The famous Cassian Schmidt will come to the international conference on environmental design «Garden style 2019». It’s time to meet him:
Briefly about Cassian Schmidt and Hermannshof the garden
Dr. Cassian Schmidt is a landscape architect and designer who has been responsible for the famous Hermannshof botanical garden in Germany for over 20 years.
During his years at the helm, Hermannshof became one of the places that dictated landscaping trends in Europe. How is this… Germany? It really is. The naturalistic drawing movement began in Germany, only later spreading to Great Britain, and also popularized overseas by the Dutchman Piet Oudolf.
Environmental trends 2016 – Geltonas KarutisTherefore, Germany can boast not only excellent results from breeders (you probably know the famous landrun «Karl Foerster»), but also long-term research results. This is what Hermannshof is famous for: they bring global trends closer to the earth and study how different plants grow in harmony with each other. Here high fashion becomes concrete and accessible. And thanks to the precise and attentive workers, their experience (as is characteristic of the Germans) is written down, measured, counted and usually put into practice.
What is special about Cassian Schmidt’s works?
Surprisingly, the Hermannshof group, led by Cassian Schmidt, improved a certain approach to form combinations that would grow well and need minimal upkeep. They have already made many of these combinations, and for several years now in Germany, you can purchase ready-made combinations for your garden. We mention lower upkeep for a good reason: they have even figured out how many minutes each year you need to spend taking care of a specific combination.
In creating this approach, Cassian Schmidt based his ideas on natural environments: for this reason, less effort and a more natural look of the surroundings can be expected. This is why people around the world are interested in his work, and experts gather at his sessions, where he explains the core concepts and practical applications of his approach.
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The new gardening term “Healthy design”: what to expect at the Garden Style 2024 conferenceCassian Schmidt will come to Lithuania
At the conference “Garden style 2019”whose theme this year is “Less Maintenance,” Cassian Schmidt will present the presentation «New perspectives: on-site design and care of perennials».
In the presentation he will try to answer the question of how to create an impressive design, immediately predicting that in the future there will be less maintenance.
He will present his methodology and illustrate it by showing the same combinations (modules) of herbaceous perennials that are created and studied at the Hermannshof Botanical Garden. They have been tested for at least 5 years before being placed on the market. There are now more than 40 such combinations that can simply be purchased. They are intended not only for private land, but also for public spaces and especially as a solution for problem areas (where the climate is extremely dry, where water flows and gets wet, etc.).
Each «recipe» of the combination is designed to change over the years, but to remain decorative, require minimal maintenance and require no special skills on the part of the maintainer. That’s why each combination includes plants for structure, plants for filler, plants for ground cover, and plants for other functions.
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Remove weeds and moss between paversCassian Schmidt will present all of these features in a conference keynote and provide insights into how to create a contemporary low-maintenance habitat-based design.
Below in the video reportage you can admire a truly evocative walk around the Hermannshof garden (in English). Although the action took place in November, the whole philosophy of the garden is really well conveyed and you can see how much love and expert knowledge has been put into it:
Dr. You will hear Cassian Schmidt’s presentation at the conference «Garden style 2019», which will be held on August 24 in Vilnius. Information and tickets – Click here.
The conference is organized by us, «Geltonas karutis», so we guarantee that it will be interesting not only for professionals, but also for all plant lovers who like to create an environment.
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What do you need to know to grow healthy rhododendrons? / Yellow wheelbarrowAre you interested in training with a world-class landscape architect? Don’t miss the opportunity and hurry, there are still some free places for Cassian Schmidt’s one-day practical course on August 26th. «Design with bluebells in landscape architecture». More information – Click here
COURSES AND SEMINARS:
Don’t have the opportunity to go to Germany and buy a ready-made combination for your garden? We invite you to visit our seminar «Plant composition laboratory» and learn to create beautiful arrangements from trees, shrubs, bell plants and perennial flowers.
Conclusion
The work of the Hermannshof team, led by Cassian Schmidt, represents a thoughtful and scientific approach to modern garden design. They don’t rely solely on aesthetic intuition, but have developed a structured method to ensure that plant compositions are not only visually harmonious but also capable of long-term coexistence. This approach reflects their profound understanding of plant ecology, growth patterns, and long-term maintenance needs—aspects often overlooked in traditional garden design.
One of the most impressive aspects of their system is its practicality. By carefully selecting plant species that naturally complement each other in terms of light requirements, soil preferences, and growth dynamics, they create plant communities that are both robust and visually balanced. These compositions are not haphazardly piled up but rather carefully planned ecosystems that coexist harmoniously with minimal intervention. The resulting gardens are both naturally dynamic and easy for owners to maintain.
The concept of calculating maintenance time in minutes per year adds an innovative and quantifiable dimension to garden planning. For many, the dream of owning a beautiful garden is often hindered by concerns about the need for ongoing maintenance. By quantifying the required inputs, the Hermann Hoff method eliminates uncertainty, enabling gardeners to make informed decisions based on their available time and energy. This transparency transforms gardening from a potentially overwhelming task into a predictable and easily accessible activity.
Furthermore, the widespread availability of ready-made plant combinations in Germany demonstrates how design research can be translated from theory to practice. Gardeners no longer need to endlessly experiment to find suitable plant pairings; they can rely on combinations that have been tested and optimized over many years.
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