Maintenance of the pens, squirrels in the aviary and a new pair of black swans. There are enough wishes on Sjaak de Lange’s list for the neighborhood garden in Venhuizen. They manage to fund this with, among other things, the proceeds from the village auction.
A petting zoo, a large pond with a walkway all around, the aviary towers above it in the distance. “A kind of park-like garden”, says chairman Sjaak de Lange proudly. Garden Bosmanstaete, located next to care location De Bosman van Wilgaerden, is growing and blooming like never before. When they started a club of volunteers 7 years ago, it was an overgrown, almost neglected courtyard. “Peter Wognum took the initiative, his mother lived here, who looked into a garden with great havoc. Then the foundation was set up.”
Now, it is the vibrant green heart of the village where young and old meet. Not called for nothing: The Connection. “Many elderly people who lived here were surprised that there are so many children in the village. People are very enthusiastic about this.”
There are chickens, rabbits, mandarin ducks, a sheep and a goat. The underwater life with carp and turtles is also well represented. The old aviary has been demolished to its foundation and has rebuilt the foundation. “We really want squirrels too. We hope to make that happen this summer.”
Pick up lots yourself
But as a foundation, money also has to come from somewhere. This comes from sponsors, but the Friends of Garden Bosmanstaete also roll up their sleeves and participate in the Venhuizen community auction. Last year they raised about 2,100 euros. De Lange: “We walk neighborhoods ourselves to collect lots. That can be anything, a cake, a bottle of wine, whatever people want to give, that is sold by auction. As a foundation, you also hand in a lot, that money comes straight to us.”
This year the auction – spread over two evenings – raised no less than 96,291 euros for the foundations, associations and churches from Venhuizen, Wijdenes Oosterleek and Hem. De Lange is happy with the extra income. In addition to pen repair and maintenance, they have just replaced all the sod again. They do that every year. After every season it is one big dredging mess, because those flat-footed ducks flatten everything.”
And so the more than twenty volunteers can continue with the work with the income. “It’s starting to get incredibly beautiful again, the tulips are coming up again, our little Keukenhof. We’d like that.”
On Saturday about eight / nine people work to maintain the place. A permanent couple comes every Saturday. The total club is about twenty people. On the ‘big work Saturdays’.
To view this content, you must accept cookies.