European flower lovers discover gardens without borders

By Bernd F Meier Aug 16, 2011, 3:06 GMT

Merzig, Germany - Flower lovers in the border triangle between France, Luxembourg and Germany have been flocking to gardens that traverse the boundaries between the three countries.

'We now enter our next garden, the rose garden,' Ulrike Heffinger tells visitors to the Garten der Sinne in the German town of Merzig straddling the French border, one of 25 gardens making up the Gaerten ohne Grenzen (Gardens without Borders).

Hundreds of flowers are in full bloom in the 11 different gardens, which spread from Bitche in Lorraine to the Luxembourg village of Schengen.

'The first three gardens were planted in 1998: the Baroque Garden in Perl, the Shrub Garden in Weiskirchen and the Merzig Garden,' explains Heffinger, who is project leader of Gardens without Borders.

A trip around the border triangle reveals fascinating differences in the plants used in the creation of each garden. The two Baroque Gardens in Perl and Schengen follow a strict form, with wide open green spaces, while the Beckinger Saargarten Garden on the banks of the river Saar stands out because of its flower meadow.

Some visitors also make the trip to the garden of Robert Schumann in Scy-Chazelles near Metz. Considered one of the fathers of modern Europe, Schuman was twice Prime Minister of France and is regarded as one of the founders of the European Union.

The Staudengarten Garden in Weiskirchen with its nearly 10,000 plants, shrubs and rose bushes is a riot of colour, while the 1,500 square metre Baroque Garden of Dagstuhl Castle near Wadern is one of the smallest gardens.

The garden in front of the Chateau de Schengen in Luxembourg's Moseldorf is also worth a visit, while six authentic Roman gardens have been reconstructed at the Roman Villa Borg in Perl-Borg.

The hunting lodge in Karlsbrunn, meanwhile, is home to a substantial forest garden. 'For years, the garden was left untended and grew wild,' says Heffinger.

However, work began in 2005 on the gardens around the former castle of Prince Ludwig of Nassau-Saarbruecken, giving them a new lease of life.

Today, visitors make their way through immaculate shrub gardens and ancient plants before reaching the serpentine path with its superb views of the area.

The Four Seasons Park stretches to 50,000 square metres and is open to visitors all year around. There are many plants to discover, including blooming shrubs, hardwood trees and a lakeside garden with irises and lilies.