Nature in the Garden Certification

Awarding our garden with the Nature in the Garden certificate

We are particularly pleased that our garden has been awarded the Nature in the Garden certificate. After all, it means that we are doing many things right in the garden to promote diversity and nature. This is also confirmed by the high score of 83 out of a possible 84 points.

We have been following the rules of the natural garden for a few years now.

Rules of the Natural Garden

1. Choose plants that suit the conditions on site: The main criteria for plants are light (sunny/shady), available nutrients (low/nutrient-rich) and water (much/low rainfall). The right plant in the right place feels comfortable, it receives the amounts of light, water and nutrients that are ideal for it. Such plants thrive and basically need no care.
2. Peat belongs in the bog, not in the natural garden. Peatlands are rare natural sites with very special plants. We should rather work with nature, with the site, not against it.
3. Choose plants that are native to the area. These plants are the most robust because they are adapted to the prevailing conditions. Native plant species are those that have been able to survive in a region for a long time despite adverse conditions and competition. The planting of a near-natural garden should consist of at least 60 %, and preferably 80 %, native, site-appropriate species.
4. Encourage animal friends. A garden is there for the enjoyment and benefit of people, but it is also a habitat for all kinds of creatures, insects, birds, small mammals, bats and many more. All these animals have co-evolved with the plants of a region and specialise in them as food.
5. Flowering plant diversity: Just like us, animals need food regularly. Insects need diverse, flowering plant species that provide nectar and pollen, all year round. The animal-friendly natural garden thus offers continuous flowers from early spring to autumn, as well as seed heads of perennials and fruits of shrubs for the winter.
6. Keep less tidy.
7. No use of chemical, synthetic pesticides and fertilisers. A properly planned natural garden does not need chemicals. By planting according to the location, there are hardly any problems with plant diseases and pests, and if there are, nature takes care of it by itself.
8. The garden functions in a cycle.
9. Incorporate different elements. Create a variety of habitats in the garden, because biodiversity also means a variety of ecosystems.