Exploring the Open Set of SOLITAIR Nurseries
(https://www.solitair.be/ )
A nursery space like a mysterious “solitaire” setting, straight out of a James Bond adventure.
Landscape design is, to a great extent, a form of direction. From the perspective of someone who creates gardens with an ecological mindset, I place great importance on that element which will act as the protagonist—with simplicity and naturalness.
Usually, the search for the “focal point” leads to a tree—monumental, historic, or veteran—that feels or appears naturally integrated into its surroundings and, by extension, into the garden.
As a fan of James Bond films, I have always been particularly fascinated by the characters of his “Bond girls,” who often shape the plot itself. They are always at the center of the action and appear in the final scene of each film.
The truth is, my favorite character is Solitaire, played by Jane Seymour—the fortune-teller who uses her deck of cards to foresee the moves of Dr. Kananga in the underworld of drugs and the 1970s Black ghetto in “Live and Let Die” (1973). “Solitaire,” then—patiently waiting for a “friendly card” to appear each time, moving the plot forward.
A similar kind of “Solitaire” was created, in his own way, by the Belgian nurseryman who founded his nursery in 1986—bringing to life what every “dreamer” in the field envisions: a place where trees of many kinds are planted and left to grow naturally, like in a forest, so that decades later they stand as living monuments—ready to take starring roles in gardens and parks.
Today, the nursery is run by his two daughters, Caroline and Valerie, who grew up among the trees and now reap the fruits of their father’s vision. They offer, as a kind of “stage set,” trees of over 150 species, suitable for various climates—many of which thrive in Greece as well (such as Holm oak, Plane, Maple, Willow, Elm, Celtis, and various fruit trees). The trees come in both natural and shaped forms, ready for planting.
A note on the shaped specimens—mainly conifers, yews, and fruit trees: their forms were inspired by the ideas of earlier clients, and today they find new life in established gardens, fresh landscape projects, and even… film sets!
In this way, they reconnect with their beloved Solitaire somewhere in time—certainly fulfilling their purpose in the garden, carrying with them the story and care of the people who raised them. The management of the nursery is fully environmentally friendly.
The visit to the nursery took place during GrootGroenPlus 2025 in Zundert, the Netherlands, in early October, together with my colleague Sotiris Papadakis.
No more words—let’s allow the trees to speak through the photo album and its captions…
Nikos Thymakis
Landscape Artist / Agronomist MSc
Member of the Scientific Committee of the European Route of Historic Gardens (ERHG)
Assistant Curator of the Balkan Botanic Garden of Kroussia and Curator of the APIVITA Bee Botanic Garden (members of BGCI)