Historical planting in a new form

Baroque garden splendour and palace concerts - Weilburg Palace Gardens (Part 2)

Katharina Brunsing's team grows a total of more than 16,000 summer plants every year. "Our aim is to rely on historical plants that conform to the character of the gardens and their era. Our visitors will find zinnias, marigolds and old marigold varieties, but also herbs, spices or even vegetables here every year." However, she has to always use new varieties, too, because the historical plants only have a very short flowering phase and the palace wants to present visitors with flowering gardens from May to October. The planting follows the specific design of a baroque grid that does justice to the original garden model. "Over the years, I’ve had to grapple intensively with the historical planting, and I’m still learning. But that's exactly what makes this work so exciting," says Katharina Brunsing. She is therefore in constant active contact with gardeners from other well-known palaces such as Sanssouci Palace, Mainau Island and Schwetzingen Palace Garden. Her explicit aim is for visitors to enjoy the park with all of their senses; to take a stroll, switch off and find peace.

Over the years, Katharina Brunsing has managed, with much patience and sensitivity, to turn the former use of the garden "as a sort of leisure park for the people of Weilburg", she says with a wink, back into a palace garden that is loved and cherished. She adds a little proudly that the people of Weilburg now talk about "their" palace again, which is undoubtedly also a credit to her work. For Katharina Brunsing, her job at the palace feels "like winning the jackpot". Before she starts work in the morning, she likes to wander through the palace garden and look at the copper beeches that were planted here in 1836. She often looks with humbleness at the tops of these old trees, aware that after almost two centuries, it is now she who has taken over responsibility of this wonderful palace garden. And when you listen to her, you can really believe that she carries out this task with her heart and soul.

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Baroque garden splendour and palace concerts - Weilburg Palace Gardens (Part 1)

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Baroque garden splendour and palace concerts - Weilburg Palace Gardens (Part 3)