Garden volunteers wanted!

We are looking for volunteers to help in our garden.  In exchange for some work done in the garden, we ‘ll offer you a great place to stay in the middle of nature, with your own bedroom, a warm kitchen and living room, internet, hot water shower, optionally transport from the Netherlands to Stünzel in Germany. A beautiful place to clear your head and enjoy real nature, a 4-hour drive from Amsterdam.

Our garden is about 3000 square meter and is completely natural. The previous owner of the hotel and farmhouse stopped practicing the farm in the early eighties. Thereafter he basically did nothing except cutting the grass in some places. Additionally due to the fact that he also never used weedkillers the place has been untouched for almost 40 year, which has resulted in quite a wild garden. Lots of flowers popped up spontaneously as well as insects, birds and other animals.

We have now reached the point that we also would like to use the garden and keep the natural things it ’s already giving. There are big piles of biomeiler compost that needs processing. Further we want to make borders with flowers and crops for food. We need a fence to protect against deer and swines. I have acquired a little windmill that needs placement, for that I want to make a wooden tower, like in the 1800’s. It would be good if water from the roofs will lead into a small river that finds its way through the garden. Rivers can also fill little lakes and may be we should even consider a natural swimming pool.

Aafke, my partner, collected many great ideas for such a garden on Pinterest.

As you can see there are lots of ideas, but there is no real plan yet, it will probably come into life by the people who help us. The garden should become a place with many terraces to sit in the sun and out of the wind, a place with pieces of art, permaculture based, home for insects and small animals, natural with many flowers, colorful all year. But most of all a place to enjoy nature and meet friends and enjoy together.

In the past six years there is a variety of things we already did, to name a few: a herbs spiral, planted many trees, flowers, made a biomeiler to generate heat but also compost for the garden.

Practical projects

• Make terras borders and fill with compost and flowers
• Natural fence to keep deer and swine out of the garden (done)
  
• Create a small river and little lakes in the garden (optionally add a natural swimming pool)
• Help creating a wooden energy tower with a small windmill and solar panels.
• There is natural well of 9 meters deep. The top needs new bricklaying as well as a lit.
• Free up the terrains in the back, its like a jungle there
• Create a kitchen garden (moestuin)
• Plant flowers and crops

What’s in it for you?

It would be good if you stay a week to a month.  We have plenty of room and you can come with up to six people. We will not always be around, so it’s an ideal opportunity for a group of friends.  Together we will plan some things that you can work on and finalize during your stay. 

• Free internet

• Your own bedroom
• Hot water, shower
• Warm living room and kitchen
• Live in the middle of nature (woods, walking trails)
• Pick you up near the Dutch/German border and bring you to Stünzel and back