It is worthwhile to observe your garden and immediate surroundings. Take a good look around: which plants are thriving? Which ones are taking root, which ones are missing? What is sprouting spontaneously from the seed bank or blowing in on the wind? Some species are welcome and can stay, while others you may want to tackle immediately. Observation often yields fascinating insights.

After four years, our mixed hedge is finally full and beautiful – even though it was very slow to get started. Some customers see the same result after just two years. Part of our flower meadow is now in full bloom, after a few years of timely mowing and removal of clippings. But at my parents' house? Despite the same approach, there are still only two yellow waves: dandelions and creeping buttercups in a sea of long grass. In the beginning, we picked nettles here for soup – surprisingly tasty, by the way – now we are happy if a few remain, for the butterflies. Water mint proliferates in many gardens, but ours remains modest. Some struggle against encroaching brambles and bindweed, others fight for a closed turf. Every garden is different.

Why these differences? You guessed it: the answer lies beneath our feet, in the soil. Our garden is located on thin loamy soil with lots of stones. If you stick a spade in the ground here, you will soon hit a hard layer of pebbles. If we have difficulty digging a hole, imagine what a small plant has to endure to take root. Rock plants do surprisingly well here. In addition, we live on a steep slope: the highest point of the garden is 60 metres higher than the valley on the street side. Rain washes away many nutrients here, which helps the flower meadow that thrives better on nutrient-poor soils, and the higher areas are noticeably drier than the lower ones. It is not surprising that different plants grow there.

The soil determines what will grow well on it. It is all about the ratio of sand, loam, clay or lime, the organic matter content, the acidity, the soil structure, but also the soil life and the general fertility. The diversity of plants in your garden reflects, in a sense, the diversity of soil life below ground level.

Berry bushes, vegetables and hedge plants grow quickly in fertile soil. But nettles, brambles, ground elder and bindweed will also flourish. Creating a flower meadow becomes more difficult: grasses remain dominant and you have to mow and remove them for years to impoverish the soil and give flowers a chance.

If, on the other hand, you live on poor sandy soil, a flower meadow is often feasible – but other plants, or even grass, will have a harder time. So take a good look at what grows spontaneously in the nature around your home. This often gives a good indication of what is possible in your garden. Also bear in mind that in cities or new housing developments, soils are often severely disturbed and compacted.

The composition of your soil and choosing the right plants are basic principles of a healthy, living and ecological garden. That is why we created two webinars on this topic (Currently only available in Dutch):

• “Your soil in balance, the basis of an ecological garden” - Here we take a closer look at the soil: how can you carry out soil tests yourself to gain more insight? What can you do to bring your soil into balance?
• "The right plant in the right place" helps you make smart plant choices based on your soil and location characteristics for better results.

Two basic principles that make gardening more enjoyable, less frustrating and more predictable. 

Be sure to take a look and enjoy the SUMMER2025 summer discount of 10% (until the end of August). Don't hesitate to ask questions and enjoy gardening!