Arboretum Kalmthout: A Haven Near Antwerp

When I received the gift of a museum pass, I was excited at the idea of discovering new-to-me museums in Belgium as well as having the possibility to pop into much-loved museums to my heart’s content! What a wonderful surprise it was to learn that the museum pass includes gardens like the Arboretum Kalmthout in the province of Antwerp! This spring I visited the provincial park several times and loved seeing how the plants changed with every visit.

I spent time at the Arboretum Kalmthout in March and April of this year. With each visit, there was something new to see as the plants continually change on their own timelines. In March, many plants were awakening from the winter sleep and buds were just becoming visible. Temperatures were still a little cool, but the sun was out when I visited, and the fuzzy shells of the magnolia buds were scattered across the ground.

The fuzzy shells of magnolia blossoms, Arboretum Kalmthout

Colours are abundant in every corner of the Arboretum. The acer x conspicuum “Phoenix” tree or the snakebark maple, its common name, stopped me in my tracks. The brilliant orange colour of the bark was almost luminescent. Indeed, it looked as if the tree had been painted! This tree is referred to as snakebark due to the silvery lines on its bark.

Snakebark Maple, Arboretum Kalmthout

I love walking around the Arboretum, looking at the flowers and trees. Winding paths lead the visitor among all variety of plants and I stop often to take inspiration photos — scenes I might paint or to remember colour combinations. This spring, when the daffodils were in bloom, the yellow of the flowers popped against the purple-blue of the pathways. Shapes and colours abound here.

Colourful path, Arboretum Kamlthout

By the beginning of April, the magnolias were out in full bloom! Bright pink, light pink, white, and all shapes, the magnolia trees at the Arboretum are fantastic to see. As I wrote about here, I have been interested in magnolias as a subject to paint since my time in Ann Arbor, where I visited the Nichols Arboretum.

Magnolias in April, Arboretum Kalmthout

Sketch of a magnolia blossom

After my visit to the Arboretum in April, I went to work on this magnolia painting.

Magnolias 1, acrylic on canvas, 60 x 60, 2023

Now I can’t wait to return to the Arboretum to see what’s blossoming this summer. The Arboretum website has a handy flower calendar and it looks like it is the time of the roses! I look forward to visiting the newly opened Tuin van Sonia—an addition to the botanical gardens now open to visitors!

 Thanks for reading!