Assortment choice: think of a pine! |
|
|
|
|
 |
| 125 sec |
You can do beautiful things with it
In the development of large green projects in cities, for example near a station or square, conifers are increasingly planted alongside deciduous trees. But in private gardens they are hardly seen. Teije de Haan, account manager at Boom & Bonheur, finds that unfortunate; that is why he likes to make a case for the pine.
 |
When De Haan joined Boom & Bonheur a few years ago, he was surprised by the large number of pines at the nursery. “I have a background in forestry and did not associate pines with gardens or public greenery. At the time, it felt strange to me, but over the years I have seen beautiful examples of what is possible. In the meantime, fortunately, the pine has gained some ground, but it is still not a common tree in private gardens. In Germany it is, by the way. Because pines remain green all year round, they are often used there in larger gardens for the *Sichtschutz* they provide—to block unwanted views, in other words.” One reason why pines were not often planted in Dutch private gardens is the assumption that it is not possible to (trans)plant a mature pine. “That is outdated information,” says De Haan firmly. He explains: “If you grow a pine the right way, you replant it every four years, until it is sold and placed in its final spot. It is possible that there is some planting shock and the pine drops some needles, but generally it works out fine. Such a pine really gives character to a garden. Pines create a certain atmosphere. You can do beautiful things with them; you are essentially placing a work of art in your garden.”
Character
Pinus sylvestris is a native conifer, commonly seen on poor sandy soils where it was planted for forestry. It is usually called 'Scots pine' or 'vliegden'. It is a fast grower. De Haan: “The special thing about Pinus sylvestris is that you can influence its growth. Each tree is unique, but by letting a Scots pine grow crookedly or develop an open crown, you give it even more character. It then fits, for example, in a garden with a Japanese appearance.” Boom & Bonheur experiments with Pinus sylvestris and cultivated the varieties Pinus sylvestris ‘Windbraut’ and Pinus sylvestris ‘Lappens Japanese’. De Haan: “We intentionally grew Pinus sylvestris ‘Windbraut’ crooked and twisted. It attracts people looking for inspiration for their dream garden. Because of its whimsical shape, these trees are popular. At the nursery we have a special section with extra crooked specimens. Pinus sylvestris ‘Lappens Japanese’ strongly evokes associations with the Japanese garden. This in-house selection is allowed to grow broadly, almost like a shrubby pine. It is fairly all-round, but thrives better in poorer soils than in rich ones. It is also easy to prune and thus easy to keep in check. It grows steadily in all directions. Also a tree with character.'
|
|
Pinus sylvestris is a native conifer, commonly seen on poor sandy soils
| |
|
Beauty and added value
'Until recently we worked with a landscape architect who specialized in designing luxury private gardens,' says De Haan. 'He regularly came to the nursery to select special pines. Unfortunately, he has now retired, but i have always admired his view on using characterful conifers. It would be wonderful if other landscapers and garden architects would also recognize the beauty and added value of a special pine in the garden. They can introduce it to the end customer, because that is who should ultimately enjoy it. My appeal is therefore: Think of a pine! You have to learn to appreciate it and, above all, see the possibilities it offers.'
This article was previously published on october 1, 2025 on the website
of de hovenier.
| LOG IN
with your email address to respond.
|
|
|
| There are no comments yet. |
Tip the editors
|
