrons – For fertilizing, we choose as much as possible for organic material, such as compost. In 2013, we applied heath compost around the rododendrons for the first time, natural nutrition offering a boost to the plants.
Moderate irrigation – We irrigate with moderation: the sooner in the season you start, the lazier the plants become, and then you need to give even more water. Watch the plants closely and irrigate in time, is the motto here.
Safety and quiet – We take the good of the public to heart. We pay attention to the safety in the park, we keep an eye on the healthy condition of the trees and, if necessary, remove those that present a danger. Even for that, we try to avoid working with motor mowers, the gardener works as often as he can with electric mowers and leaf-blowers. Much less noise, and therefore nicer for visitors. In the near future, we plan to put solar panels on the roof of the Koetshuis which provides a sustainable, integral solution.
Opening hours:
7 days a week
from sunrise till sunset
Free entrance
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