Renovated garden

Different every day of the year. The 17,500 plants in the redesigned Rubens garden delight with their new hues every day. The look is completely natural, but the overwhelming array of colours has been meticulously thought-through. Jan Bleys and Jasper Bijnen of Studiebureau Ars Horti based their design on the historical floor plan, looking to the future at the same time. 

 

Historians from Flanders Heritage Agency delved into the past, and Antwerp-based fashion icon Dries Van Noten provided colour advice. The result is a radiant and electrifying garden in every season. Which in terms of tranquillity, look and greenery, recalls the atmosphere of old times, but thanks to contemporary touches is more sustainable, biodiverse and maintenance-friendly than ever.  

Once the plan was approved, the redevelopment started in the autumn of 2022. The contractor handled the heavier work such as planting large trees, shrubs and hedges. The more delicate work was entrusted to staff from the city's greenery service. Besides the annuals and perennials, they were also responsible for planting the two square parterres. 

The yew hedge-lined beds are divided into four smaller rectangles, filled with a colourful flower assortment. Of the 10,000 bulbs, 1,000 are tulips. Like the 40 citrus trees - arranged in wooden barrels, tubs and terracotta pots throughout the rest of the city oasis - the spring blooms show off The Walk in the Garden, a painting by Rubens  

In the parterre in front of the garden pavilion stands a fig tree. It is one of the few plants that researchers are sure Rubens also had in his garden. He bought them from apothecary Peter van den Broeck in the 1630s and, in a letter to his apprentice and caretaker Lucas Faydherbe, Rubens asks the latter to bring figs from the garden. Perhaps as an ingredient for medicine against his attacks of gout. 

A letter from 1638 proves that Rubens also had a pear tree. The rosilepeertjes he describes are still unknown to this day. Sources from the time do however mention a summer pear: Rousselet de Reims. This now stands opposite the fig tree on the other side of the central walkway. Fruit trees including quince, raspberry apple and peach were also given a place in the new design.   

Today there are also trees that Rubens never saw up close in his lifetime. From medlar, black oak and fig to evergreen magnolia from Asia and Kentucky coffeetrees from America. The mix of native classics and exotic eye-catchers should ensure the necessary biodiversity, while the majestic yew or taxus baccata watches over the garden and courtyard like it used to.   

The 21st-century Rubens garden was given layered vegetation. The goal? To put a brake on elements that fuel climate change: high temperatures, flooding during heavy rain, urban noise, CO₂, etc. Six massive water tanks together collect up to 90,000 litres of rainwater. An almost inexhaustible supply for the garden plants and sanitary facilities.  

Unlike a painting, a garden lives and breathes. That's why the museum team and the municipal services worked out a detailed maintenance plan for the next 25 years. The plan describes exactly who is responsible for management and helps safeguard the historical story. In this way, the vision remains faithful in the long term, regardless of the changing colour palette.