Arnoldshof
This is a small garden between the walls of our garage and two old sheds and the Taxus hedge on the boundary of our tract. Naturally it had a self-contained character, which we have accentuated by giving it a regular lay-out. It could not be totally symmetrical because of the slanting boundary but that does not show too much.
The old pear tree - one of only two trees we found here when we started the Arnoldshof - which we had to incorporate in the design, survived only a few years. We replaced it by a walnut tree, Juglans regia 'Broadview', which bears fruit abundantly at a young age without a pollinator. In the beds we planted many peonies; they grow and flower reasonably well, thanks to the clay we added here to our poor sandy soil.
The small court-yard looks welcoming and cheerful. Various plants may seed themselves, like Aquilegia vulgaris, Seseli libanotis, Tanacetum niveum, Allium aflatunense, and this results in a relaxed atmosphere.
