Village Garden
Around our houses and the centre of the village, there are various garden sections, which can be summarised as the ‘Central Gardens’ of Michaelshof.
As a guest of the
The planting in this part of the gardens is very summer-oriented; at this time, an unbelievable richness of colour develops, which is mainly characterised by wonderful roses, such as the fragrant, Constance Spry ‘, or the incredible climber, Alchemist’. Lilies, clematis and hydrangeas also line up. The one-year-olds complement the arrangement with delicate lightness in late summer. On the small wall in the back café area: liver balm, Tagetes, snapdragons and superb sage enchant with their bright colours even from lower down.
The café is wonderfully bordered by fresh flowerbeds from spring to autumn.
A
of larger perennials and grasses,
high-reaching echinacea
and rose bushes
Our ‹Michaelshof› – the building which houses the dining room, the library, a small function room and various administrative and residential rooms – is surrounded by an old garden that has been brought back to life. It has been maintained for more than 30 years and has been thoroughly refurbished, especially in 2012. Extensive beds are harmoniously placed around the houses. Strong rhododendrons, red azaleas, pointed maples, a strong witch hazel and all kinds of perennials envelope the courtyard.
Behind the house – opposite the large hydrangea beds on the wall of the house – there are two beds in the shadows which produce especially charming plant treasures in the spring. In May/June, thick Allium heads poke through the large bed in front of the dining room, which lights up together with the first roses.
In the bright summer light, the yellow tones of the heleniums are especially striking, which similarly to the various grasses, characterise the image of Michaelshof. Also the Jerusalem artichoke, an ancient cultivated plant, which once fully grown is impossible to miss with its high yellow flowers. The romantic stone wall is covered by the so-called waterfall roses; Fairy-tale-like varieties grow together in their shades of red to form a dense hedge, eliciting glances of admiration from visitors.
In the middle of the south-facing square with the beautiful paving and the two wells, we can make ourselves comfortable in a Mediterranean sitting area; lemon and orange trees in pots accompany us.
Heading for the arena, we come through the former ‘Cherry Orchard’, which is one of the highlights of the Sammatzer Gardens in its early summer blossoms of cherry, apple and pear. Many old trees enchant us with their gnarled charm, probably combined with colourful early bloomers, geraniums, daylilies and anemones. A mighty barberry shrub stands in the middle of the garden and amazes us in winter with its red, bright berries, which are becoming more and more popular as a healthy source of vitamin C.
A little below is the fountain terrace, where you will be greeted by a gentle lapping of the old stone fountain which has been surrounded by a variety of lilies. From here you have a wonderful view of the arena.
The garden of the medicinal plant laboratory is characterized by a mighty oak, with its large tree top spanning over the area like a green umbrella. Creatively designed shapes of flower beds can be found around the base of the oak – small, round, oval and banana shaped – that complement the great majesty of the ancient oak.
Here a rectangular stone fountain ripples, making us forget the time …
On the wall are beautifully designed beds in which one can see hyacinths and bleeding heart in the spring. Then one sees roses, larkspur and hollyhocks in summer and the somewhat melancholic but playful chrysanthemums in late autumn.
Adjacent to the garden is the tropical greenhouse where we can admire some impressive tropical plants: mango, guava, tree and shrub strelitzia, angel trumpets, beautiful flowers and much more. In the middle a rectangular stone fountain ripples, making us forget the time.
But this silence is over quickly when our parakeets start chirping and screeching. Even in the surrounding gardens, their shrieks are still audible. Because not only plants, but also birds live here in two nicely designed aviaries; they shine with their colourful plumage.
So, a walk through the ‘Central Gardens’ at Michaelshof can be very diverse – we wish you a lot of fun exploring!
