It would be hard to imagine a farmhouse without a garden. A rich gardening culture developed in the countryside during the late 18th century with impressive layouts e.g. 321: farmhouse Madiswil (1709/bernese midlands); 331: farmhouse Ostermundigen (1797/bernese midlands); 551: farmhouse with pigeonry Lancy (1762,1796,1820/west midlands); 611: wine growers house Richterswil (around 1780/east midlands).

Worldwide contacts formed mainly in the 19th century introduced previously unknown vegetables, flowers and shrubs into Switzerland. One of the best known of such plants is the geranium which originates in South Africa. Not all farming families were able to afford the luxury of large and decorative gardens. E.g. 111: farmhouse La Chaux-de-Fonds (1617/jura); 371: day labourer’s house, Dietligen (1760/bernese midlands); 1011: farmhouse Adelboden (1698/bernese oberland); 1111: house Blatten (1568/Valais).

There is a very impressive colourful garden next to the house from Herzogenbuchsee. The many herbs, flowers, grasses and shrubs from woods and fields contain substances for effective remedies or are used for dyeing. In our newly opened perfume cellar you can see a historical review of essential oils and how they were used as medicines and cosmetics. Enjoy the delightful scent of the recently planted flowers and herbs (302). Take a look too at the fields where old sorts of cereal (301), some almost extinct, are thriving, or at the tobacco field (501). A particular attraction is theseed garden (303) where we are growing rare plants from traditional farm and cloister gardens in order to obtain new seeds when the flowers have bloomed. Every farmhouse usually has a garden of course: splendid, colourful gardens with borders of shrubs on the larger farms or more modest gardens with enough plants for the daily needs of a day labourer.