![JacPThijsseHeader copy](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5818/21833445501_286e3c5824_b.jpg)
This is the first in a series of posts that are long overdue, regarding my trip to The Netherlands this past autumn with Carolyn Mullett and Carex Tours.
![JacPThijssePark48](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5733/21787662316_9b2f5d8505_c.jpg)
Our first garden visited during our tour was the Jac P. Thijsse Park, which is named after a famed naturalist, but designed by Christiaan P. Broerse.
![JacPThijssePark41](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5683/21192730533_11b3fcd454_b.jpg)
Located in Amstelveen, a part of the greater Amsterdam metro area, the park is a long, narrow strip of land, bisected by several bodies of water, surrounded by houses and businesses...very much an urban park.
![JacPThijssePark49](https://farm1.staticflickr.com/670/21823319451_b5f1ac13c0_c.jpg)
While quite long, the width of the park varies considerably, I believe (if memory serves) that at its narrowest point, it is only about 10 meters wide! Amazingly, I would never have known that...it's so cleverly (and thickly) planted, that you feel you are in the middle of a vast wild area.
![JacPThijssePark47](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5816/21625771800_4f0e77c3d1_b.jpg)
The winding waterways create a sense of "island hopping"...you are constantly going across small bridges...the non-linear quality of the paths make the park seem much larger than it really is.
![JacPThijssePark38](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5712/21813844955_6a6b20a16d_c.jpg)
As luck would have it...it was POURING rain at this point...and we actually had to wait under some trees for the deluge to let up a bit. Even with a rain coat and umbrella, I was soaked!
![JacPThijssePark32](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5702/21626965829_41ab8074c0_c.jpg)
The entire area is mostly peat...and, as such, Heathers thrive here. They were astounding...growing so thickly and happily.
![JacPThijssePark35](https://farm1.staticflickr.com/583/21191103694_7ff35d20c3_b.jpg)
They completely blanketed the ground...what a glorious groundcover!
![JacPThijssePark51](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5667/21634483540_1d4c7ac5c3_c.jpg)
I need to find the name of this plant...I believe it was some sort of "swamp asphodel"...or something like that. The orange seed pods featured prominently all over the park.
![JacPThijssePark19](https://farm1.staticflickr.com/644/21192830753_885a29bdae_c.jpg)
Paired with the pink of the Heather...it made for a striking combination.
![JacPThijssePark28](https://farm1.staticflickr.com/611/21625839450_288b1c64b1_c.jpg)
The rolling nature of the topography was accentuated by the carpet of Heather.
![JacPThijssePark18](https://farm1.staticflickr.com/569/21192835693_9b1ccfeced_b.jpg)
To be honest, this area felt like it could have easily been in the PNW.
![JacPThijssePark23](https://farm1.staticflickr.com/762/21626021608_903dd4aca3_b.jpg)
So many plants that I assumed needed shade were growing in full sun.
![JacPThijssePark21](https://farm1.staticflickr.com/666/21626032698_705e8567d5_b.jpg)
The entire park, while lushly planted, didn't feel overtly "garden-y". It felt more like enhanced nature...a managed and, perhaps, slightly idealized version of a natural landscape.
![JacPThijssePark14](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5718/21625911760_3e29c68de4_b.jpg)
Everywhere you looked, there were patterns...but they didn't feel contrived or forced.
![JacPThijssePark12](https://farm1.staticflickr.com/658/21627069279_8f474e031b_c.jpg)
Instead, there was a pervasive sense of calm and serenity.
![JacPThijssePark13](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5621/21787809936_cdc1eb1d2b_b.jpg)
And while there were indeed a few pops of saturated color...
![JacPThijssePark8](https://farm1.staticflickr.com/696/21823496511_1df32edfbe_b.jpg)
...the tones were mostly muted...making for a much more calming experience. This isn't a garden/park that shouts for attention...it's content to let you discover its charms slowly.
![JacPThijssePark6](https://farm1.staticflickr.com/735/21191258644_e5396bbc79_c.jpg)
One thing of note, being on peaty ground meant that anytime we stepped off the path (accidentally, of course), the ground moved under us like a waterbed...it was fascinating...and slightly disturbing!
![JacPThijssePark4](https://farm1.staticflickr.com/593/21625969430_c9888e2a3e_b.jpg)
I can only imagine how wonderful it is for those who live nearby to be able to come to this park and feel utterly immersed in such beauty.
![JacPThijssePark2](https://farm1.staticflickr.com/684/21192926643_b4bc18d7df_b.jpg)
At every turns, there is another beautiful view.
![JacPThijssePark5](https://farm1.staticflickr.com/654/21787856826_93e5cc7fa8_c.jpg)
And so I leave you with one more shot of the Jac P. Thijsse Park...I hope you enjoyed it...and if you're ever in Amsterdam, I highly recommend visiting it!
Up next, we visit the very first Oudolf-designed garden of our trip, the Leuvehaven in Rotterdam.
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