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Flower route

Enjoy the flower route by Het Drentse Landschap.

Stichting Het Drentse Landschap 

Since its establishment in 1934, Het Drentse Landschap has been committed to protecting nature, heritage and cultural history in Drenthe. The Drents Museum De Buitenplaats is an example of this dedication. Today, this commitment is more crucial than ever, as the pressure on nature is increasing, with significant consequences for biodiversity and, in turn, the health and well-being of both people and animals. Intensive agriculture, urbanisation, tourism, population growth, climate change and nitrogen emissions are all factors putting immense pressure on nature. 

There is no time to lose; drastic and fundamentally different choices must be made to save and secure the remaining natural areas for the future. This requires everyone's effort. Het Drentse Landschap contributes through nature management and development, land acquisition and raising awareness among its supporters. The guiding motto remains: Het Drentse Landschap, forever, for everyone. 

Snowdrop

The snowdrop, a beloved early bloomer in our gardens and parks, is a familiar and welcome sight. This bulbous plant, with its delicate white bells gracefully hanging, brings a sense of hope after the long, gloomy days of winter. When snowdrops emerge, they herald the arrival of spring, signalling that brighter days are on the horizon. 

The snowdrop is not originally native to the Netherlands. The wild bellflowers were brought from Southern Europe and planted here on historic estates and country houses. There are as many as nineteen different species of snowdrops worldwide, from which hundreds of cultivars have been grown. You can find the common snowdrop on the Overcingel estate in Assen - uncommonly beautiful.

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Anemone

The wood anemone is a spring bloomer that can cover the moist forest floors with large white carpets. Around April, the trees are not yet full of leaves and this allows the flowers to soak up plenty of sunlight. The Kleibosch near Roderwolde is an ideal place to enjoy flowering wood anemones.  

In addition to the wood anemone, you can also find the yellow anemone here. While this species still grows wild in South Limburg, it is mostly planted in the northern parts of the Netherlands. The poor sandy soils of Drenthe are generally unsuitable for the yellow anemone. However, the Lemferdinge estate in Paterswolde is an exception, where both the wood and yellow anemone modestly adorn the landscape garden. 

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Orchid

Orchids depicted on works of art are often cultivated species from tropical regions. However, a wide range of orchids also thrive in the Dutch countryside. While some of our orchids have a graceful but modest appearance, certainly in comparison with their distant relatives, we also find brightly coloured orchids here. They grow in various types of landscapes, for example the lesser butterfly-orchid on damp heathlands and the broad-leaved marsh orchid in stream valleys. 

You can see orchids in various areas of Het Drentse Landschap, such as in the Eekmaten stream valley near the Vossenberg estate and in Oude Diep.

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Lily

Do lilies grow wild in the Netherlands? Yes, they do! Traditionally, these orange-flowering lilies grew in rye fields on the Hondsrug. Unfortunately, due to agricultural intensification and land-use expansion, they have become rare. Fortunately, like daffodils, these bulbous plants have been cultivated in gardens and we can still enjoy the lily.  

For a propagation and reintroduction programme, hundreds of bulbs were planted in various suitable fields in Drenthe. In this way, the fields managed by Het Drentse Landschap play an important role in preserving this beautiful flower. 

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Rose

Dog rose, sweet briar and hedge rose are some of the wild rose species found in Drenthe. They grow in hedgerows and thickets, often reaching several metres in height. The dog rose blooms around May with white-pink flowers and forms rose hips in the autumn. These mock red fruits are very popular with birds such as the greenfinch. 

The disappearance of hedgerows and ditches from the landscape has led to many roses now becoming rare. Several rose species can still be found in the grounds of De Kleibosch and on the Rheebruggen estate. 

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Poppy

Together with the cornflower, the long-headed poppy is a colourful eye-catcher in our Drenthe rye fields. The fields of the past were more open, making them ideal for this flower to thrive. The many historical sandy roads also provided suitable growing places. 

During blooming, the flowers are visited by hoverflies, bumblebees and other pollinators. After flowering, brown, upright seed pods appear containing the black round seeds that ensure a new generation in the following year. 

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Tulip

The tulip is not native to our country. The nearest wild tulip grows in the southeast of Europe. These are often somewhat more slender than the cultivated tulips in the bulb fields, but they  bloom just as exuberantly. One of the best-known wild species is the forest tulip. 

It is an ornamental exotic that can often be found at country estates and churchyards in the provinces of Friesland and Groningen. In Drenthe the forest tulip can also be found, namely on the Lemferdinge estate.

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Iris

The iris comes in many types, sizes and colours. This fragrant plant is a welcome sight in our gardens. The wild yellow iris is a common riparian plant that adorns our Drenthe waterfronts in May and June with large, bright yellow flowers. The plant grows in shallow water and can be found in various places, including canals, ditches, streams and marshes. 

The flowers of the yellow iris are often visited by bumblebees and hoverflies. The iris weevil and the crescent moth owe their existence to this plant. After flowering, the yellow iris forms brown seeds that are somewhat reminiscent of pointed shuffleboard stones. 

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Marsh Marigold

In the spring, most of the wet hay meadows along the stream the Reest turn yellow with marsh marigolds. These are the so-called marsh marigold hay meadows where this species is the most conspicuous. Marsh marigolds like seepage, which is often iron-rich groundwater that surfaces in some places. 

The marsh marigolds used to be a common sight, but due to drainage and more intensive fertilisation, the species declined. Fortunately, valuable areas have been preserved in Drenthe and, thanks to good management, the marsh marigold has returned to the landscape. 

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Carnation

In the Netherlands, we have several species of wild carnation that are all rare or even very rare. The maiden pink is the most common wild carnation species in Drenthe, but it is certainly not common. Maiden pinks stand out with their vibrant pink-red flowers and they are mainly found on moderately nutrient-poor and sandy soils. Fertilisation is the reason why this species is declining in numbers. 

However, maiden pinks can still be admired In the Coevorden area, as well as near the eighteenth-century Katshaarschans. If you are in the area, the fortification is also well worth a visit.  

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Dandelion

In April, meadows can turn completely yellow with dandelions and when the flowers have finished flowering, silver-grey due to the seed fluff. With a breath of wind, these seeds spread through the air. Almost every child has blown away such a fluff ball at some point.  

Dandelions are often crushed, treated as weeds and then controlled: a shame! There are over a hundred different species. In addition, the flowers are an incredibly important source of nectar for valuable pollinators such as wild bees. ‘Hondstong’ (Dog’s tongue) is another name for Dandelion and Het Drentse Landschap manages an area of the same name north of Vries, namely the Hondstong reserve. 

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Hedge bindweed

Many gardeners don’t get excited at the name bindweed. The species is also referred to as ‘piss-pots’ because of its funnel-shaped flowers. They are true climbers and can overrun the garden in no time. Bindweeds are excellent nectar plants. They are also cultivated in other colours, including blue. 

In nature reserves, hedge bindweed grows on nutrient-rich and moist soil. In the Diependal bird sanctuary, the bindweed entwines the reeds and its snow-white flowers brighten up the marshlands along the water. 

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Chrysantemum

Most people know the garden chrysanthemum as a cut flower that is grown in a wide variety of colours. The flower blooms long into autumn and looks good in a vase. 
The common daisy is related to the garden chrysanthemum. It is found in grasslands that can be both moist and dry. Butterflies, bees, hoverflies and other insects love this flower. 

In the hayfields and meadows of Het Drentse Landschap, the wild daisy is not found in large numbers and its numbers are also declining nationally. Fortunately, you can still spot the daisy waving at you from the roadside, where it is occasionally sown. 

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Lotus

The lotus does not naturally occur in the Netherlands, but we do have a similar flower here: the water lily. White water lilies can be found in canals, lakes and ponds, as long as the water is nutrient-rich and has little to no current. As the water lily grows with its roots in soil, the water cannot be too deep either. The water lily does not naturally belong everywhere it grows; water lilies have been planted in fens and ponds because of their beauty. 

White water lilies are often found together with the yellow water lily, whose leaves resemble those of the white water lily but whose inflorescence is completely different. 

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Magnolia

The magnolia is also known as the beaver tree. This ornamental tree is also mistakenly called the tulip tree because of its tulip-like flowers. However, the tulip tree is a different species. The magnolia is native to Southeast Asia and has been planted in the Netherlands in historic gardens and parks. Over time, the graceful tree has also found a place in our gardens. Magnolias are now available in various species, hybrids and colours. A magnolia used to stand on the Lemferdinge estate.  

A discovery of the fossil seeds of the Japanese magnolia suggests that the species existed naturally in the region millions of years ago. 

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Garden bean blossom

Bush beans, pole beans and dry beans can still be found in various Drenthe kitchen gardens. Some varieties such as the Giele wâldbeantsje from Friesland, the Groninger straw-yellow and the Drenthe red soaking bean are typical of a region and are now in demand again by enthusiasts. Most beans are descended from South American beans. The broad bean is an exception to this; it comes from southern Europe and has been eaten in the Netherlands for centuries. 

Beans belong to the legume family, an important plant family on which many insects depend. In our nature areas, you can find various legume plants such as vetch, broom and clover. 

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Sedum

White stonecrop, biting stonecrop, reflexed stonecrop and orpine grow in open sunny places and are native to the Netherlands. In Drenthe, white stonecrop is regularly seen in cemeteries and the yellow flowering biting stonecrop prefers somewhat more calcareous conditions on sandy soil. The most well-known sedum is probably the orpine, which is also grown in various varieties for the garden. 

In Drenthe, the wild orpine grows along roads, forest edges, grasslands and ditch banks. It is an important species for many butterflies and insects because of the often long flowering period in the autumn, when many other plants have already finished flowering. 

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Lily of the Valley

The lily of the valley is a native species that is also planted in gardens and on estates because of its ornamental value. The lily has white bell-shaped flowers and blooms in the period from May to June. It grows on somewhat older and richer forest soils with sand and loam, where it can form enormous carpets. 

Lily of the valley spreads a wonderful scent, which is why it is often used in perfumes and home fragrances. In Drenthe we come across this species on the estates of Eelde Paterswolde and in the area around the Reestdal. 

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Swan's-neck leafy moss

In this work we see poet's daffodils and an overhanging branch of a Norway spruce. The ground is decorated with stars. This is moss, probably common swan's-neck leafy moss. There are more types of moss that resemble the one depicted, but the difference lies in the small stems with hanging balls, the so-called spore capsules. 

These contain the spores of the moss with which it can reproduce. These spore capsules are unique for each moss species. Common swan's-neck leafy moss thrives in damp forests and forms soft, green carpets. 

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