Siertuinen

Siertuinen are ornamental gardens designed primarily for aesthetic display around homes, estates, or public spaces. The term stems from the Dutch word sieren, meaning to adorn, and denotes a garden whose chief purpose is sight and decoration rather than production.

Historically, siertuinen emerged in the Low Countries from the 17th century as part of broader European garden fashion. They often complemented more utilitarian kitchen gardens and landscapes, adopting formal, geometric layouts influenced by French garden design, with parterres, clipped hedges, statues, and water features. In the 18th and 19th centuries, decorative preferences broadened to showcase a mix of plantings that created picturesque or romantic effects, including seasonal borders and ornamentals.

Design and features commonly associated with siertuinen include symmetrical or axial layouts, well-defined beds, gravel or brick paths, topiary, urns or statues, fountains, and sundials. Plant choices emphasize color, texture, and year-round interest, prioritizing ornamentals, decorative grasses, and flowering shrubs over edible crops. Maintenance tends to be higher than that of utilitarian gardens, reflecting the emphasis on order and presentation.

Today, siertuinen continue to appear in historic estates, private houses, and public gardens in the Dutch-speaking world. While traditional forms persist, contemporary interpretations may integrate sustainable practices, mixed borders, and relaxed forms that still aim to honor the garden’s decorative function.

Siertuinen thus represent a long-standing strand of European garden culture, signaling taste, status, and an enduring preference for beauty in designed outdoor space.