In the garden of Huize Frankendael
Huize Frankendael, the only remaining outdoor place of Amsterdam Watergraafsmeer, has a beautiful 18th-century courtyard garden. Everyone is welcome in the beautiful, monumental villa with its special garden and rich history. That is why the garden always needs to look good. Many volunteers contribute to this on Wednesday mornings from 10:00 to 11:30. So, if you are looking for something nice to do in your spare time, you can do some ‘high profile’ volunteer work!
Changes
Although many details from 1800 have been preserved inside the house, the garden has been reorganised many times. The courtyard garden as well as the plant nursery and the botanical garden. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, city district Oost/Watergraafsmeer decided recover Frankendael’s public function. Behind the house a quasi eighteenth-century, symmetrical garden was constructed, with characteristic flower beds, low boxwood hedges and parterres.
Now this garden has beautiful white stone-paths and behind the ornamental garden Park Frankendael is located. The volunteers who maintain the garden work there on every Wednesday morning and enjoy a cup of tea in the restaurant afterwards. Many hands make light work, so if you like working in the garden, then just pop by some time to help them out. Or check out Frankendael Orchards for more information.
Sunday tour
On Sundays Huize Frankendael is open to the public; everyone is invited to have a look around and join in with the free guided tour that is held at noon. There is nearly always a special exhibition of contemporary art. These tours are also guided by volunteers.
Every day you can enjoy a drink in the coachhouse, and delicious food from restaurant Merkelbach. Four times a year a Soiree is organised: a lively night with music, theater and visual arts. Huize Frankendael is in short a green, cultural and culinary oasis in the busy city (Source: Vrijwilligerscentrale). Huize Frankendael is easy to reach with tram 9, stop Kruislaan bus 152, 136 & 15, stop Middenweg bus 37, stop Maxwellstraat – Hugo de Vrieslaan.
Would you also like to do ‘high profile’ volunteer work? The gardening work is organised by Lynn Shore from River of Herbs and not by Huize Frankendael itself.
Photo credits: Facebook/Huize Frankendael