May is of course the flowering month in the Hortus. And there is so much fun and beautiful things to experience in the garden in May and also during the May holidays! A few tips:

Summer evenings May 2 – August 29
The Hortus Summer Evenings are back! Every Thursday and Sunday in the months of May, June, July and August, the Hortus is open until 9:00 PM. Read a good book in peace under the fig tree, take your date on an adventurous treasure hunt through the garden or enjoy a refreshing drink under the parasol on the terrace. Activities are regularly organized during the Hortus Summer Evenings. Curious about what the garden has to offer this summer? Take a quick look at our program page for the current offer. You can read more here.
 

Botanical Sidewalk Chalks May 25 – May 26
Is the sidewalk weed-free? Shame! People often see plants between the paving stones as annoying weeds, but this is not always correct. Many of these plants are very important. Sidewalk plants provide cooling in the city and are an important source of food for insects. During this walk you will go into the Plantage neighborhood with our Hortus teachers to name as many different sidewalk plants as possible. Great Plantain, Bindweed or Horned Wood Sorrel, where do these plants originally come from today and how did they end up in the city? By labeling all plants with their names, we also help other local residents to recognize the wild plants more easily and to enjoy them more. Take a walk and learn to identify all the different sidewalk plants and become a real urban plant connoisseur! You can read more here.

Treasure hunt: into the wide world – April 26 to May 12
Plants don’t run away, but their seeds are real world travelers! Search, explore and discover everything about super gliders, water rats, air cannons, handy hangers and delicious snacks. A super fun treasure hunt for children (and adults) during the May holidays. Available free of charge from the doorman (in NL and ENG).

Carnivore’s enclosure
The Hortus has an attraction richer: a brand new bed for the collection of carnivorous plants. Due to the renovation of the Climate Greenhouse, a new place had to be found for the carnivore bed: a plant family that should not be missing in a botanical garden. That spot was found against the warm south facade of the Hugo de Vries building and was realized by Vosse Natuur Tuinen on behalf of the Hortus.

A rainwater storage of 10,000 liters has been built in under the bed. The edge consists of a 60 cm high wall of tuff stone topped by a peat swamp 20 cm deep with a very extensive and detailed collection, consisting mainly of North American carnivores planted in an ecological context. A small stream flows so that the water in the pond does not stagnate. Pitcher plants (Sarracenia, Darlingtonia), sundew (Drosera), butterwort (Pinguicula), flytrap (Dionea) and bladderwort (Urtricularia) grow there. There are also various types of mosses (Sphagnum, Polytrichum) and spectacular swamp bloomers to admire, including orchids.

Hortus, Plantage Middenlaan 2A