Gärtnerei

Did the grand Duchess Maria Pawlowna ever stroll through these very grounds? I picture her admiring the vibrant blossoms cultivated here at the Gärrtnerei of Belvedere. The Gärrtnerei at Belvedere in Weimar isn’t just any garden. It’s significantly larger than the one by the Ilm River near the Liszt House. This expansive size speaks to its vital role in supplying the vast quantities of flowers needed for the ducal court. Imagine the sheer volume of blooms required, far exceeding the capacity of the orangeries alone. The Gärrtnerei likely traces its origins back to around 1730 when court gardener Johann David Gentzsch received the commission to create gardens. Of course, such grand gardens demanded a profusion of flowers. Near the Bohrstockplatz, several large greenhouses stand as testaments to the Gärrtnerei’s history of flower cultivation. These structures, known as “Erdenhäuser” or earth houses, were ingenious in their design. They utilized the earth’s natural warmth to overwinter plants at a depth of about five feet, minimizing the need for additional heating. Developed after 1815, these Erdenhäuser were initially hailed as an invention of Carl August. However, their true origins lie in a trip he took to Belgium in 1814, where he met botanist Louis Joseph Ghislain Parmentier. This encounter inspired him to visit similar greenhouses in England. The Gärrtnerei’s architect was Carl Friedrich Christian Steiner, with oversight by court gardener Johann Conrad Sckell. They cleverly situated the greenhouses on the south-facing slope of the kitchen garden. The diverse array of plants cultivated at Belvedere also led to the creation of the Hortus Belvedereanus under the direction of August Wilhelm Dennstedt. Today, the Gärrtnerei, the Orangerie, the Bohrstockschuppen (shed), and the Küchengartenhaus (kitchen garden house) together form part of the protected ensemble of Belvedere Palace and Park.