Latest News

EGHN network and its partnership (parks, gardens, regions)

First partner garden in Lombardy on EGHN website (December 2011)

Since December 2011 the presentation of the new partner in Lombardy is online – at the moment: German version only – on the EGHN website. The gardens of Villa Borromeo Visconti Litta let visitors explore and enjoy the magic of water.

The nymphaeum, an architectural work of art of artificial caves with frescoes, mosaics and 53 different water features, including fountains, large and small spays and waterfalls create miraculous places. Monumental fountains and ancient trees in the different garden rooms offer cooler spots in the hot Italian summer.

The restoration and revival of this unique park is very much the merit of an active circle of friends.

EGHN as co-organiser of garden conference in Sweden (December 2011)

In March 2012 the fifth international garden conference in Sweden will be organised and hosted by Movium (Centre for the Urban Public Space at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences), the cities of Helsingborg and Malmö and the Swedish Society for Public Parks and Gardens. For the first time, EGHN will be a co-organiser when professionals will meet on the 29th and 30th March in Helsingborg (South Sweden) to discuss new projects and best practice on “Public parks and gardens – experiences with sustainability” and to participate in a regional study tour. Presentations include (among others) “Social events in the New York Botanical Garden”, “Park events as attractions in Nantes – European Green Capital 2013”, ”Olympic Park in London 2012 – creating a green space for the games and beyond” and “Chelsea Flower Show behind the scenes”. Speakers from Germany will inform about the International Garden Show IGS 2013 in Hamburg and about the challenges and activities dealing with big projects and climate change at Lorenz von Ehren nurseries.

The final programme will be available in January 2012. Please also check Movium’s website for updated information.

"Park Management Symposium” at Schloss Dyck in 2012 (December 2011)

Schloss Dyck Foundation in cooperation with EGHN will organise and host a two days symposium dealing with best practice and challenges in raising the quality and diversity of parks and gardens and thus the number of visitors, their happiness and spending in a sustainable way. After presentations and discussions on the first day, the second day will allow seeing some good practice on a study tours.



 

European Garden Award generates benefits (November 2011)

Villa Ottolenghi is an excellent case showing the great awareness of the media, professionals and the public for the European Garden Award and its winners and finalists. Here, some 1.900 visitors came to join extra guided tours on three Sundays in October and November. More than 1.000 people booked in for future guided tours. It was in particular a full page article in the newspaper “La Stampa” from Turin (download) covering the European Garden Award and Villa Ottolenghi that caused this huge interest. Italian professionals emphasized how important it was that the EGHN-Award raised the recognition and profile of contemporary parks and gardens in Italy. They also presented the garden of Villa Ottolenghi, ongoing work and future improvements on some conferences.

At Arley Hall & Gardens (winner of the special award by Schloss Dyck Foundation) the owners invited staff members, volunteers, supporters and others who – for many years - helped raising the quality of the gardens and the visitor satisfaction to a party.

Impressionist flower painting (November 2011)

Dutch garden designer and plant specialist Jaqueline van der Kloet adds additional charme to the Piet Oudolf garden with its herbaceous plants and grasses by introducing a carpet of spring flowering bulbs.

From March 2012 onwards the “Gräflicher Park” in Bad Driburg will have its impressionist painting created by more than 76.000 bulbs before the herbaceous perennials and the grasses take over for the rest of the season.

New tourism project sets off (October 2011)

In October 2011 the three project partners Schloss Dyck Foundation, Landschaftsverband Rheinland and Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe started a new project called “EGHN - GartenKulturReisen NRW”. Financial support for this thee years project is given by the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the European Union within the framework of the Ziel2-Programme (Objective2-programme).

The project aims at working out and at marketing a collection of tourism packages offering a splendid mix of high quality parks and gardens (with a priority on EGHN partners), landscapes, cultural attractions etc. The structure of the project, the broad range of the partnership and the support by many tourism organisations in NRW will allow creating unique offers for groups and individuals that will only be available for customers of “EGHN GartenKulturReisen NRW”. In cooperation with EGHN and its partners, the project’s marketing activities – in addition to publications, fairs, websites, booking platforms etc. – will include some road shows with presentations in Germany and Europe benefitting from attractive locations and competences of EGHN partners.

European Garden Award - Winners and Finalists (September 2011)

Winners and finalists have been announced and honoured on the evening of the 2nd September 2011 on the occasion of the opening of the illumina at Schloss Dyck. The winners are:

1. Category - Best development of a historic site:
- Villa Ottolenghi (Italy)
2. Category - Most innovative contemporary site:
- Jupiter Artland (Scotland)
3. Category - Special Award of the Schloss Dyck Foundation:
- Arley Hall and Gardens (England)

More information on the winners and finalists can be found here!

EGHN week on the Floriade 2012 in Venlo, Netherlands (September 2011)

From May, 28th until June, 3rd 2012 EGHN and its partners Schloss Anholt, Schloss Benrath and Schloss Dyckwill present the regional garden routes and the gardens of the network on the World Horticultural Expo "Floriade 2012" in Venlo. EGHN has been invited to use the pavilion of North Rhine-Westphalia for an exhibition and presentations. First details about the programme will be announced at the end of this year.

EGHN supports two study trips (September 2011)

Early September, EGHN gardens have been destinations of two study trips that were (co)organised by EGHN. The environmental department of the city of Lund in Sweden, had chosen Landschaftspark Duisburg Nord, Insel Hombroich and Schloss Dyck as “case studies” for their study trip of 17 staff members. Additionally, the contribution of open spaces to (inner) city developments was discussed on site in Düsseldorf and Duisburg.

32 members of Cheshire Garden Trust (CGT) on their 3 days outing visited the above gardens as well as the garden of Konrad Adenauer in Rhöndorf and the park of Schloss Augustusburg in Brühl. CGT brings together garden enthusiasts, architects, journalists and university members and is an organisation to be consulted within public planning processes. The group was very impressed by the great variety and high quality of parks and gardens in North Rhine-Westphalia – even based on the limited number they could visit. They also thanked all EGHN partners for the friendly reception and knowledgeable guidance.

There is no doubt that the awareness and appreciation for North Rhine-Westphalia as a destination for tourism searching for unique cultural experiences and gardens will have profits from both visits.

Maximilianpark in Hamm joins EGHN (September 2011)

EGHN is very pleased to welcome Maximilianpark in Hamm (North Rhine-Westphalia) as a new EGHN partner, adding to the European Theme “Contemporary Parks and Gardens”.

Maximilianpark, created on a former coal mining area, offers a wide range of activities for the whole family as well as great variety of themed gardens, changing displays, herbaceous borders, shrubs and trees and areas of a more natural vegetation. Since 2010, the new herbaceous gardens, created by Dutch designer Piet Oudolf, add to the attractiveness of the park.

Lund City Park: 100th Anniversary (June 2011)

On Sunday, 19th June 2011, the City Park in Lund celebrated its 100th anniversary. The festivities on that day have been the start for concerts, exhibitions and other activities in the City Park during the summer. Also the first results of a long term enhancement policy, based on a masterplan designed by Ulf Nordfjell, can be visited and enjoyed now.

Finally the City Park Lund joins the EGHN partnership, inviting visitors from Europe to explore this important element of Swedish garden heritage and inviting professionals to discuss the futre role of city parks in green urban development policies. More information here.

New EGHN partners in Lombardy/Italy and
Amsterdam/Netherlands (June 2011)

During the last few years the historic park of Villa Litta (about 1750) has carefully been restored, including the nymphaeum with its mosaics (1585), the artificial grottos, the fountains and water games. Thus Villa Litta is adding stunning new features and experiences to the European Theme “Historic Gardens”. The friends of the Villa Litta are a driving force in this restoration process and in making the park accessible and enjoyable for the international public.

The reconstructed garden at the museum Geelvinck Hinlopen Huis in the centre of Amsterdam is a hidden gem in the Amsterdam Canal District. Located at the Keizersgracht this site is one of the best examples showing how the wealthy merchants in the first half of the 18th century lived here and styled their houses and gardens. As one of the few remaining gardens of this period, style and location this garden also adds to the European Theme “Historic Gardens”.

At both locations, cultural events in the gardens and in the buildings, including concerts and exhibitions, address and fascinate the audience.

European Garden Award (June 2011)

During the meeting on 6th June 2011, this year's jury for the EGHN European Garden Award (Roswitha Arnold, Mariachiara Pozzana, Ed Bennis, Hans-Dieter Collinet, Gunnar Ericson, Stephan Lenzen, Alan Thornley) selected the following finalists from the manifold, high quality and successful nominations made:

1. Category - Best development of a historic site:
- Orpheus at Boughton (England)
- Jardins du Château de la Bourdaisière (France)
- Villa Ottolenghi (Italy)

2. Category - Most innovative contemporary site:
- Father Collins Park (Ireland)
- Jupiter Artland (Scotland)
- Public parks and gardens in Enköping (Sweden)

3. Category - Special Award of the Schloss Dyck Foundation:
- Patrick Blanc (France)
- Arley Hall and Gardens (England)

Winners will be announced and all finalists be honoured on the evening of the 2nd September 2011 on the occasion of the opening of the illumina at Schloss Dyck.

Fifth European Theme added: „Green Urban Development“ (June 2011)

One focus of the new theme “Green Urban Development” will be on the innovation of inner city urban areas, in particular public parks. This type of urban green, with its long history and specific resources, can be used to enhance areas with social problems or structural deficits. The evolution of existing, but sometimes rundown green sites into vivid and multifunctional spaces according to local needs and resources and inspiring all senses requires inventive designs and comprehensive implementation strategies.

The first two, new partner gardens are the Gartenschaupark Rietberg and Lund City Park. But also the High Line Park in New York, the winner of the International EGHN Award in 2010, converting a former railway line into a new, linear park is another good example for the relevance of new theme. Two videos, one in English and one in German demonstrate this.

Friedestrom-Park inaugurated at the Kreismuseum in Zons (June 2011)

The International Museum Day was a good occasion to present the new Friedestrom-Park at the Kreismuseum Zons (County Museum) in the Rhine County Neuss to the public.

Designed by landscape architect Dr. Bernhard Korte, the park now, in particular by the newly planted herbaceous plants and shrubs, forms a strong relationship with the collection within the museum (Jugendstil). Additionally the design by Dr. Korte was inspired by the long history of the place and the remains to be found on the site.

Friedestrom-Park, as a new EGHN partner, will soon be presented on this website.

Gartenschaupark Rietberg and Lund City Park online (June 2011)

Since May/June 2011 two additional partner gardens are presented on this website:

- Gartenschaupark Rietberg in North Rhine-Westphalia, based on an innovative and sustainable use of the site that was created or enhanced during the State Garden Show in 2008

and

- Lund City Park, celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, is currently subject to an enlargement, to a renewal of its structures and to an enhancement of its features to address a wider audience and to be ready for the next centuries, contributing to a green urban development.

Steyler Convent Gardens and Jochumhof add to the garden route Limburg (NL) (May 2011)

The Convent Gardens, located close to Venlo in the Netherlands, are most inviting in May and June when the Rhododendrons are in full bloom. But he whole year long, visitors will find peace and places for meditation in the different areas of the garden.

Curved paths guide the visitors though the hilly garden and to hidden vistas. The Botanical Garden Jochumhof opens for visitors in May. Here visitors will find a great variety of plants in the different compartments of the garden, enjoy many herbaceous plants and are invited to rest in the historic Jochumhof or on its terrace overlooking the river while enjoying a coffee and cake or a sandwich. 

Water features at Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe in Kassel (May 2011)

Since early May Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe, EGHN anchor garden within Nordhessen, is attracting visitors by a fascinating event. Water is running down from 300 metres high Herkules by cascades, ponds, rocks, streams etc. to finally load a fountain of 30 metres height in front of the historic castle.

These water features can be seen between 1st May and 3rd October on Sundays and Wednesdays, starting at 14.30. 

Cultural education "Wild-Formal-Art" (May 2011)

Eva Bongartz (Schloss Dyck Foundation, Centre for Garden Art and Landscape) will give a presentation on the congress "Awareness raising for the protection of cultural heritage and environmental education - Best practice examples". She will talk about experiences made during the development and use of the EGHN educational concept "Wild-Formal-Art". This concept was worked out and tested by English, French and German partners during the EGHN INTERREG IIIB project between 2003 and 2007. Since then it is used within cultural educational programmes by Schloss Dyck Foundation and others.

The congress, on 9./10. June in Potsdam (Germany), is organised by Deutsche Stiftung Denkmalschutz and ijgd Brandenburg e.V. More can be found in this leaflet to be downloaded here. 

Delegation from Denmark visiting NRW (May 2011)

A group of experts from Denmark (Realdania Foundation, landscape architects, managers of historic estates) has been on a three day study trip to North Rhine-Westphalia. There was an intense exchange of experiences with local experts about the restoration and economic use of parks and gardens as well as discussions about a future cooperation with the EGHN and its partners.


The group a.o. visited Museum Insel Hombroich, Schloss Anholt, Schloss Augustusburg, Zeche Zollverein and Schloss Dyck. Here the beds of wild garlic created a very specific welcome and spring impressions. 

Cheshire Garden Trust to visit the Rhineland -
Presentation at Arley Hall (April 2011)

End of March, Roswitha Arnold, EGHN Vice-Chairman and coordinator of the EGHN garden route in the Rhineland, accepted an invitation to Arley Hall & Gardens to present the gardens of the EGHN garden route in the Rhineland to the members of the Cheshire Garden Trust.

In her presentation she gave a good summary of the great variety of parks and gardens in the Rhineland and in North Rhine-Westphalia and inspired the 60 participants of the Annual General Meeting to visit the region in September 2011. This and similar excursions are based on a series of presentations that was started by Ed Bennis, as Head of Landscape at Manchester Metropolitan University, some years ago. In these Spring Lectures experts resented the richness of historic and modern garden art in Europe.

The European Garden Heritage Network EGHN and the Landschaftsverband Rheinland LVR are looking forward to welcoming the visitors from England and to discovering the gardens in the Rhineland! 

Parks, Gardens and Sustainable Development (April 2011)

To discuss this theme and best practice examples, about 95 participants from parks, gardens, networks, the public sector and other experts met in Malmö (Sweden) on 6 - 7 April. Speakers from Canada, France, the UK, Germany, Denmark and Sweden presented new concepts as well as established and successful projects fostering public involvement in parks, gardens and urban environments and the resources that parks and gardens offer for garden tourism with organic overtones. In this context the new INTERREG project application by 16 European partners (led by EGHN) dealing with the sustainability of "Hybrid Parks" was much appreciated.

Informal meetings, inspired most of all by the case study report from the creative work done in Bitche in France, were used to consider the opportunities for joint projects in the future.

Schloss Dyck, anchor garden of the EGHN route in the Rhineland, presents EGHN in its orangery (April 2011)

In time with the start of spring and the bright light coming up, the orangery within the park at Schloss Dyck hosts a new attraction. Visitors are invited to sit down, to relax and to get to know more about EGHN by reading the brochures and posters presented here. Thus the variety of parks and gardens across Europe, joined within EGHN, can be explored here - as an ivitation to visit these parks and gardens on the next day out or holiday. 

EGHN European Garden Award 2011 (March 2011)

The international jury will meet on 7th June at Schloss Dyck to select the finalists and winners in the three categories “Best Development of a Historic Park or Garden“; “Most Innovative Modern Park or Garden “; and “Special Award of the Schloss Dyck Foundation“ based on the new nominations.

This year landscape architect Mariachiara Pozzana from Florence joins the jury. The awarding ceremony is scheduled for 2nd September on the occasion of the opening of the light show "illumina" at Schloss Dyck.

Proposals for nominations can be sent to the jury by using this address.

EGHN Presentation in Copenhagen (March 2011)

The Foundation Realdania in Denmark has invested much into the regeneration and enhancement of historic gardens over the last few years. The work and the results are documented in a book that will be presented to the public on 23rd March in Copenhagen. On this occasion, EGHN Chairman Alan Thornley will give a presentation to show – based on examples from the EGHN network - how restoration and economic benefits can go hand in hand.

Greenway – the house of Agatha Christie in Devon (March 2011)

The former home of Agatha Christie and ist garden were restored by The National Trust and are more inviting than ever for visitors. New photos of house and garden are available on this EGHN website now.

EGHN Flags (March 2011)

Flags showing the EGHN logo (in English or German) can now be ordered by all parks and gardens of the network. Please contact Schloss Dyck for details by mail at: feedback@eghn.org

Presentation of new partner gardens in Ireland, Italy and Germany online now (February 2011)

The Park of Villa Fabri in Umbra, Italy and two parks in Dublin, Ireland St. Anne´s and Merrion Square are the first gardens to represent the forthcoming EGHN garden routes in Ireland and Umbria.

Umbria Region is actively promoting a regional garden network to bring together private and public owners of historic parks and gardens.  Villa Fabri with its park in Trevi is the centre and seat of this garden network. The park is offering spectacular views into the countryside and will be further enhanced in 2011-2013.

Merrion Square Park located in the heart of historic Dublin is one of the best examples for an historic housing square with a central park. Today the park is attracting people living in Dublin and visitors alike. St. Anne´s Park is one of the few remaining demesnes and was the former house and park of the Guinness family.

German landscaping company Trautmann in Essen, Ruhr opens its show gardens and Arboretum for interested visitors. Mr Trautmann is ready to give guided tours upon prior arrangement.

INTERREG IVC partner meeting at Ness Botanical Gardens, Cheshire West (February 2011)

On this final meeting before submission of the application, partners will agree on the content and structure of the project that will focus on the contribution of parks to a sustainable urban and regional development. This will include challenges related to climate change and changing user needs.

The partnership includes from Germany as Lead Partner the Schloss Dyck Foundation, Centre for Garden Art and Landscape Design, the Landschaftsverband Rheinland – LVR, the Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe – LWL and the State Government of Nordrhein-Westfalen (Staatskanzlei), from France the Conseil Général des Côtes d'Armor, from Italy the Umbria Region and Emilia Romagna Region, the region Rhodes from Greece, the Paola Local Council from Malta, the cities Linköping and Lund from Sweden, Staffordshire County Council and Cheshire West and Chester Council as UK partners, the Gartenplattform Lower Austria from Austria, University Turku and MTT Agrifood Research from Finland and the Silesian Botanical Garden representing the region Mikolow and others.

Deadline for submission is April, 1st. An official decision is expected by the end of 2011.

Bachelor work dealing with „EGHN" (February 2011)

Maria Sostek, student at  IMC FH Krems, Tourism & Leisure Management, Austria is dealing with EGHN as a best practice example to promote "Sustainable Tourism". Her Bachelor Work, covering some of the gardens of the EGHN, can be downloaded here.

Schloss Dyck Foundation welcomes Minister Peter Ramsauer
at "Grüne Woche" (January 2011)

Jens Spanjer, Chair of Schloss Dyck Foundation and member of the board of „Gartennetz Deutschlands e.V.“, welcomed Federal Minister of Transport, Building and Urban Development Peter Ramsauer (CSU) during the major consumer fair "Grüne Woche" (Green Week) in Berlin. Peter Ramsauer, who visited Schloss Dyck only a year ago, was very impressed by the big number of garden initiatives across Germany and their contribution to local and regional economies and the quality of life.

Many visitors of the "Grüne Woche" used to opportunity to get more information about the great variety of parks and gardens worth visiting. Thanks to the „European Garden Heritage Network (EGHN)“ consumers were also invited to visit the parks and gardens of this European partnership in Belgium, in the Netherlands, in France, in Italy, in Sweden and in the UK. (Photo: BMVBS)

The Royal Gardens Het Loo (January 2011)

The reconstruction of the historic gardens Het Loo in the Netherlands was based on a rich stock of historic sources and on excavations that revealed many remains of former structures.

A detailed report (in German) is availbale as download now.

Jury agrees on funding for EGHN tourism project in North Rhine-Westphalia (November 2010)

In July 2010 the EGHN partners Schloss Dyck Foundation, Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe LWL and Landschaftsverband Rheinland LVR submitted an application for a project to develop and to market tourism packages combining gardens and culture in North Rhine-Westphalia. These tourism packages will make use of the brand EGHN, the EGHN garden routes and its quality standards and partnerships.

In November the jury selected this bid as one of the projects to be funded within the competition “Erlebnis.NRW” (Experience.NRW). EGHN hopes to get the final grant offer letter in March 2011 and to start the project’s 3 years implementation phase in April. The partners understand this 400.000 Euro pilot project and its tools and measures as a model ready to be used by EGHN partners.

Tenerife shows interest in EGHN models - workshop (November 2010)

Experts from the MOMA Museum of Modern Art New York, NML London, Fernando Menis Architects, RUHR.2010, EGHN and others contributed to a workshop in Tenerife organised by EL LABORATORIO (Association for Architecture, Urban Planning, Design and Advanced Tourism) in La Orotava. Under the title “Green Low Cost” these presentations highlighted best practice and innovative ideas for the diversification and sustainable development of tourism and economy on the island.

With support given by the Government of the Canaries, local authorities and many other sponsors, also an international group of students and their professors worked on proposals for the enhancement of public spaces, parks, gardens and landscapes in the Orotava Valley.

It is quite likely that some of the proposals made by both the experts and the student groups will be implemented within the near future. This might also include new partners for the EGHN network or an EGHN garden route in Tenerife.

More information (in Spanish): Blog and Website

23 years after the hurricane (November 2010)

In 1987 a hurricane cracked more than 95 percent of all trees around La Roche Jagu, the EGHN partner garden in Brittany, France. Even this disaster had some positive effects: for many years now, La Roche Jagu has developed as a major tourist destination in Côtes d’Armor.

After an EGHN working meeting, participants visited the new garden landscapes around the old fortress. After the hurricane the old terraces of the fortress became visible und accessible again. Views were opened on the river Trieux and the landscape. Landscape architect Bertrand Paulet created a great variety of gardens, including a kitchen garden, a flower garden and an herb garden. Palms, water features, steel and willow structures and much more add to the park’s attractiveness in every season.

See more: http://cmsen.eghn.org/etcg-larochejagu-prolog

European Garden Award: Winners (September 2010)

For the first time ever, the European Garden Award was handed out to the winners and finalists.

The winners in the four categories are:

• Trentham Gardens in Stoke-on-Trent (UK)
• MFO Park in Zurich (Switzerland)
• Stiftung Historische Gärten in Niedersachsen (Germany)
• High Line Park in New York (U.S.)

The award ceremony took place on 6 September 2010, hosted by EGHN and Schloss Dyck Foundation, Centre for Garden Art and Landscape Culture as the project lead of EGHN.

The European Garden Award does focus on more than just spectacular garden art or well-maintained herbaceous borders. According to the traditions of EGHN and based on its objectives and specific skills and experiences, the award follows a broader approach.

Consequently, different professions and skills have been represented within the jury too (R. Arnold, E. Bennis, H.-D. Collinet, G. Ericson, K. von Krosigk, S. Lenzen, A. Thornley).

Nominations have been based on innovative implementation and management, on urban development aspects, on sustainability, on good visitor services or voluntary work as well as on high quality of restoration or modern design of a park or garden. The finalists and winners are sought after as inspirational and as models for other projects. Read more about the winners and finalists of the European Garden Award here.

Working visit: Swedish garden network (August 2010)

Representatives of the new Swedish garden network „Swedish Society of Public Parks and Gardens“ and EGHN coordinator Ch. Gruessen met in Sweden in early August to talk about experiences made. In particular, the finance and organisation of a network, the development of regional garden routes and ideas for future cooperation with EGHN and its partner gardens were on the agenda.

Additionally, the group visited garden projects with a focus on participation and social inclusion that were successfully started quite recently in a suburb of Malmö and in Helsingborg’s city park.

International meeting of EGHN regions at Schloss Dyck (June 2010)

On 30th June 2010 the annual Advisory Board Meeting with international representatives from EGHN regions took place on a hot summer day at Schloss Dyck. On the agenda (a.o.): geographic and thematic enlargement of the EGHN routes and European Themes, the agreement on statutes and the future budget of the network based on own income generation, contributions and partnership fees.

Ness Botanic Gardens brings EGHN to EXPO 2010 Shanghai (June 2010)

Ness Botanic Gardens is represented with an impressive multi media presentation on the stand of Liverpool University on EXPO 2010 in Shanghai China.

Visitors can use the presentation, which is based on Microsoft Surface, to get to know more about the history of Ness Botanic Gardens by accessing documents, maps, images and videos.

Information includes some facts about EGHN, which is also represented with its logo (linked to the website) on the front page of the presentation.

More information is available on You Tube. 

2nd Tatton Park Biennial in full swing (June 2010)

Started in May and lasting until 26 September the Tatton Park Biennial shows an excellent range of contemporary art by international artists. Within the park and gardens a map helps to discover the sculptures and installations that add to the attractiveness of the site and open new views and thoughts. 

Some impressions can be found on this website, more and detailed information on a specific website.

EGHN inspires the new Swedish Garden Network (April 2010)

On 25th March Movium, the Centre for the Urban Public Space at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, organised a conference on gardens and tourism. The day before representatives from many Swedish gardens met for a workshop to discuss improved cooperation in the future and decided to establish a Swedish garden network named “The Swedish Society of Public Parks and Gardens”

During these two days, five partners from the EGHN gave presentations on the advantages of working together on a local and regional level, on developing parks and gardens as living heritage sites and as locations for educational activities and events. They also highlighted visitor expectations related to parks and gardens and the often difficult decision on how to restore a “lost” garden.

Presentations by a number of garden managers from Sweden showed the very high quality of parks and gardens as well as their strong inclusion into urban development plans and tourism strategies. Read more about the conference on the website of Movium.

There is no doubt that Europe has to get to know more about the Swedish garden resource and its protagonists. A trip to Sweden is a good start for it. Visit www.swedishgardens.se for more information and inspirations.

European Garden Award by EGHN (March 2010)

The first winners of the “European Garden Award” will be announced in May 2010 by the European Garden Heritage Network EGHN with its current partners in eight European countries (the UK, Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Italy and Ireland).

Within two categories, this award will annually honour exceptional achievements in garden culture and in making use of parks and gardens in urban and regional development policies. The first category will look at historic parks and gardens that have been subject to exemplary restoration, enhancement or development measures or activities related to social inclusion, education, environment or visitor services. The second category will indentify high quality and innovative contemporary concepts and designs of parks and gardens already implemented or in progress of realisation.

Additionally, in an open category a Special Award of the Foundation Schloss Dyck, Centre for Garden Art and Landscape Design, can be awarded, e.g. to a group or initiative supporting the creation or restoration of a park or garden or to a successful garden arts event.

An international jury will discuss the proposed winners in April 2010, and the decision will then be presented to the public. The awards will be handed out to the winners during an event in September 2010 on the occasion of the ”illumina”, the reputable light show at Schloss Dyck.

The press release can be downloaded here.

Painshill Park and beyond (February 2010)

On Thursday 24 and Friday 25 June 2010 Painshill Park, Cobham, Surrey is hosting a conference: PAINSHILL PARK AND BEYOND: The Future of 18th Century Landscape Restoration

Painshill Park Trust marks its 30th anniversary in 2010. This is also a time when the issue of interpreting 18th Century landscape restoration / reconstruction is a hotly debated topic. Painshill Park is bringing together key players in the debate to a major conference, using Painshill’s award winning restoration as a model for past and present approaches, and discussing new ways of looking at landscapes in the future.

More information can be downloaded here.

IllumiNESS at Ness Botanic Grdens (December 2009)

Ness Botanic Gardens stages a very special flagship event from Saturday, 5th to Sunday, 13th December as part of Year of the Environment 2009. The 64-acre award-winning garden on the Wirral peninsula is lit with a series of specially designed illumination displays giving visitors the opportunity to ’see the garden in a different light’.

Intriguingly the displays utilise the principles of ‘green technology’ by using solar powered lights and bio-fuelled generators to power the displays in this unique pre-Christmas spectacle. In addition, some of the installations use audio visual displays to project images from over 100 years of the Ness Gardens archive including the use of a 3-metre-high water curtain and dancing fountain.

Kevin Reid, Director of Ness Botanical Gardens, got some of the inspirations for this event from two visits to the Illumina at Schloss Dyck in Germany, made possible by EGHN. Now gratulations to a very successful event were given by the EGHN- Chairman Alan Thornley and EGHH-Vice-Chairman Roswitha Arnold who visited to event.

Some first pictures can be found here.

First EGHN Partner Garden in Italy (November 2009)

On November, 5th Villa Fabri in Trevi (Umbria, Italy) was officially launched as the seat of the regional network "Villas, Parks and Gardens in Umbria". That same day, Villa Fabri with its garden overlooking the fabulous Umbrian landscape, was welcomed as the first formal partner of EGHN in Italy. At the end of a long day with technical meetings to prepare a new project of EGHN, the EGHN plaque was fixed by EGHN Vice-Chairman Roswitha Arnold and the Mayor of Trevi, Giuliano Nalli.

Umbria Region, the city of Trevi and the private and public owners of parks and gardens in Umbria are now ready to start a closer cooperation to enhance and to valorise the parks and gardens in Umbria. This will include joint promotional activities and events as well as the work on an EGHN garden route in Umbria. The EGHN partners welcomed their new Italian partners and are keen to intensify international cooperation.

New European project - Good progress made (September 2009)

The Foundation Schloss Dyck hosted another meeting of European organisations to agree on the major contents and budgets of a joint application for a project within the INTERREG IVC programme. The policy framework, challenges and objectives as well as key actions and responsibilities have been brought forward. It is hoped that the next meeting in Trevi (hosted by Umbria Region) in November will bring work on the application to an end.

In addition to the forthcoming application, the group identified many networking opportunities in the near future, including staff exchange (e.g. with the new International Centre for Gardening and Horticulture in West Cheshire), joint promotional activities, the implementation of EGHN routes in Northern and Southern Europe or an international conference on parks and gardens in urban development strategies, scheduled by some German partners for late 2010.

During the night the group visited the "illumina" at Schloss Dyck (shown on picture above). This lighting event with music, poetry, water works and video installations inspired Ness Gardens to have a similar event in December 2009. 

"Ness Botanische" won an RHS Gold Medal and 'Best in show' (July 2009)

Award winning garden designer and TV presenter Chris Beardshaw, Visit Chester & Cheshire and EGHN partner Ness Botanic Gardens are celebrating a unique double - winning a Gold Medal and The Best in Show Award for the second year running, at "The RHS Tatton Show" at Tatton Park.

The highly imaginative show garden entitled “Ness Botanische, Cheshire’s Gardens of Distinction - Under The Microscope" has not only proved a major hit with the judges but also with the many visitors to Tatton, and for those who couldn’t make it to the show, they will have their chance to see the garden when it is relocated in Spring 2010 to a permanent home at the University of Liverpool’s, Ness Botanic Gardens.

The garden was sponsored by Visit Chester & Cheshire in association with the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and Ness Botanic Gardens. The garden celebrates Cheshire’s Gardens of Distinction and reflects on the many links which have, and still are, being forged between German and British centres of horticultural excellence.

Chris’s imaginative circular design was inspired by decades of scientific and academic research which has been carried out at Ness Botanic Gardens. The design represents a microscopic view through a plant stem and the visitors to the Show were unusually able to walk on a journey through the various layers of the stem, represented by differing plant styles including Germanic-inspired prairie gardens

RHS Gold Medal for Tatton Park (July 2009)

Cheshire was also celebrating a Gold Medal for Tatton Park, EGHN anchor garden in Cheshire, who had a back-to-back garden designed by Tatton Park’s head gardener Sam Yould. “The Hermit’s Grotto – Inspiration for Imagination” was inspired by the true story of the famous Cheshire hermit John Harris, who, after being thwarted in his attempts to marry one of the Egerton family, went on to live in a cave until his death at the age of 99.

The garden was a feast for the ears as well as the eyes, as Cheshire Poet Laureate Terry Fox visited the garden to set poetry in motion to encourage children to use their imagination in writing poems and stories about Cheshire hermits.

Fairytale EGHN garden route in North Hesse (July 2009)

North Hesse in central Germany is the homeland of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. Here the Brothers Grimm spent the longest period of their lives, a particularly fruitful and productive time to which all their major projects are closely linked. They also loved to walk through the gardens in Kassel or around Kassel in North Hesse.

These parks and gardens can now be explored by following the new EGHN garden route. Among these sites is the Bergpark Wilhelmshoehe with its famous water features, preparing to apply for UNESCO World Heritage status soon. The European Themes add some other highlights and hidden gems as well, ranging from a Spa Park combining heritage and contemporary design to a private garden.

Dublin's St. Anne's Park and Merrion Square join the EGHN (May 2009)

In May 2009 the Advisory Board of EGHN was pleased to accept the request by Dublin City Council for two of their gardens to become partners within the network in 2010. One is St. Anne's Parks, a former estate owned and much designed by the Guinness family at the northern outskirts of Dublin city. The other one is Merrion Square with the Archbishop Ryan Parks in the centre, a stunning Georgian Square, loved and enjoyed by Dublin's citizens, including Oscar Wilde, who lived at Merrion Square.

During their meeting at Dublin (see below) members of the EGHN had the great honour and pleasure to plant a European Tree together with the 339th Lord Mayor of Dublin, Eibhlin Byrn.

Workshop for an application "EGHN+" within INTERREG IVC (May 2009)

A transnationl group of "old" EGHN partners and interessted organisations met again to prepare a joint application for a project related to parks, gardens, urban development and climate change.

The two days meeting was hosted by Dublin City Council. Participants came from Ireland, the UK, France, Italy, Malta, Sweden and Germany. There is also interest from Rhodes and Estonia to become a partner in this new application.

For more details, please contact the project development consultancy.   

City Park Linköpig is the first EGHN partner garden in Sweden (March 2009)

On March, 22nd 2009 the city park in Linköping (Trädgårdsföreningen) celebrated its 150th anniversary. Officals, supporters and the citizens of Linköping joined a small conference and an event in the city park to remember these 150 years of history and to start the next phase of restructuring the park. 

EGHN officials have been pleased to be there and to welcome the city park as the first garden of the EGHN partnership and network in Sweden. The EGHN plaque was handed out and the official flag shown at the entrance area. Together with the Lord Mayor two trees were planted as a sign for a future growth in a local and European community.