As a landscape architect, I am fortunate to manage a garden in the city where I reside. The garden, nestled between walls, the rectory, and the neo-Gothic church, belongs to the St. George’s Church—a secluded haven.

This garden serves as my experimental sanctuary, where a tapestry of diverse species engages in a subtle dance. Planted individually, it metamorphoses through the seasons—from the springtime spectacle of tulips to the subsequent reign of perennials, roses, Asters, and Dahlias. In this rhythmic ballet of nature, the garden's exuberance unfurls, seamlessly blending the transient with the timeless. Welcome to Hortus Conclusus, where each season weaves its own narrative.

Hortus Conclusus - A Blooming Haven
Inspired by the ancient concept of the enclosed garden or Hortus Conclusus, described in the Song of Songs, the garden concept symbolizes virginity: the fertile place protected against evil. Tucked away by the church and concealed behind the rectory, it serves as a metaphorical earthly paradise, bursting with colors, scents, and textures. Ottoman paradise gardens also influenced me, where ornamental plants, herbs, and vegetables coexisted in harmony.  The Hortus Conclusus also alludes to the very first gardens that humans created: enclosed plots of land surrounding water sources in the oases of the Persian deserts called pari-daeza.
The water flowing through the tram rail serves as a nod to the paradisiacal rivers and the wellspring of life.

The black wall, reminiscent of 17th-century floral still lives, sets the stage for my homage to Antwerp's tulip legacy. With 5,000 tulips in about 400 varieties, I've recreated a vibrant tapestry akin to Rubens' tulip garden.

At various times throughout the year, the garden opens its gates to visitors. Information on these events is shared through mailings and the Instagram page, hortusconclususantwerp.