colourful facelift for ITC site in Hazerswoude-Dorp |
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In general, Dutch business parks are not known for their greenery. They are often stony sites, filled with buildings and parking spaces. There might be a strip of grass here and there, or a tree growing somewhere, but that's about it. So, there are thousands of opportunities to green and brighten up these areas. At the ITC site in Hazerswoude-Dorp, this was done in part with the help of the De Bonte Berm concept.
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The De Bonte Berm concept originated from the organisation Natuurpro and was developed by a number of green-sector partners, including landscaping company Koninklijke Ginkel Groep and flower bulb supplier JUB Holland. JUB highlighted the concept during a study day at their premises in spring 2023. This is how project manager Danielle Tap, from the Public Space Projects team of the municipality of Alphen aan den Rijn, came into contact with it. When she received the assignment in September 2023 to prepare the Greening ITC Site project, it immediately became an opportunity to apply the De Bonte Berm concept.
making it more attractive
"The business association of the ITC site wants to make the area more attractive," says Tap. "A green environment encourages people to be outside: taking a walk during a break with colleagues, maybe having a meeting outdoors, eating lunch on a bench. De Bonte Berm aligned perfectly with that. I contacted JUB, and shortly after, Ginkel joined in. After the necessary soil and infrastructure surveys, we were ready to start implementation."
implementation plan
Koninklijke Ginkel Groep was responsible for the soil and planting work. Bram van Schaffelaar, ecology project manager and nature-technical advisor at Ginkel, explains: "I translated the soil survey results into an implementation plan. Based on that, we transformed the existing lawn verges into herbaceous verges with flower bulbs. Because of the wet weather, we had to broadcast the bulbs and then cover them with soil. The herbs were part of a seed mix. In principle, the soil always determines the composition of the mix. In this case, we were dealing with fairly heavy soil containing clay and some peat residues. The soil is relatively nutrient-rich and, in places, compacted and hardened. We added crushed shells to the soil we applied after removing the turf. This was necessary to adjust the pH level so that the new soil matched the existing soil and gave the flowering species a good start."
biodiversity
JUB Holland supplied the bulbs for the De Bonte Berm mix, but also planted long-flowering bulb mixes in other parts of the site directly on behalf of the municipality. Job van Eeden, representative at JUB: "It's great to be part of such a partnership. The ITC site is visibly more beautiful and colourful; we regularly receive compliments. In addition to its ornamental value, the site's biodiversity has received a significant boost. It provides plenty of food and shelter for insects, including butterflies and bees, which is incredibly important. By combining herbs and flower bulbs, you create a flowering period of no less than eight months. The first flowers appear early in spring, and colour continues into autumn. What's nice is that such a verge blooms more beautifully and abundantly each year."
good preparation
De Bonte Berm is just one way to green business parks. There are many more concepts, and some business associations, with or without the guidance of a landscaper, take the initiative themselves. "That's fine," says Van Schaffelaar, "as long as a soil survey is conducted beforehand. That's part of proper preparation and is crucial for a project's success."
"What else should you not forget when greening a business park?" I ask Tap and Van Eeden. "Business parks are riddled with underground cables," says Tap. "Electricity, data, gas, sewer pipes—you have to take everything into account. If you want to plant perennials, ornamental shrubs or trees, check whether the intended planting spots are suitable."
"Don't assume you only need one mix for an entire site," Van Eeden adds. "Depending on the situation and soil conditions, it might actually be better to use two or even three different mixes. And another thing: you don't have to tackle the entire site all at once. Feel free to start with a few strips and add more each year, if possible."
subsidies
Finally, Tap points out the national programme Werklandschappen van de Toekomst (Work Landscapes of the Future), which was launched to transform thousands of Dutch business parks into climate-adaptive, healthy, nature-inclusive, and multifunctional attractive working environments. "Subsidies are available for this—good to know for municipalities and business associations, but certainly also for landscapers with commercial clients."
This article was previously published on 24 October 2024 on the website of De Hovenier.
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