Country estate Land en Boschzigt / Vineyard

Leeuwenlaan 34, ’s Graveland

Tuinderij Land en Boschzigt on the Leeuwenlaan in ‘s Graveland is the oldest biodynamic market garden in the Netherlands. Various vegetables, fruits and herbs have been grown here since 1947. The market garden is part of the eighteenth-century country estate of Land en Bosch. The vineyard was laid out in 2008 in the walled garden of the former Spiegelrust estate.

Country Houses

The first country estates on the edges of the Gooi were founded in the seventeenth century. The municipality of ‘s Graveland sold plots of land that were initially used for agriculture and sand extraction. But soon the owners discovered the pleasant and healthy outdoor life and used the land for the construction of country estates. Here they fled the busy city, where there was an enormous stench, especially in summer. They laid out beautiful ornamental gardens and parks in their country estates, often supplemented with vegetable and fruit gardens for their own use. Around 1644, Anthonis Oetgens van Waveren (1585-1658), former mayor of Amsterdam, had the homestead Spiegelrust built in ‘s Graveland, named after his wife Anna Spiegel.

Land en Boschzicht

‘Land en Bosch’ was a small country estate south of the Leeuwenlaan. Until about 1720, the site belonged to the adjacent Spiegelrust estate. The name ‘Land en Boschzicht’ is first mentioned when Lodewijk Hovy de Jonge, an Amsterdam regent, banker and merchant, became the owner of the country estate in 1782. In the century and a half after that, the country estate changed hands several times. Different phases are recognizable in the garden of Land en Bosch, with a formal linden avenue, a landscape layout and a terraced garden from 1920.

Tea cupola

The tea dome with the boathouse below it, which is half in the water, belongs to the country estate. The exact date of the dome is missing, but it is already mentioned in a deed of sale from 1788. The long neglected tea dome was restored in 1958 by architect J. Bordewijk on behalf of the municipality.

Tuinderij

From 1947 to 2007, the country estate was in the hands of the Christian community, a movement for religious renewal. The estate was used as a conference center. The Christian community sold the country estate to Natuurmonumenten in 2007. The organic market garden Land & Boschzigt arose from the vegetable garden of the Christian community. A farm shop, a restaurant and a care garden are operated from the market garden.

Vineyard

Part of the estate’s garden was hidden behind an old eighteenth-century snake wall and had fallen into disuse for some fifty years. This is where Sijmen Brandsma, who has been working at the horticulture since 1978, started building a vineyard with the help of many volunteers. After the overgrown garden was cleared of many weeds, Brandsma planted about 2000 Solaris vines in 2008. The first wine was bottled in 2011 and turned out to be a delicious, smooth white wine.

Location

Leeuwenlaan 34, 's-Graveland

website: sbddesign.nl