Renovated garden

Read more about the redesign of the new garden. The new design by landscape architects Ars Horti and fashion designer Dries Van Noten is all about tranquillity.

Renovated garden

A nod to the past, but looking to the future

Different every day of the year. The 22,000 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.  

Get stuck in

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  

Yellow path, green tunnel

To create a lush carpet effect in spring, additional tulips are planted every year. In the central axis of each parterre is an imposing marble vase and a bluestone fountain. The paths between the flowerbeds are covered with yellow-coloured HanseGrand, a permeable material with a colour that matches the architecture of Rubens' studio.    

A copper-green steel structure with ivy, grapevines, hops, honeysuckle and roses forms a covered garden path around the garden. The word gaelderije (gallery) in a deed from 1610 suggests that Rubens also had a similar tree tunnel. The tunnel raises its green beacon of tranquillity even more into a hortus conclusus, an enclosed garden that makes you forget how close the busy city is.  

 

The same, and yet (bio)diverse

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 garden in figures

  • 39 trees   
  • 5441 perennials  
  • 631 climbing plants  
  • 15,025 flower bulbs and exotics  
  • 346 shrubs  
  • 438 hedge plants  
  • 30 orangery plants  
  • 50 aquatic plants  

A long-term vision

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. 

 

Plant list

Plant Names and Cultivars
Acanthus mollis 'Hollande du Nord'
Acanthus spinosus
Achillea millefolium 'Terracota'
Aconitum henryi 'Spark's Variety'
Aconitum vulparia
Adiantum pedatum 'Imbricatum'
Alcea rosea 'Nigra'
Alcea suffrutescens 'Parkallee'
Alchemilla erythropoda
Allium ursinum
Althea officinalis
Amaranthus caudatus Coral Fountain 
Anemone nemorosa
Anemone pavonina
Angelica archangelica
Angelica atropurpurea
Anthemis nobilis
Aquilegia vulgaris
Arbutus unedo
Armoracia rusticana
Artemisia abrotanum
Artemisia dracunculus
Asarum europaeum
Asplenium scolopendrium
Astrantia carniolica 'Rubra'
Athyrium filix-femina 'Lady in red'
Plant Names and Cultivars
Bellis perennis 'Pomponette' - Bellis perennis 'Pomponette Rosa' - Bellis perennis Bella Daisy Red - Bellis perennis Bella Daisy White 
Bellis perennis mix red, pink, white - regular Bellis perrenis 
Blitum virgatum
Borago officinalis
Plant Names and Cultivars
Calendula officinalis 'Bronzed Beauty' - Cal. Off. Touch of Red Buff
Calendula officinalis 'Ivory princess'
Calycanthus floridus
Campanula lactiflora 'Border Blues'
Campanula persicifolia
Campanula poscharskyana
Campanula trachelium
Cautleya spicata 'Robusta'
Centaurea scabiosa
Ceratophyllum demersum
Choisya ternata
Cichorum intybus
Citrus aurantifolia
Citrus aurantium 'Salicifolia'
Citrus aurantium 'Striata' of 'Bizzaria'
Citrus Japonica Kumquat
Citrus latifolia
Citrus limon
Citrus limonia Osbeck
Citrus mitis
Citrus paradisi
Citrus sinensis
Citrus volkmeriana
Claytonia perfoliata
Clematis alpina
Clematis armandii
Clematis vitalba
Codonopsis vinciflora
Consolida regalis
Convalaria majalis
Convalaria majalis 'Rosea'
Coreopsis verticillata 'Moonbeam'
Corydalis solida
Crocus Angustifolius 'Bronze form'
Crocus sativus
Crocus speciosus
Crocus tommasinianus
Crocus tommasinianus 'Albus'
Cyclamen coum
Cyclamen coum 'Album'
Cyclamen hederifolium
Cydonia oblonga 'Champion'
Cymbalaria muralis
Cynara cardunculus
Cyrtomium falcatum
Plant Names and Cultivars
Daucus carota 'Dara'
Dianthus carthusianorum
Dianthus deltoides
Dicentra macrocapnos
Dictamnus albus
Digitalis ferruginea 'Gigantea'
Digitalis purpurea
Dipsacus fullonum
Plant Names and Cultivars
Elodea canadensis
Epimedium pubigerum 'Orangekönigin'
Eranthis hyemalis
Erigeron karvinskianus
Erodium cicutarium
Erythronium dens-canis
Erythronium dens-canis 'Pagoda'
Eupatorium maculatum 'Atropurpureum'
Euphorbia characias subsp. Wulfenii
Euphorbia griffithii 'Beauty Orange'
Plant Names and Cultivars
Fatsia japonica
Ficus cariaca
Foeniculum vulgare 'Giant Bronze'
Fragaria vesca
Fritillaria imperialis
Fritillaria meleagris
Fritillaria meleagris 'alba'
Fritillaria persica
Fritillaria uva-vulpis
Plant Names and Cultivars
Galanthus nivalis
Galium odoratum
Geranium phaeum 'Mourning Widow'
Geranium pyrenaicum
Geum rivale
Gymnocladus dioica
Plant Names and Cultivars
Hedera colchica 'Dentata'
Hedera helix 'Hibernica'
Hedera helix 'Sagittifolia'
Helianthus 'Lemon Queen'
Helianthus annuus 'Velvet Queen'
Helleborus foetidus
Helleborus niger 'Atrorubens'
Hemerocallis altissima
Hemerocallis fulva
Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus
Hepatica nobilis
Humulus lupus
Hyacinthoïdes non-scripta
Hyssop officinalis
Plant Names and Cultivars
Ilex koehnear chestnut leaf
Iris f. 'Citrina'
Iris g. 'Black Knight'
Iris g. 'Indian Chief'
Iris siberica
Plant Names and Cultivars
Jasminum officinale
Juniperus communis

 

Plant Names and Cultivars
Koelreuteria paniculata 

 

Plant Names and Cultivars
Laurus nobilis 
Lavandula 'Hidcote'
Lespedeza thunbergii
Leucojum aestivum
Leucojum vernum
Leucothoe fontanesiana
Lilium candidum
Lilium martagon
Lobelia cardinalis
Lonicera 'Copper Beauty'
Lunaria annua 'Sissinghurst White'
Lysimachia ephemerum
Plant Names and Cultivars
Magnolia grandiflora ‘Ferruginea’
Malus domestica 'rode herfstcaville' 
Mespilus germanica
Monarda didyma
Morus alba
Morus rotundiloba Mojo Berry Noble 
Myosotis sylvatica
Myrtus communis
Plant Names and Cultivars
Narcissus 'albus plenus odoratus'
Narcissus 'Elka'
Narcissus poeticus 'recurvus'
Nigella damascena Miss jekyll Indigo Blue
Nymphoides peltata
Plant Names and Cultivars
Olea europeana
Oleander nerum
Origanum vulgare
Ornithogalum nutans
Osmunda regalis 'Purpurascens'

 

Plant Names and Cultivars
Pachyphragma macrophyllum
Paeonia delavayi
Paeonia Duchesse de Nemours
Paeonia officinalis 'Rubra plena'
Paeonia tenuifolia
Papaver orientalis 'Beauty of Livermere'
Partenocissus quinquefolia 
Pistachia Lentiscus
Polygonatum multiflorum
Polypodium vulgare
Polystichum polyblepharum
Polystichum setiferum
Poncirus trifoliata
Potamogeton crispus
Primula auricula
Primula elatior
Primula veris
Primula vulgaris
Primula wanda
Prunus persica 'Reine des Vergers'
Pulmonaria officinalis
Pulsatilla vulgaris
Punica granatum
Pyrus communis 'Rousselet'

 

Plant Names and Cultivars
Quercus nigra
Quercus x turneri 'Pseudoturneri'

 

Plant Names and Cultivars
Ranunculus aconitifolius 'Pleniflorus'
Ranunculus acris flore pleno
Rheum rhabarbarum
Ribes rubrum
Ribes uva-crispa
Ricinus communis 'Honolulu' 
Robinia pseudoacacia
Rosa 'Annelies'
Rosa 'Charles Austin'
Rosa 'Climbing Etoile de Hollande' 
Rosa 'Coralin'
Rosa 'Crimson Glory 
Rosa 'Fighting Termeraire'
Rosa 'G. von Hardenberg'
Rosa 'Ghislaine de Féligonde'
Rosa 'Leontine Gervais' 
Rosa 'Night Owl'
Rosa 'Phyllis Bide'
Rosa 'Pierre de Ronsard'
Rosa 'Purple Skyliner'
Rosa 'Raubritter' 
Rosa 'Roseraie de l'Haÿ'
Rosa 'Treasure Trove' 
Rosa 'Zephirine Drouhin'
Rosa ‘petit serpent’
Rosa Banksiae lutea
Rosa Félicité et perpétue
Rosa gallica 'Officinalis'
Rosa Paul Noël
Rosa Paul Noël' 
Rosa Spinossisima/pimpinellifolia
Rosa x centifolia
Rosa Xanthina 'canary bird'
Rosmarinus officinalis
Rosmarinus prostratus 'Repens'
Rubus fruticosus 'Thornless Evergreen'
Ruta graveolens

 

Plant Names and Cultivars
Salvia officinalis
Salvia uliginosa
Sanguisorba officinalis 'Tanna'
Sarcococca confusa
Saxifraga geum
Scilia bifolia
Sedum telephium
Smyrnium perfoliatum
Symphytum officinalis

 

Plant Names and Cultivars
Tagetes lucida - Tagetes lucida 'Sweet Mace'
Tagetes patula
Tagetes patula linnaeus 
Taxus baccata
Taxus baccata
Thymus vulgaris
Tillia platyphyllos
Trifolium rubens
Trochodendron aralioides
Tropaeolum speciosum
Tulipa 'Black and White'
Tulipa Absalon
Tulipa Acuminata
Tulipa Alba Regalis
Tulipa Bacchus
Tulipa Batalinii 'Bronze Charm'
Tulipa clusiana
Tulipa clusiana 'peppermintstick'
Tulipa duc van tol Red and Yellow
Tulipa duc van tol Violet
Tulipa eichleri
Tulipa Insulinde
Tulipa Julia Farnese
Tulipa Lac van Rijn
Tulipa Little Princes
Tulipa Maryland
Tulipa Rubens broken
Tulipa Sprengeri
Tulipa Sylvestris
Tulipa The Lizard
Tulipa Turkestanica
Tulipa Whittallii

 

Plant Names and Cultivars
Valeriana officinalis
Veronica verna 
Viburnum opulus 'Roseum'
Vinca minor
Viola canina
Viola lutea subsp. Calaminaria
Viola odorata
Vitis vinifera