Hidden City Garden & Moroccan-Inspired Rooftop Terrace, Amsterdam

Location: Amsterdam, Oud Zuid
Assignment: Create a tranquil hidden garden and a Moroccan-inspired rooftop retreat for outdoor living in the heart of Amsterdam.
Design: Studio Botaniq
Implementation: Wesseling Tuinen

For this historic townhouse in Amsterdam, Studio Botaniq designed both a hidden city garden and an adjoining rooftop terrace as contemporary outdoor living spaces closely connected to the architecture of the house.

The garden combines warm natural materials with lush, layered planting to create a calm and intimate atmosphere in the middle of the city. A spacious bamboo deck extends the interior outdoors and offers space for dining, relaxing and entertaining, complemented by a custom outdoor kitchen for long summer evenings with friends and family. Further into the garden, bands of reclaimed brick subtly guide movement through light gravel surfaces, visually enlarging the compact space while adding texture and rhythm.

The planting design softens the architectural setting with a mix of evergreen climbers, multi-stem shrubs, ornamental grasses and shade-loving perennials. Carefully placed pots with sculptural planting compositions add seasonal character and create focal points throughout the garden.

Above the garden, the rooftop terrace was designed as a Moroccan-inspired retreat overlooking the city. Large terracotta pots filled with olive trees and aromatic planting create a warm and relaxed atmosphere, while bamboo decking, custom lounge furniture and a stretched shade sail provide comfort and shelter without obstructing the open views.

Together, the garden and rooftop terrace form a sequence of intimate outdoor spaces designed for everyday living, long summer evenings and a strong connection to greenery within a dense urban environment.

The Woodland Grachtentuin, Amsterdam

Location: Keizersgracht, Amsterdam
Assignment: garden design, material plan, planting plan, lighting plan
Design: Studio Botaniq + Ton Vissers Tuionontwerp
Execution: Wesseling Tuinen Haarlem Photograph: Hans Vissers Fotografie

Hidden behind the historic canal houses of Amsterdam, this garden was designed as a serene woodland retreat in the heart of the city. A place to slow down, recharge and reconnect with nature.

The layered planting, mature trees and evergreen hedges create a calm and private atmosphere throughout the year. Natural materials such as rough granite stone, bamboo decking and gravel pathways enhance the quiet and timeless character of the garden.

A wooden pergola covered with climbing plants frames the yoga terrace and adds a green canopy, creating shade, intimacy and a stronger connection with the surrounding planting. The garden includes a lounge terrace, outdoor kitchen, sauna, wood-fired hot tub and outdoor shower, combining wellness and outdoor living in a natural setting.

Japanese burnt wood screens (“Shou Sugi Ban”), lantern lighting and a lotus-shaped water feature add texture, atmosphere and a subtle sense of tranquillity to the space.

Woodland Retreat with Natural Swimming Pool, Santpoort Zuid

Location: Santpoort-Zuid, NL
Assignment: Integrate a natural swimming pond, rejuvenate the planting and create additional seating areas
Design: Studio Botaniq
Execution: Wesseling Tuinen Haarlem

This mature woodland garden was carefully renewed while preserving its natural character and atmosphere. The new natural swimming pond was designed to blend seamlessly into the existing garden, surrounded by layered planting and soft natural materials.

The borders were redesigned with a richer mix of perennials, grasses and evergreen plants to create structure, seasonal interest and a more natural flow throughout the garden. Around the pond, moisture-loving plants such as irises and marsh marigolds enhance the feeling of a living landscape.

Hidden between the greenery, a quiet seating area with a fire pit offers a sheltered place to relax and enjoy the garden in every season.

The Artist’s Garden, Schoorldam

Location: Schoorldam (NH)
Assignment: from sketch design to realisation
Client: private
Design: Studio Botaniq Implementation: Baron Sierbestrating, Schouten tuincreaties

The Artist’s Garden in Schoorldam was designed as an intimate and atmospheric outdoor space inspired by woodland gardens and naturalistic planting. The garden combines sculptural elements, layered greenery and soft textures to create a calm retreat for contemplation, outdoor living and artistic inspiration.

A restrained palette of corten steel, bamboo, terracotta and natural stone gives the garden a warm and tactile character throughout the seasons. Meandering gravel paths and subtle level changes create depth and movement within the compact space, while multi-stem trees and bamboo provide privacy and a sense of enclosure.

The planting design focuses on texture, rhythm and seasonal detail, with shade-loving perennials, flowering bulbs and soft grasses creating a natural and immersive atmosphere. A sculptural rusted steel tree acts as a focal point within the garden and reinforces the artistic identity of the space.

The Sculptor’s Garden, Bergen (NH)

Location: Bergen (NH), NL
Create a calm yet contemporary garden that complements the architecture of the house, with inviting seating areas for outdoor dining and relaxation throughout the day, surrounded by abundant planting that attracts bees, butterflies and birds.
Design: Studio BOTANIQ
Execution: Wesseling Tuinen Haarlem

The sculptor’s garden in Bergen was designed with great respect for the history and architecture of the house, once home to artist and sculptor Tjipke Visser, one of the early members of the Bergen School. Built in 1907, the villa remains a special place within Bergen’s artistic heritage.

For the new owners, I created a natural and colourful garden filled with flowering perennials, winding gravel paths and several intimate seating areas. Existing plants and materials were carefully reused wherever possible, allowing the garden to feel mature and connected to its surroundings from the very beginning.

The result is a lively, biodiverse garden that welcomes birds, bees, butterflies — and of course Frenkie the dog.

Woodland Retreat Garden in Santpoort Zuid

Location: Santpoort-Zuid, NL
Assignment: create a space to relax, privacy and better use of space.
Design: Studio Botaniq Implementation: Wesseling Tuinen

This garden was designed for a young couple who wished to transform their overgrown and outdated outdoor space into a calm and inviting woodland retreat. Their main wishes were to improve the use of the garden, create more privacy and introduce several places to sit and relax throughout the day. A new shed for bicycles and garden tools was also integrated into the design.

The layout of the garden was developed intuitively, using dowsing and pendulum work to determine the most harmonious forms and the best locations for seating areas. Numerology and the birth dates of the owners were used as inspiration for the choice of materials and planting, focusing on the elements of wood and air.

Several intimate seating spaces allow the owners to enjoy both the morning and evening sun, while evergreen hedges and espalier trees create a natural sense of privacy and enclosure. A wooden pergola adds warmth, structure and a sheltered atmosphere within the garden while reinforcing the wood element in the design.

The planting palette combines ornamental grasses, Japanese anemones and soft woodland planting to create movement, texture and seasonal interest. The overall composition was designed to bring calmness, balance and restoration. A peaceful outdoor space where the owners can unwind and reconnect with nature after a busy workday.

The Silent Garden, Wijdewormer

Location: Wijdewormer
Assignment: Garden design for a historic farmhouse and community gathering space
Client: private
Design: Ton Vissers Tuinontwerpp + Studio Botaniq
Execution: De Goede Tuinen, Wesseling Tuinen Haarlem Photograph: Hans Vissers Fotografie

The former farmhouse at Hof van Wormer was transformed into a meeting and church space for a faith community. The garden was designed as a welcoming and peaceful place to gather, reflect and relax within the open North Holland landscape.

At the heart of the design lies the enclosed “Silent Garden”, an intimate green space filled with symbolic Biblical plants, creating a quiet atmosphere for contemplation and connection. Natural materials, soft planting and informal seating areas strengthen the calm and timeless character of the garden.

The Wittenberg Hotel Garden

Location: Plantagebuurt, Amsterdam, NL
Assignment: garden design, planting plan, materials, lighting
Client: Diaconie Lutherse Evangelische Gemeente Amsterdam Design: Studio Botaniq + Matthias van den Berg Execution: Amstel Hoveniers

As part of the redevelopment of the former orphanage and care institution De Wittenberg from 1772 into a hotel with 115 apartments, the gardens and courtyards were completely redesigned as a calm and green inner-city landscape.

The design combines native Dutch planting, flowing grasses and mature trees with contemporary granite elements used as seating and integrated planters. A custom-made water feature with a granite fountain and handcrafted mosaic adds character and tranquillity to the space.

Located between Nieuwe Keizersgracht and Nieuwe Kerkstraat, the gardens are publicly accessible and form a quiet urban oasis for both residents and visitors in Amsterdam’s Plantage neighbourhood.

The shady family garden in Amsterdam

Location: Amsterdam, Oud Zuid
Assignment: Create a lush shade garden with a lounge terrace, outdoor kitchen, dining area and play space for children.
Design: Studio BOTANIQ Implementation: Wesseling Tuinen Haarlem

Surrounded by tall city buildings, this compact garden was designed as a green and intimate outdoor living space for the whole family. By introducing a pergola structure, we added a sense of height and created a green ceiling of climbing plants, making the garden feel larger, softer and more enclosed.

The garden combines spaces for relaxation, outdoor dining and play. For the children, there is a sandpit in a wooden boat and a swing. For the parents, a lounge sofa, hanging chair, dining table and outdoor kitchen create a comfortable setting to enjoy long summer days with friends and family.

Natural stone paving and olivine gravel, a mineral that helps absorb and compensate CO₂, were used to create a calm and sustainable atmosphere throughout the garden.

Klooster Alverna, Bloemendaal

Location: Aerdenhout, Bloemendaal
Assignment: garden design, planting plan
Design: Studio Marchel-Wim van Dongen + Studio Botaniq
Execution: AW Groen Heemstede

For more than 80 years, the Franciscan Sisters lived at the St. Franciscus Alverna convent in Aerdenhout. Following the redevelopment of the site and the construction of new apartments, the outdoor spaces were redesigned to create a new shared garden surrounding the sisters’ new residence, Klooster Alverna.

The garden was designed as a calm and contemplative landscape with soft natural planting, quiet walking paths and intimate seating areas. Existing trees and mature greenery were carefully preserved, creating a timeless setting that reflects the peaceful character and history of the convent.

Contemporary Shade Garden, Amsterdam

Location: Amsterdam, Jordaan 
Assignment: Create a garden that looks beautiful all year round with minimal maintenance. 
Design: Studio Botaniq
Execution: Amstelveen hoveniers

This tranquil city garden in Amsterdam was designed as a calm green retreat enclosed by surrounding architecture and viewed both from the house and the balconies above. Strong linear elements are softened by organically shaped planting borders, creating a balanced composition of structure and natural movement.

Floating timber walkways and bands of paving guide movement through the garden while visually enlarging the compact space. Multi-stemmed Amelanchier and birch trees create a light, layered canopy that filters sunlight and brings seasonal atmosphere to the garden.

The planting design focuses on texture, contrast and year-round interest. Evergreen shrubs such as Fatsia and Choisya provide structure throughout the seasons, combined with ferns, ornamental grasses and shade-loving perennials that thrive in the sheltered conditions. Variations in height, foliage and materiality add depth and richness to the relatively small garden.

The result is a contemporary urban shade garden with a quiet and immersive character, designed to feel intimate, green and connected to nature despite its dense inner-city setting.