Schau- und Sichtungsgarten Hermannshof

The Hermannshof is a 2.2 -acre show and Sichtungsgarten for perennials in Weinheim on the mountain road.

History

The history of the property goes back to the 18th century at a summer residence ( " pleasure house " ) surrounded by a garden which belonged among others Lambert Babo, the Elector Karl Theodor appointed baron. Around 1820 the neoclassical building was erected with the character of a stately garden villa of the Karlsruhe Planning Director Friedrich Weinbrenner. In the possession of the Freudenberg family, the property was 1888 buyout of the heirs. The new owner was the Weinheimer entrepreneur Hermann Ernst Freudenberg ( 1856-1923 ). Since this acquisition, the building of the residence of the industrial family Freudenberg and the site of the associated private garden were. In a further modification, the ensemble of Villa, gardener's house and garden since 1900 carries the name Hermannshof.

The history of the design of the garden by the Freudenberg family begins, however, with the 1879. A sprig of Myrtus communis from the bride jewelry Helene Siegert at her wedding with Hans Ernst Freudenberg, this year one and later planted in the garden, rooted to and now grew up to be a handsome tree of now ten meters high, today's the day for the winter takes its own glass house. He is regarded as the largest and oldest myrtle in Germany.

With the design of the garden, Hermann Ernst concerned and after his death, Hans and Ida Freudenberg: primarily through the planting of additional trees and through the large meadow the plant. According to them, Maria plate Hauer managed the plant. 1920, the garden was redesigned. To make the garden a show and Sichtungsgarten was a suggestion of intermarried with the family Gerda Gollwitzer. The management agreed. For the sponsorship of a non-profit organization was founded by the owners of the company Freudenberg, leased the property.

The transformation of the garden in the years 1981-1983 was planning landscape architect Hans Luz (Stuttgart ) together with Urs Walser. The building was converted into a luxurious seminar and conference house. In 1983, then could the estate to the Foundation, "Look and Sichtungsgarten Hermannshof eV" are transferred. Since then, the audience at the opening times have free access to the gardens. It counts about 120,000 visitors annually.

Chairman of the Foundation is Reinhart Freudenberg; the technical advisory board is headed by Bernd Hertle ( Weihenstephan ). The line of the garden was for 1981-1997 Urs Walser; his successor is Cassian Schmidt. In the annual cost share the Freudenberg (approx. 80%) and the town of Weinheim (about 16 %); the rest are miscellaneous income.

Topography

The sheltered location of the area, resulting in two directions extending hillside with the shade of old trees and under it spreading sunny valley floor with a small pond and open stone surfaces allow the planting of perennials and shrubs with very different demands on soil, light and moisture. The hardiness zone corresponds to a mild climate viticulture and supports wintering elsewhere not hardy perennials.

Purpose and concept

According to the two -fold purpose of an actor and Sichtungsgartens one hand plants and plant communities in their different habitats, as well as in every season attractive bedding and discount planting presented to the public; On the other hand perennials are investigated systematically on their site conditions and the compatibility with competitors for light and food. One of the focuses is the behavior of perennials, such as drought and heat resistance in further increasing climatic changes, and their usefulness in private and public gardens, particularly in West Germany.

Lately, plant combinations are developed and tested with regard to cost-effective use in public facilities with a varied pile in just a few planting and care transitions.

Special emphasis deserves the scale around 2002 and now well- ingrown tallgrass prairie garden with perennials and grasses that are native to the corresponding areas of the U.S.. Among these are species that are already threatened at their original location as a result of river regulation and similar measures. In order to obtain the seeds of Hermannshof communicating with growers in the United States.

Additional points of interest

• Some of which goes back to the beginnings of the garden old tree exotics (such as the Oriental plane (Platanus orientalis), planted in 1770, and the London plane (Platanus × hispanica), who in 1888 planted giant sequoia ( Sequoiadendron giganteum), the Atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica ), ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), over 130 years old magnolias Davidia, the evergreen Quercus turneri ' Pseudoturneri ' and the wisteria pergola of 1920).
• Applied since 1998, collection of tree peonies.

In addition to guided tours for interested groups, the garden in the vegetation months thematic guides on, usually on a certain Sunday in the month.