RURAL IDYLL

HAND-CRAFTED NOOKS, A THRIVING VEGETABLE GARDEN AND PLENTY OF SPACE FOR CHILDREN TO ROAM MAKE THIS COUNTRY RETREAT A MAGICAL FAMILY ESCAPE

A WONDERFUL CHILDHOOD spent tramping through the Dutch countryside and a love of outdoor life led Aletta to buy this rural home with sprawling gardens in the Netherlands. She actually grew up in the house and now lives here with her husband, Roelf, and their three children, Tom, eight, Jasper, six, and Julia, four. “We’re outdoor people – even our kids prefer to play outside rather than inside!” says Aletta (pictured above). “Whether it rains or not, they are always busy building huts and romping around.”

When the couple purchased the house, they committed to a full renovation and a complete update of the outdoor spaces. “It was such a ’70s garden, with lots of conifers, shrubs and a large garage,” says Aletta. “It was very dark and full, so we dug up everything and started rearranging.” The replanting was a family project. They did everything themselves, with cousins and friends chipping in when they could. “We wanted to create a lot of space with borders and beech hedges, and planted everything quickly so it could start to grow bigger,” says Aletta, a psychologist. Roelf, a web editor, contributed much of the labour, building tables and bench seats – but his wife was no slouch, painting, building, reupholstering and planting a vegetable patch.

The result is a bright, spacious and productive garden with many zones and plenty of comfortable seating – just right for entertaining. However, there are still projects to be completed and work to be done. “I would love to transform the house’s exterior into a barn-style house with black-painted vertical planks that extend into the roof,” says Aletta, wistfully. A project for next summer, perhaps.

TERRACE Aletta and Roelf developed several seating and lounge areas, with the sun in mind. “We prefer to be outdoors,” says Aletta. “As soon as the sun shines, we can be found outside. Even in the cooler months, we still have a coffee under the porch, by the stove.” The timber table (top left) was custom-made and is perfect for hosting a crowd. It is paired with weatherproof white plastic chairs purchased from a local store – for similar, try Marquee ‘Kreta’ resin chairs from Bunnings.

“I like the space and silence of the countryside. I had a good time here as a child and wanted to give this to my own children” ~ Aletta

FAMILY LIFE A wooden trug crafted by Aletta’s grandfather – and his trowel (above left) – come in handy when the keen gardener harvests her crop (pictured above right). Aletta got stuck into the planting without too much preparation, resulting in a glut of admittedly excellent tomatoes (left). Elsewhere in the garden, existing apple trees provide another rich crop. “I give the apples to my parents and we get it back as apple sauce,” says Aletta, who also freezes leftover herbs.

“The best season for me is spring. I really enjoy it when the sun shines longer, the birds come back and everything is fresh and green” Aletta

“We recently bought the pasture and acquaintances do maintenance for us in exchange for using it. Their animals walk around there now” ~ Aletta

VEGETABLE GARDEN Tripods made of lengths of cane support beans in the vegie patch (also opposite, bottom right). At the rear is a greenhouse, which allows Aletta to start seedlings earlier in the cooler months and extend the growing season of plants...

BACK TO BASICS The garden attached to this Dutch home, once filled with shrubs and conifers, has undergone a complete makeover at the hands of homeowner Aletta and her husband, Roelf, who have started from scratch, replanting the whole space. “We...

GRAZING RIGHTS The paddock beside Aletta and Roelf’s home is a picturesque spot to set up a table (for a similar table, try Ikea) and settle in with friends and family for an alfresco meal. “Maybe we’ll create a wildflower garden here in the future,”...