A visit to the Karl Foerster Garden in Bornim near Potsdam is a must for any garden enthusiast. Countless perennials and shrubs in the various theme gardens, all cultivated by Foerster, delight visitors. From spring until well into the autumn you can experience a rich wealth of flowers. Open daily, the garden is even worth a visit during the winter months.
Karl Foerster - pioneer of perennial breeding
Karl Foerster (1874-1970) is considered a pioneer in breeding perennials in Germany. Many of the plant varieties he created, such as larkspur, phlox, asters and grasses, are among the most popular perennials found in gardening. Foerster opened his first horticultural operation in Berlin in 1911 before moving it to Bornim near Potsdam in 1912. Over the years, he transformed a 5,000 square metre plot of farmland into the renowned Karl Foerster Garden.
Foerster bred nearly 370 perennials and shrubs. He also studied their habitat requirements, resilience and sensitivity to frost, as well as experimented with the visual impact of pairings with different plants. The garden includes only varieties created by Foerster. In 1981, the Karl Foerster Garden and the residence located on the grounds became listed and it is part of the Potsdam-Sanssouci UNSECO World Heritage Site. Until her death in 2010, Foerster's daughter Marianne managed the historic garden in Potsdam. To safeguard this cultural monument, she donated the garden to the German Foundation for Monument Protection.
The Karl Foerster Garden - a tourist magnet in Potsdam
The Karl Foerster Garden is known for its combination of architectural and naturalistic garden styles that divide each garden, as well as its world famous sunken garden. Located at the heart of this exceptional site, the sunken garden is 45 meters long and 25 meters wide. The gradual slope of the sunken garden allows visitors to admire plants and flowers at each level, including various types and colours of delphinium as well as phlox, asters and various shrubs. At the lowest point of sunken garden is a pond that is surrounded by daylilies and iris. This part of the Karl Foerster Garden was featured in the Chelsea Flower Show in 2007. Other attractions in the Karl Foerster Garden include the Spring Walk lined by flowering shrubs, the splendid perennial Herbstbeet, a rock and nature garden, and a ravine with a variety of ferns.
Between 1960 and 1980, the Karl Foerster Garden saw several redesigns and planting projects. In 2001, the garden was included in the National Horticultural Show in Potsdam and various garden spaces underwent a comprehensive refurbishment. Thanks to this conservation work, the Karl Foerster Garden in Potsdam remains a major draw for visitors from around the world.Events in Potsdam
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Music Festival in PotsdamThe Music Festival in Potsdam will be held again in June. This year's theme "Music and gardens" ubiquitous. So even on the opening day in June. Interesting and unique you can take guided tours and visits to many different places. For those interested there is an Opera Workshop.
TICKETSDetails about the Music Festival in Potsdam can be found here.
The concert on the eve and Night of the Palaces in PotsdamThe Park of Sanssouci and Sanssouci Palace with its terraced vineyards and the New Palace are undisputedly the most important monuments in Potsdam, therefore provides the Night of the Palaces as an excellent temporal orientation, to learn more about the state capital of Brandenburg.
TICKETSDetails about the Night of the Palaces can be found here.