When he was ²¹, Evert Doornenbal applied to a stewards office for a job at Castle de Haar. This stewards office did the management of the castle and estate for the Van Zuylen family. After an extensive "nest check," which looked at his religious beliefs, political affiliation and family composition, he was hired by the steward. "That's how it was done back then. And apparently I fit the bill."

Administrator PArk & Gardens

Now, 35 years later, Evert is Administrator of Park & Gardens. He is involved in everything green. Together with his 4 men, he maintains the style gardens and the park. He finds collaboration with his team very important. "If time permits, I am in the garden helping out myself. But I also have to take care of the planning and materials so the guys can get to work. Above all, they need to be able to function."

In addition to his work in the gardens, Evert was given another role at the castle at the time. "I drove privately for the Van Zuylen family for 17 years. I drove the baron and his guests everywhere; to museums, Schiphol Airport and concert halls. With his daughters I built up a good relationship. They still come here regularly. That is what I find special about Castle de Haar; at certain times it is still inhabited by the family. Because of this, the family members are closely involved."

Huge clout

Castle de Haar has developed tremendously over time. When the castle was opened to the public, it received about 60,000 visitors a year. Today, the number of visitors is close to 300,000. "In the early years, we already experienced it as busy. The tasks were divided differently back then. The person who sold the tickets often also gave the tours and then sprinted back to sell the souvenirs. Everyone used to have a double function. Now my colleagues are much more specialized. We have really become a professional company; a museum and anything but boring. We all have enormous clout, especially thanks to our volunteers. Without them we wouldn't be able to do it this way."

Evert particularly likes the collegiality among themselves. "You are never alone here; what you give, you get back. The work is very diverse and everyone can and wants to get down to business. No two days are the same. At Castle de Haar we have a lot of freedom but also a lot of responsibility. In addition, we get to work in an incredibly beautiful environment. I can still walk here in the weekend, enjoy all the beauty and not be busy with work."

Planting annuals

In mid-May, the garden team planted the annuals. "Here we keep a fairly established pattern; it's mostly begonias that we plant in the flower beds on the Great Cour. The begonias are in bloom until the first night frost arrives. Begonias require little maintenance and the amenity value is great. Dahlias used to be grown in the estate nursery for decorating the guest rooms in the castle. Since two years, we have been planting dahlias in the Roman garden and giving them a modern twist. We put them in the long boxes and in the round boxes we plant the begonias. A dahlia is an ancient cut flower, which fits well in this historic setting."

You would expect Evert's favorite season to be spring, but nothing could be further from the truth. "I like all seasons at Castle de Haar. Spring and summer because of the beautiful flowers, autumn thanks to all the beautiful colors and winter thanks to the overall view and of course when the snow arrives."

Experience it for yourself during a park visit