History
To arise
In 2004, Wouter and Heleen Oudemans purchased 30 hectares of land in Wedde (municipality of Westerwolde, Groningen). Their goal was to establish an estate with native woodland, ponds, and an arboretum. Establishing and maintaining an arboretum was in Oudemans' blood. In his youth, he spent weekly visits to his grandfather's estate, Landgoed Schovenhorst, which had been established in 1848 by his great-great-grandfather, J.H. Schober.
From potato field to arboretum
On the Tenaxx estate, native forests were first planted and ponds were dug. The creation and planting of unique native species was carried out under the supervision of Nico Schellevis (manager of Pinetum Blijdenstein, Hilversum).
The trees are organized by geographical origin: North America, Eurasia, China, Japan, and the Himalayas. Species from the Southern Hemisphere were also tried; some of these did not survive the Groningen winters.
The arboretum is part of the Tenaxx Estate, which covers 30 hectares. It covers approximately 12 hectares and is home to over 1,000 species.
Specialization in weeping trees
Later, the decision was made to specialize in weeping trees. Weeping varieties were planted alongside the original species whenever possible. They were initially collected by Chris van der Wurff, a nurseryman from Heeze. This task was later taken over by Henk van Kempen, a nurseryman from Son en Breugel, who searches for weeping varieties worldwide and cultivates their grafts. The Hanging Gardens collaborates with Kew Gardens through Rafael Govaerts (Plants of the World Online). They possess what is likely the largest collection of weeping trees in the world.
Growth and opening up
2005 : Start of planting original species (from seed, in groups) under the direction of Nico Schellevis.
2009 : Start of a targeted collection of weeping forms by Chris van der Wurff, a nurseryman from Heeze, and later by Henk van Kempen, a nurseryman from Son en Breugel.
2015 : Opening to the public
Meaning and vision
The Tenaxx Estate Arboretum explores the relationship between humans and nature, inspired by Darwinism and thermodynamics. Wouter Oudemans described it as a "mirror" of our ambivalent relationship with nature: we cannot control it because we are part of it. A walk among the unique trees invites us to reflect on this.