Annelies and Roel from Nijlen, along with their children Toon and Nils, have been named Tile Flippers of the Month for September. Over the past three years, the family has gradually de-paved their front and back gardens. This spring, the front garden was tackled: 17 m² and around 250 tiles made way for many cheerful sunflowers.
The family wanted to show that not much paving is needed and set a good example for their children. The de-paving was done step-by-step, partly thanks to the Tile Taxi from Nijlen municipality, which collects up to 6 m² of removed paving per home per year. The front garden was addressed this year, after the back garden was tackled in two phases over two years.
The freed-up space will accommodate one or two trees, including an ornamental apple and a cherry tree, and a mix of flowers and plants that attract pollinators. Temporarily, a lot of sunflowers were sown. The family now enjoys more color and greenery at home. Neighbors are also enthusiastic and have even asked for sunflower seeds.
Annelies' tip for others is 'Just do it'. She emphasizes that it can be a lot of work, but the reward is immense. She has discovered how much room for creativity there is in creating one's own garden over the past few years.
The Flemish Championship Tile Flipping takes place annually from March 21 to October 31. Each month, a jury selects two inspiring entries. Gemeentelijk Basisschool Blokbos from Beersel (groups) and Annelies from Nijlen (individuals) were named Tile Flippers of September. Participation is possible by registering your flipped tiles on the website vk-tegelwippen.be. More information can be found at www.vk-tegelwippen.be.
