The "Flemish garden" is an expression that is often heard in Belgium — often rightly so, sometimes with a bit of ambiguity. Behind the word, there is a real tradition, geographically and historically rooted between French Flanders, Belgian Flanders, and the Netherlands, which has produced some of the most influential landscape designers in the world in recent decades — starting withJacques Wirtz, based in Schoten near Antwerp, who was recently featured in an article by the New York Times and whose gardens have been ranked among the most beautiful in the world.
This article is neither an aesthetic manifesto nor a Pinterest catalogue. This is what we explain to our clients from Brabant Wallon or the south of Brussels when they tell us :"we would like something Flemish".Specifically: what does that mean, where does it come from, and how do we adapt it to a private garden in French-speaking Belgium?
Where does the Flemish style come from? A tradition of the enclosed garden
To understand what distinguishes a Flemish garden, we must go back to the Middle Ages. The region — which covers French Flanders from Lille to Dunkirk, present-day Belgian Flanders, and part of the Netherlands — developed a tradition of theenclosed garden(in Latinhortus conclusus, "enclosed garden").
This is not a detail of erudition: it is the DNA of style. The Flemish Primitives — Jan Van Eyck, Hans Memling, Rogier van der Weyden — painted dozens of enclosed gardens in the 15th century, planted behind brick walls, with grass benches, trellises, and dense, calm vegetation. The Dutch wordtuin(garden) actually comes fromtuun, which originally referred to thefence made of woven branches— in other words, the enclosure before planting. Everything is said in the etymology: the Flemish garden is an inside before being an outside.This taste for the protected, structured garden, which appeals more to the mass of vegetation than to floral extravagance, transcends the centuries. The beguinages of Bruges, Ghent, or Leuven — all classified as UNESCO World Heritage sites — are their direct heirs: planted, calm inner courtyards designed for contemplation.
This taste for the protected, structured garden, which appeals more to the mass of vegetation than to floral extravagance, has traversed the centuries. The beguinages of Bruges, Ghent, or Leuven — all classified as UNESCO World Heritage sites — are their direct heirs: planted, calm inner courtyards designed for contemplation.
The five characteristics of a contemporary Flemish garden
Documentary sources (Wikipedia – Flemish garden) and observation of contemporary Belgian landscapers allow us to identify five invariants. This is what we must rely on to avoid confusing "Flemish garden" with "small dry paved garden."
1. Structure takes precedence over flowering
In a Flemish garden, one looks atthe shape before the colour. Trimmed hedges, topiaries, alignments, controlled geometry: what structures the garden is visible all year round. Flowers are not absent, but they are a seasonal event — not the fabric.
2. A dominance of evergreens
The presence of persistent elements is strong, allowing these gardens tomaintain a "clean" appearance even in winter.This is a climatic criterion: in our latitudes, six months out of twelve without deciduous leaves, a garden must be able to stand without them. Boxwood (when the box tree moth allows it — see later), yew, holly, and hornbeam kept in a trimmed hedge play this role.
3. A restricted plant palette, planted in mass.
Plants are plantedin dense masses, and are not very varied.Five to ten well-chosen, repeated species are better than twenty poorly articulated ones. Foliage plants prevail over flowering plants; flowers provide a touch of colour in an eventful manner.
4. Materials from the North.
Brick, blue stone ("small granite" from Hainaut), limestone from Tournai. These are the materials that the region has historically produced, and which naturally interact with Belgian brick facades. Patinated wood (oak, black locust), corten steel, and light gravel are now integrated, but they remain accent materials — the base remains mineral.
5. A controlled degradation towards nature.
A characteristic often forgotten but essential: a well-designed Flemish garden evolvesfrom a more controlled area near the house to a freer one as you move away.The surroundings of the building are rigorous; the periphery can become wilder — late-mown meadows, groves, ponds. It is this contrast that prevents the "over-controlled" and gives life to the garden.
Three Belgian landscape architects who have defined the style today.
If the "Flemish style" has such an international reputation, it is largely thanks to three contemporary figures, all Belgian, whose works are publicly documented.
Jacques Wirtz (1924-2018) — the global reference
Born in Schoten in 1924 and trained at the Horticultural School of Vilvoorde, Jacques Wirtz founded his agency in 1950. Hispublic revelationcame during the World Expo in Osaka in 1970, where he designed the Belgian pavilion — it was there that he drew inspiration from Japanese topiary to develop his signature: the"clouds" of trimmed evergreensthat undulate in his gardens.
His international career is unparalleled: gardens of the Élysée at the request of François Mitterrand, Wideville Castle for Valentino, Alnwick Castle in the UK, Jubilee Park at Canary Wharf, garden of the Herkenrode estate in Flemish Brabant. In 2006, the Royal Flemish Academy awarded him its gold medal and compared him to Le Nôtre, William Kent, and Capability Brown. He passed away in 2018 at the age of 93. Wirtz International, run by his sons Martin and Peter, is now the largest landscape architecture agency in Belgium.
Erik Dhont — composed nature in Brussels
Born in 1962 in Anderlecht, trained in graphic arts at Saint-Luc and then in garden architecture in Vilvoorde, Erik Dhont has been working from Brussels for over thirty years. His trademark: a fine balance betweenwild nature and graphic composition, with a significant use of native plants. He notably designed the garden of the designer Dries Van Noten, the garden of the Picasso Museum in Paris, and the structured vegetable garden of the Chalet de la Forêt (two Michelin stars) on the edge of the Soignes Forest — in other words, just a few kilometres from La Hulpe.
Piet Blanckaert — the Bruges school
Based in Bruges for over thirty years, Piet Blanckaert embodies another branch of the Flemish tradition: more classical, more linked to historical gardens and country estates. His private creations, particularly in the Hooglede area and around Bruges, are references for those interested in thestructured Flemish gardenwithout excessive minimalism.
In addition to these three names areChris Ghyselen(grasses and fine perennials) andWim Van Wassenhove(gardens of Zedelgem). The Walloon Brabant is not to be outdone:Jacques Wirtzhas worked on private properties in our region — for example, around the Herkenrode estate, and on developments listed in the Inventory of Parks and Gardens of Belgium.
How to adapt it to your garden in Walloon Brabant or Brussels
La Hulpe, Lasne, Uccle, Tervuren, Watermael-Boitsfort: our soils are predominantly clay-loam, sometimes heavy, with water tables quite close to the surface in the valley bottoms. The climate is more humid than that of the Flemish coast, but the principle remains the same:what works in Flanders works here, provided you adapt the plant selection.. Here are the concrete decisions we recommend.
Define the framework above all.
1.Draw the circulation axes.A main path of compacted gravel, blue stone paving or bricks laid on edge — not standard concrete slabs. Width matters: at least 1.20 m to allow for comfortable passing.
2.Divide into 'rooms'.A low hedge of hornbeam (Carpinus betulus), a yew hedge (Taxus baccata) or a low blue stone wall is sufficient to separate a dining area, a contemplation corner, a vegetable garden. The garden unfolds in sequences, never in a single glance.
3.Plant structural trees.Small-leaved lime, common hornbeam, beech for well-drained soils, field maple. Not just shrubs: the 'roof' of the garden is what gives it its scale.
The plant choice: what really works for us
Here is the reference palette for a Flemish-style garden adapted to the climate and soil of Brabant Wallon. Indicative list, to be validated on site according to exposure and the exact nature of the soil.
Evergreens for structure:
• Common yew (Taxus baccata) — perfectly tolerates topiary or hedge trimming, long lifespan
• Common holly (Ilex aquifolium) and Ilex crenata — modern alternative to box for balls and low borders
• Hornbeam kept in a trimmed hedge — marcescent foliage (which remains dry on the branch all winter), it offers the effect of an evergreen at a moderate cost
The case of box:
Box(Buxus sempervirens)remains the absolute icon of the Flemish garden. Butbeware: since the arrival of the box tree moth and cylindrocladiosis in Belgium, planting box today is a costly gamble. Our Belgian colleagues often replace it withIlex crenata, Lonicera nitida or Berberis buxifoliafor the same visual effect without the health pressure. To be discussed on a case-by-case basis.
Perennials and grasses in mass planting:
• White panicle hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight', 'Phantom') — the emblematic flower of the contemporary Flemish garden
• Miscanthus sinensis and Calamagrostis 'Karl Foerster' — grasses that bring movement and transparency
• Hakonechloa macra — for undergrowth and borders in the shade
• Geranium 'Rozanne', Alchemilla mollis, Sedum 'Matrona' — mass perennials, easy, long flowering
Trees and tall shrubs:
• Magnolia stellata or Magnolia x soulangeana — a romantic touch without excess
• Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas, Cornus kousa) — generous spring flowering, interesting shape in winter
• Purple beech (Fagus sylvatica 'Atropurpurea') — for large gardens, as a feature tree
Materials: do not get the source wrong
Belgian blue stone (“small granite” from Hainaut) is the king of materials: it ages with a light patina, it comes in multiple finishes (split, bush-hammered, sanded, polished). It can be worked into thresholds, coping stones, borders, and paving. It is astone quarried 50 km from Brussels— an ecological and identity argument. Avoid imitations in Asian ceramic stoneware: they immediately betray the project.
For the brick, favour reclaimed Belgian bricks ("reissued bricks") or Wienerberger bricks in natural shades, never the aggressive standard red bricks. Corten steel is a good ally for contemporary borders and planters, but it must be used judiciously: too much, and the garden becomes an architecture magazine, rather than a garden.
Common mistakes we see on the ground
• Too many varieties."Flemish" = limited palette, mass planting. If you have 25 different species in 200 m², you are not creating a Flemish garden, you are making a collection.
• Boxwood without a plan B.Planting 50 boxwood balls today exposes you to a box tree moth attack within three years. Always ask your landscaper for alternatives.
• Wirtz imitation in the wrong format.The famous "clouds" of Wirtz work on 1 hectare, not on 80 m². In a small city garden, we keep the spirit (undulating plant mass, trimmed evergreens) without copying the scale.
• Not enough mineral structure.A Flemish garden without blue stone or brick loses its geographical anchoring. It is no longer Flemish, it is just "minimalist".
• Everything trimmed everywhere.As a reminder: controlled degradation towards nature is an invariant. If everything is under the secateurs, the garden becomes a plant parking lot.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a Flemish garden and an English garden?
The English garden (mixed-border, floral abundance, soft transitions inspired by Gertrude Jekyll) favourscolour and profusion.. The Flemish garden favoursstructure and mass. The two can coexist — many of our projects in Brabant Wallon combine a structured core (next to the house) and free borders at the periphery. The misunderstanding often arises from the fact that magazines confuse the two under the label "country garden".
Does a Flemish garden require a lot of maintenance?
Honestly, yes — butnot more than a poorly thought-out average garden.. The maintenance of a Flemish garden isfocused and regular: two annual tidy pruning sessions on hedges and topiaries (in June and late August), and mowing of meadows once a year. It’s less tiring than an English garden with 30 flowering species that need constant monitoring. Regularity takes precedence over intensity.
Can you create a Flemish garden on 100 m²?
Yes, and it’s even an excellent size. In a small city garden in Uccle, Watermael-Boitsfort or Auderghem, the Flemish style works perfectly because itdoes not depend on the area but on principles: structure, limited palette, noble, persistent materials. It is often most effective there, because a small, lush garden quickly becomes unreadable.
Is a planning permit required to create a Flemish garden?
Not for the plantations themselves. However, certain structural elements may be subject to it: felling of tall trees (depending on the municipality and circumference), construction of a wall beyond a certain threshold, garden shed exceeding a defined area, significant modification of the terrain. The rules vary between the Brussels Region and Wallonia, and between municipalities. We systematically check with you before any quote.
Conclusion: a style that makes sense to us
The Flemish garden is not an imported aesthetic trend — it is anative style, born in the same climatic and cultural region as ours, and today championed by the most internationally recognised Belgian landscapers. When a client from La Hulpe or Uccle asks us for a Flemish garden, they are actually asking us for what works best for our climate, our local materials, and the relationship to the built environment that our brick and blue stone houses naturally suggest.
Provided that the principles are respected — strong structure, limited palette, dominant evergreens, northern materials, degradation towards nature at the periphery — it does pretty much everything one expects from a contemporary garden: it ages well, it withstands winter, it requires regular but manageable maintenance, and it interacts with the house.
Are you considering a Flemish style garden?
Whether you live in La Hulpe, Lasne, Rixensart, Uccle or elsewhere in Brabant Wallon, we design gardens that fit within this tradition — adapted to your soil, your exposure, your house and your budget. We work on both the structure (blue stone, brick, plant frameworks) and the vegetation (a palette of 8 to 15 species designed for our climate).