It's been called the most beautiful vegetable garden in Belgium. We think this is an understatement.
Kasteel van Heks' edible garden was created 240 years ago, on a gentle slope in Heers (about 70 miles southeast of Antwerp), and has been under cultivation ever since. We discovered it via the Instagram feed of talented UK-based photographer Jason Ingram:
Photography via Kasteel van Heks except where noted.
Above: "Kitchen garden perfection," @jasoningram wrote of this September view.
Built in the late 18th century for the Prince-Bishop of Liège, Kasteel van Heks is currently owned by Count and Countess Stéphanie Ghislain d'Ursel.
Above: The original layout of the vegetable garden (at Left) was in the shape of a cross, inspired by the gardens at Versailles. In the 19th century, boxwood hedges and fancifully shaped borders gave way to a boxier shape to maximize the size of planting beds. In the 20th century, paths were widened to accommodate tractor wheels.
"Despite these interventions, the garden's authenticity over the centuries has preserved; it is one of the few examples that, without interruption, for almost 250 years has been cultivated," the owners note.
Above: The garden in early springtime (late in March).
Above: Philippe Van den Bulck, the castle's vegetables chef, harvests mid-summer crops in July.
Above: Spring seedlings.
Above: Under cultivation are many varieties of "historical table fruit," including Doyonnnée and Comtesse de Paris pears.
Above: Last October's harvest yielded carrots, rosemary, dill, cauliflower, and lettuce.
Above: April's crops include white asparagus, parsley, and curly purple lettuce.
Above: Inside the greenhouse last week, seedlings waited for spring. The gardens and grounds at Kasteel van Heks will be open to the public from June 12 to June 14. For more information, see Hex.
For more edible garden inspiration, see:
- Garden Visit: The French Laundry in California's Napa Valley.
- Celia's Garden: At Home with an English Artist and Her Chickens.
- Required Reading: The Beautiful Edible Garden.
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