BUGA 2023 in Mannheim, Germany
During my study abroad trip with Middle Tennessee State University last spring, I got to visit the Bundesgartenschau (abbreviated BUGA) in Mannheim, Germany. This federal horticulture show is held biennially in Germany, each time in a different city. Although my mom and I spent the greater part of an afternoon in the gardens, it would have taken the entire season to appreciate the beauty and design around us.
Stepping into the gardens at Luisenpark
After coming from the bustling, noisy street into the lush gardens of Luisenpark, I felt as if I had fallen into a magical wonderland like Alice. Flower gardens extended as far as the eye could see. Walkways and trees sculpted the landscape, and visitors with DSLRs around their necks snapped shots of flowers. I was in paradise.
Me admiring Shasta daisies and salvias in Luisenpark
The exhibition took place in Luisenpark and Spinelli Park, which are connected by cable car. Although my mom and I had spent the morning walking around Heidelberg Castle with the rest of the study abroad group, tired muscles weren’t going to stop us from seeing the flowers.
Me in my happy place :)
Poppies from the genus Eschscholzia
Every square foot of the park was beautiful; it felt like a garden magazine.
One of the many vibrant vistas in Luisenpark. Notice the complementary color scheme of the flowers and the Fernmeldeturm (telecommunications tower) in the background.
A quiet place to sit.
A colorful pansy and allium border showcasing a tetradic color scheme (two sets of compliments)
Single camellias
One of my favorite parts of Luisenpark was the azalea garden. Dozens of varieties of azalea bushes were all in bloom, setting the shade garden ablaze with color.
Me amidst the azaleas. Also notice the chestnut trees in bloom in the background!
After cake and eiskaffee (iced coffee) at a café called Seerestaurant, we saw the meadow, pollinator garden, hydrangeas, pflanzenschauhaus (plant show house), and all manner of exotic birds kept in the park.
Cake and eiskaffee from Seerestaurant
Although I could have stayed and admired Luisenpark for days, we had yet to see the second half of the exhibition in Spinelli Park. To get there we rode in silent cable cars, which are part BUGA’s sustainability movement.
My mom enjoying the view from our cable car gondola. The two-kilometer ride lasted about eight minutes, and we got a unique glimpse of Mannheim as we passed over the Neckar River and the Deutsche Bahn train route below.
Upon reaching Spinelli Park, we were greeted afresh with fields upon fields of flowers.
A field of pansies at Spinelli Park
There were pansies and daisies and irises galore; alliums and poppies and lilies and more!
Orange bearded iris with yellow snapdragons below
BUGA 23’s goal was to create “a healthy environment for Mannheim’s future, climate-neutral in harmony with the natural environment.” Seventeen gardens were created in Spinelli Park to correspond with each of the sustainability goals.
This field of irises took my breath away. I had never seen so many flowers in my life!
Each garden was thoughtfully designed and curated. I observed monochromatic, complementary, analogous, triadic, and quadratic color schemes.
Another aspect of the gardens I enjoyed was the sculptural displays, like these eleven-foot poppies and giant teacup planters. Car tires and swings were also used to creatively represent innovation and infrastructure.
An anemone growing in a giant teacup planter
More bearded irises
The irises were my favorite :)
Our BUGA excursion drew to a close at the U-Hall, a U-shaped exhibition hall with space for nineteen large flower shows. The areas in between the halls were planted in meadows of wildflowers.
My mom and I sang hymns together on our cable car ride back to Luisenpark. We sang “How Great Thou Art,” “Blessed Assurance,” and “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” taking turns harmonizing with each other as we watched the world go by below us.
