A garden with a soul | Planting and design | Visit to the Vlinderhof
The Vlinderhof is a public garden in the Máximapark in Vleuten, near the city of Utrecht in the geographic center of the Netherlands. It is designed by acclaimed garden designer Piet Oudolf and originated in 2014 from an initiative by local residents. The garden is being maintained by approximately 40 volunteers aged from 9 to 80 years. Oudolf’s creations are of exceptional beauty in themselves but the remarkable story of the Vlinderhof makes it ‘a garden with a soul’.
The planting of the Vlinderhof has the characteristic naturalistic style of Oudolf and the Dutch Wave or New Perennial Movement: informal groups of perennial plants, combined with ornamental grasses. There are about 15,000 specimens, divided among 98 species. You can find all of them in our complete plant list.
Check our interactive map to learn more about the design and the structure of the 19 borders.
In consultation with Oudolf, the perennial plants have been complemented with spring bulbs to extend the flowering season. The volunteers have put about 34,000 of them in the ground.
The natural, free-flowing landscape of the garden fits perfectly in the surrounding and equally quirky and modern design of the Máximapark, the brainchild of landscape architect Adriaan Geuze for West8.
The Vlinderhof can be visited free of charge 365 days a year from sunrise to sunset.
The garden is best reached by car via parking area ‘P4’ at Alendorperweg 44, 3451 GN Utrecht. From there, visitors can cross some water with a small cable ferry to the garden.
More information and other travel options (in Dutch).
We organize guided tours for groups from mid-May to the end of October.
Costs | €6.00 per person, with a minimum of €60.00.
Group size | Minimum of 2, maximum of 25 people. Larger numbers upon consultation.
Language | Dutch or English. Guided tours in German are possible to a limited extent.
Availability | Guided tours can take place on any day but preferably not on Saturday mornings because of the work in the garden. Please note that we are all volunteers; tour options are always subject to availability.
Booking period | We appreciate it if guided tours are requested in a timely manner, preferably at least one month in advance.
