More greenery for Carol:
The herb garden is a very peaceful place where you can get a cup of tea, or a lemonade, from a booth hidden behind trees by the entrance. It is a lawn with borders full of herbs and medicinal plants, and dotted over the lawn are shrubs with berries.
A lady drinking tea
Come and join me!
Moving on, you’ll enter the rose garden. Which is, as you may guess, planted with roses 
The design is very formal, but very pleasing.
Apricot queen
Peau douce
At one end of the rosegarden, above a gate opening towards the canal (Yes, in Groningen we also have canals!) there is an eighteenth century scientific sundial. This photo was taken two weeks ago, when none of the roses were out yet.
Tempus Preateritum nihil, Futurum incertum.
Preasens instabile. Cave ne perdas hoc tuum.
Time past is nothing, the future is uncertain.
The present is unstable. Beware not to waste time.
(today’s wise words and the moral of today’s post) 
We are now moving on and are entering the berceaux! This is a covered walk where ladies can walk safely without ruining their complexion. (Get tanned!) It consists of one passage, in the middle you can turn right or left and walk in a circle around a little court. There are doorways and windows in the green walls. There is always a notable difference in temperature and humidity here. It’s lovely on hot days.
The entrance, looks like a very dark place…:
But once inside, you are in a magical green world
One of the circular walks
You never know who or what you may encounter when looking through the windows in this magic place
The living walls:
Looking out to the garden from inside
The berceaux is really my favorite part of the garden! Hope you enjoyed this
I wrote a big page comment here and i mistakenly closed the page!! Now what i do?!! Silly me..
Summary of poor dead comment:
“Waw, its so wonderful. Just so similar to persian gardens. I may have a post on gardens in Iran too. You just inspired me.
I’ve heard about Netherlands gardens. One of my friends used to live there for so many years and she had just explained for me that how much she had enjoyed living in Hollands.. She also liked biking there..
“
Wow… everything is so beautiful. What splendid photographs! What wonderful descriptions! Thanks for sharing them both!
Some gorgeous shots!!!
Shahrazad is not the only one who is inspired by these lovely photos. My city has a wonderful public garden. I don’t go there enough, but soon I will make a point of it, and bring my camera.
That last photo– of you in the walkway– is really magical. Do I perceive a halo-like glow supporting your image?
Beautiful Pictures
This is spectacular and you have given insights to the Netherlands one does not here routine mention about. It looks like the ideal place to come and lose oneself and mediate!
Wow what a beautiful & relaxing place to visit, thanks a lot for the wonderful pics. Fascinating place
I love the living tunnels, and the scientific sundial. I’m partway through Neal Stephenson’s Quicksilver and he devoted almost an entire chapter to Isaac Newton drawing a scientific sundial on the wall of his house. Interesting to see a picture of one in the park!
Shaz: I’m sorry to miss out on the comment now: Write it again!!!
Abu Dhabi/UAE Daily Photo: welcome to my blog! I am very pleased you like my photos! Any gorgious shots are purely coincidental
Marahm, yes, I usually try to keep it down, but sometimes the halo just bursts forth!
Carol: you’re welcome anytime!
When I was at Art-College, I loved to go to this garden when raining: it really was all mine then. And read in the berceaux under a large umbrella. And nick a pink rose on the way out 
James: the sundial is a very interesting example of science and grossly unappreciated by most visitors.
Everybody:
I have become much more cheerful over the spring, and thinking about what I want to share on this blog, and what I consider beautiful and interesting, has been part of what brought me back to life and made me actually do what I want to do, and go to those places I love. It has made me realise that there is so much that I love.
I want to thank you all for reading my blog, and commenting, and being my friends, and giving me the incentive, and the wish to share.
wow! Super beautiful! I love the greenry-covered pathway.
Beautiful gardens!
I love going to the local botanical gardens around here….peaceful!
BTW, love that dress! Where did you get it?
Aafke,
Please do not stop sharing!!! I love coming to your blog for your posts are not also varied but always an interesting topic. You write so well!
Ooooh that last picture reminds me so much of the cover art of a Loreena McKennitt album – I can’t find it now, though, to tell you which one… searching through Amazon, I can’t see it, so I think it might be one which was given different artwork in an Australian release… so frustrating!! Anyway, it seemed particularly appropriate!
But I love gardens, as well – I spent a lot of time in my parents’ gardens in their new place over the last couple of weeks! Mum has a HUGE veggie patch, and loads of fruit trees taking off. She has some amazing lemon trees, oranges, figs, avocadoes, custard apples… and she’s planting more all the time. She’s got all kinds of lettuces, loads of tomatoes, sugar snap peas, all sorts of herbs.. it’s fantastic! At dinner time you just go pick a bush and munch on it
But she has loads of Australian flora, as well, that you can’t eat.. lemon-scented tea trees (my favourite.. their leaves are so beautifully scented), bottle brush, grevilleas, and loads of others that the native birds (black cockatoos, lorikeets, kookaburras etc) all love. There’s so much space up there, she’s having so much fun with her garden
Nice. The gardens was one thing I have always loved about Europe. I cannot wait to get back over again.
Give the kids a few years until when I think they will enjoy it and not give us a hard time and we are there!
Very beautiful. I love gardens.
Nevis: I agree, a wonderful place to be.
Fairuza: You give me an idea, there is a botanical garden around here too!
It is not a dress, it is a coat with ruffles at the bottom! And a beautiful high neck that can be zipped up all the way.
Bedu: I have no intention of quitting right now!
Colloquielle, Do you mean the visit? Strange, I had not thought of it, but you are right!
I love teatree oil, I use it for almost everything!
AbuSinan! Great, I will; be expecting you!
Achelois: Thank you, it has to be other gardens as my own is in a bit of a mess right now…
Wow, those are incredible shots, and what a garden!! You look amazing, love the dress Aafke.
It’s a shame (maybe) they made the front entrance more inviting, they’ve ruined your secret garden.
I will be back-redecorating my blog this week, and not done.
Viking Daughter; Welcome to my blog! It’s a coat!
Even better: I get to wear it more often 
Perhaps it’s better the garden is better known now, after all it must cost quite a lot of money to keep it up to perfection, as it is, and I’d be very sorry if the coucil would decide it isn’t worth their while too keep it up and make a (brrrr) parkinglot out of it!!!
I redo my theme regurlarly for fun, only I ususally change it back after a few hours, The only time I kept it up was when I went from black to this one.
I actually had readers! And this is easier on the eyes. Especially if you don’t have an very new, high-resolution screen.
Gorgeous photos, Aafke, and thank you for taking us with you!
Thank you for enjoying the tour, intlxpatr
(I’m getting used to your name!)
Do they allow corgis in there? Maybe you can take me sometime…
I think they do, otherwise I’ll smuggle you in!
Such beautiful garden photos!