Eatable Beauty: Bavarian Gardens and Food Security, Aesthetic Value and Social Function

Bavaria is a Southern German state with a farm garden history that reaches back to the Celts and Romans. Bavarian farm gardens combine intensive horticulture for nutritive and aesthetic needs with defining communal aspects. An outstanding aspect of this type of garden is the adaptability to the need of individual gardeners.

This workshop will center the participants in the long cultural and social history of Bavarian farm garden. From this vantage point we will then discuss location, structure, and traditional elements of this garden type, as well as the reasons behind components and plant selection. This includes nutrition and medicinal needs, tradition, garden lore, spiritual aspects, and pest control. such as traditional. I will touch on companion plants and  integrated pest management, distribution of harvest, and social and communal aspects of  gardening work and the garden itself.

The workshop will consist of a power point presentation which introduces the history and the discussed garden principles through photographs and drawings. Particular attention is given to traditional plants grown; a hand-out will be provided. The participants will then discuss, imagine, brain storm and create their own Bavarian gardens on black boards, paper. The imagined gardens will follow the structural and social principles advanced, while allowing for the needs of different growing zones. Lastly we will discuss as a group individual garden plans.

Click here for Madelon Kohler-Busch's Bio.