Mien Ruys
Buro Mien Ruys is a well-known name and concept in the world of garden and landscape architecture. She was one of the pioneers of modern garden architecture, an icon.
Buro Mien Ruys has a tradition of creating concrete and pragmatic designs for outdoor spaces combined with great expertise in the field of planting.
Biography
Mien Ruys began her design career in the garden architecture department of Kwekerij Moerheim, her father's company in Dedemsvaart. In 1943 she moved with the design agency to Amsterdam where she had more contact with architects and artists. In 1979 the garden architecture department was separated from the nursery and has since continued as an independent limited company. From the very beginning, experimenting with plants, materials and design has been paramount. In order to gain experience with the plants that were grown at the nursery, Mien Ruys experimented in her parents' orchard and vegetable garden with plants for sun and shade. Those first two gardens still exist: the naturalisation garden and the old experimental garden with the large border. Over the years, new experiments followed. A well-known experiment from the 1960s is the experiment with the use of railway sleepers, which led to a trend in the use of railway sleepers in Dutch gardens. This earned her the name 'Sleeper Mien'. The use of the washed-out gravel tile (griontegel) is also an idea of Mien Ruys. The experiences were initially important for her garden architecture firm and played a major role in her work. Mien Ruys died in 1999 at the age of 94 in Dedemsvaart.
History
In 1943 Mien Ruys started her design agency in Amsterdam. The agency was taken over by Hans Veldhoen in 1982. At that time Mien Ruys still worked on garden designs and planting plans.
Since 1985, Anet Scholma has been strengthening the agency. In 1985, Buro Mien Ruys continued under her leadership. Anet was able to learn the tricks of the trade one-on-one from Mien Ruys herself, the best training school! With care and dedication, she continued all her knowledge and skills in the current Buro Mien Ruys. Our designers have not only learned the tricks of the design trade from Anet, she has also passed on the ideas of Mien Ruys to them. An honor! We see this passion, the artisanal character and the vision of Mien Ruys as a precious heritage.
Searching for the clear line
Mien Ruys' credo: 'searching for the clear line' and application of a proven planting assortment is very much alive within our office. The contrast between the clear lines of the floor plan and the often abundant, colorful and shapely planting forms the pivot in the work of Buro Mien Ruys. We also continue the tradition of innovation and this is expressed in tests with, among other things, a new assortment, vegetable cultivation on the roof, application of environmentally friendly Plato wood and other experiments.
Social
Mien Ruys' social ideals were expressed early in her career in the 1930s in her designs for communal gardens in social housing complexes. Even the less affluent city dwellers, for whom a private garden was an unattainable ideal, were given access to a green, healthy, safe and beautiful outdoor space through her communal garden and park designs. In addition, these places also functioned as important meeting places for local residents. The aim to make high-quality outdoor space accessible to everyone is still an important driving force of Buro Mien Ruys.
Landscape renewal
In 1946, Mien Ruys was responsible for the replanting of roads, dikes and country estates on the Zeeland island of Schouwen-Duiveland, a plan for restoration but also renewal. She also played an important role in the creation of the total green composition of the post-war village of Nagele in 1956.
Gardens of
Mien Ruys
The Gardens of Mien Ruys in Dedemsvaart are experimental gardens and comprise the life's work of Mien Ruys. This is the place where she conducted experiments in the field of design, planting and materials. The first two gardens still exist: the wilding garden and the old experimental garden with the large border.
Founding
In 1976, the Stichting Tuinen Mien Ruys was established, which manages the gardens and opens them to visitors. In addition, the Tuinen Mien Ruys is developing into a knowledge centre about Mien Ruys, her life, work and significance today. The Tuinen van Mien Ruys includes an overview of garden architecture from 1924 to the present. Thirty inspiring gardens with experiments in design, planting and materials.
