Carpe Diem

Jo Lemmens, 74, is the oldest member. His wife Jeanine is part of the flower arranging team and helps him in the garden. They ran the Oostermaas garden centre for 30 years and now live nearby, in Amby. Jo has 2 plots and visits 3 times a day. Alongside the dahlias, he grows around 40 different kinds of vegetables. He can't sit still. “If Jo can’t work, Jo is as good as dead,” he says about himself. “But I’m not afraid of dying. If I could choose, I’d want my coffin to pass through the dahlia garden one last time.”

Marina van Montfort, 68, lives in Wittevrouwenveld. She worked at Zuyderland Hospital and is now retired. “Coming to the garden gives me a real sense of escape,” she says. “I’ve got a space of my own here. I can do things my way, no fuss.”

You can grow dahlias from seeds, tubers or cuttings. It’s quite a process. But Marina doesn’t mind when things don’t go to plan. “That’s how I learn. I pick up tips from YouTube and from the others here. The only challenge is managing to eat everything! I turn it into soup, sauce and jam. And I give away the flowers; they’re untreated, so they’re really popular.”

Boris Lokshin, 77, and Ludmila Petrenko, 67, fled from near the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, close to the front line. They now live in Amby, in the attic at their son’s house with his family. “We come twice a day,” says Ludmila. “People use a translation app to ask us how things are in Ukraine. It’s a rollercoaster – from hope to despair. We dream of going back one day. Until then, this garden is a little piece of home away from home."

Anne Joosten, 76, is part of the dahlia society’s flower arranging group, where women learn to make arrangements and bouquets under the guidance of Anita Raemakers. During dahlia season they meet weekly, and every 3 weeks during the rest of the year. Anne doesn’t even remember how long she’s been part of the group. “I joined sometime in the 1980s, so it must be over 40 years. I no longer have a garden of my own, so it’s lovely to be outside here. But what matters most is the connection with the other arrangers. We have such a nice time together.”

Qiang Wang, 30, is the youngest member of the dahlia society. She’s from near Beijing and is doing a PhD at Maastricht University, researching osteoarthritis. Qiang wanted an allotment, but couldn’t get one in De Heeg, where she lives. Luckily she found one in Amby. “I come here to relax and enjoy nature. The people are really kind and always happy to help. I hope I can stay in Maastricht after I graduate. I love the peace and quiet here. Beijing is far too hectic!”