Magazine

A Look at Axel Vervoordt's Castle, Kasteel van ‘s-Gravenwezel

By Patrick KinmonthPhotography by Jean-Pierre Gabriel
  • This image may contain Nature Weather Outdoors Cumulus Sky Cloud Plant Azure Sky Flower Blossom and Grassland
    Expand
    Photographed by Jean-Pierre Gabriel, Vogue, July 2015
    1/10

    Once formally designed along geometric lines, the new prairie garden at Kasteel van ’s-Gravenwezel has been encouraged to run wild in colors borrowed from Axel and May Vervoordt’s favorite Abstract Expressionist paintings.

  • Image may contain Outdoors Plant Pottery Jar Vase Potted Plant Nature Garden Vegetation Grassland and Field
    Expand
    Photographed by Jean-Pierre Gabriel, Vogue, July 2015
    2/10

    Heleniums, achilleas, and echinacea grow next to an orangery designed by Vervoordt.

  • Image may contain Rug Plot Diagram and Text
    Expand
    Illustration by Jan Liégeois
    3/10

    Painter Piet Raemdonck’s mixed-media plan of the prairie garden.

  • Image may contain Plant Hedge Fence Vegetation and Bush
    Expand
    Photographed by Jean-Pierre Gabriel, Vogue, July 2015
    4/10

    Clipped boxwood grows in tamed contrast to the wild prairie plants.

  • Image may contain Bush Vegetation Plant Outdoors Animal Bird Tree and Nature
    Expand
    Photographed by Jean-Pierre Gabriel, Vogue, July 2015
    5/10

    ‘Red Baron’ blood grass grows through the sand.

  • Image may contain Outdoors Nature Plant Grassland Field Road Ground and Vegetation
    Expand
    Photographed by Jean-Pierre Gabriel, Vogue, July 2015
    6/10

    Aster novi-belgii ‘Purple Dome’ blooms along a serpentine path.

  • Image may contain Furniture Chair Patio Outdoors Garden Arbour Porch Flagstone Table Dining Table and Plant
    Expand
    Photographed by Jean-Pierre Gabriel, Vogue, July 2015
    7/10

    Chestnut chairs sit beneath an arbor dripping with wisteria and passion flowers.

  • Image may contain Plant Gravel Dirt Road Road Ground Tree Fir and Abies
    Expand
    Photographed by Jean-Pierre Gabriel, Vogue, July 2015
    8/10

    A variety of achilleas in shades of dusty pinks and reds.

  • Image may contain Plant Lupin Flower and Blossom
    Expand
    Photographed by Jean-Pierre Gabriel, Vogue, July 2015
    9/10

    A perimeter of boxwood borders a patch of Agastache ‘Black Adder’ and beyond, the tower of Kasteel van ‘s-Gravenwezel.

  • Image may contain Ditch Outdoors and Nature
    Expand
    Photographed by Jean-Pierre Gabriel, Vogue, July 2015
    10/10

    A canal divides a large building now used for concerts and private dinners (which once served as the castle’s stables) from the potager.