Arboretum Kalmthout

About the garden

Owned by Abraham Rammeloo and designed by Russell Page and Piet Oudolf, Arboretum Kalmthout has a history dating back to 1856, when the dendrologist Charles Van Geert established a proving ground in Kalmthout for his nursery in Antwerp. It remained a nursery until 1952, when brothers Georges and Robert De Belder bought the site to create their private botanical garden. In 1954, they received assistance from Jelena Kovačič, who would soon marry Robert and transform the grounds into a pleasant and atmospheric arboretum.

The new owners favoured a natural-looking garden with perennials, creepers, shrubs and trees. The plants they introduced came from friends and growers worldwide. They collected seeds in the wild and also selected a great number of new cultivars, in particular Prunus, Malus, Pieris, Hamamelis and Hydrangea.

Since the mid-1980s, when the Antwerp provincial authority bought the site, the property has been expanded and now measures over 33 acres. No matter the season, Arboretum Kalmthout is always worth a visit.