Rhineland-Palatinate

6/7 September 2025

Floral Dreams

Too cold, too high, too dark for flowers and blooming gardens? Not at all. Fragrant roses, medicinal herbs, and English-style gardens attract bees and visitors to the Black Forest.

By Dominika Bulwicka-Walz

The Black Forest is full of dense fir forests, dark green and cold – or so the common perception goes. It seems all the more surprising, then, that sun-loving roses thrive there, medicinal plants soak up the sun to develop their effects, colorful blossoms compete for attention, and an English garden invites visitors to stroll.

At an altitude of 700 meters, nestled beside its own spring, visitors are greeted by an English-style garden: a place of appropriate tranquility and British serenity. Even the drive to The Moosbach Garden in Nordrach slows you down. Inevitably so: the winding road leading to the secluded house at 700 meters above sea level makes speeding impossible.

Reaching the top, an incredibly beautiful view of the Moosbach Valley unfolds: conifers as far as the eye can see, dark green against a blue sky. Up here, the air is fresher, the light more intense. The silence is only broken by a cheeky rooster crowing. To greet us, the black and white Border Collies Luna and Cooper arrive – important members of the Moosbach Garden team. In 2013, Thomas Huber and his husband Andrew Huber-Froud fell in love with the house in Nordrach. They liked the secluded property in the Black Forest so much that they bought it a year later. At that time, it was surrounded by pastures and meadows. But not for long. Andrew has been gardening since he was 13. "It's good for my mind and my heart," says the British native. He passed on his passion for gardening and his green thumb to Thomas, and so it was only a matter of time before English gardening culture flourished in the Black Forest.

COLORFUL

Promising times in the novelty garden in Baden-Baden. PHOTO: BADEN-BADEN TOURISMUS GMBH

The garden wasn't planned that way at all. It simply evolved, Thomas explains. And it continues to evolve, as new ideas keep emerging, and the little paradise is constantly changing. Here, an old watering can and a pipe become a small fountain; there, old roof tiles are stacked to form a low wall.

Blooming and fragrant roses, purple chive blossoms (which trained chef Thomas also uses in his dishes), a blood-red maple tree, delphiniums, and radiant blue irises delight the eye. Most guests at The Moosbach Garden are seeking tranquility and peace. They find it in the garden's enchanting corners.

Baden-Baden is the city of flowers. More precisely: the city of roses. For in the rose novelty garden on the Beutig hill, one of the world's most important competitions takes place annually. Prominently displayed to the left of the entrance, 143 new rose varieties from twelve countries, including South Korea and New Zealand, compete against each other. They are planted as early as the winter of the previous year, and then everyone eagerly awaits to see which breeder will ultimately take home the golden rose.

Born out of necessity, the competition was launched in 1952 to make Baden-Baden more attractive to tourists. After the grueling years of war and reconstruction, the world needed to be brightened up and a positive atmosphere conveyed. What could be better suited to this than vibrant floral displays? The Baden Rose Days were born, with then-Chancellor Konrad Adenauer as their prominent patron.

The fascination with roses remains unbroken to this day. A stroll through the garden quickly makes it clear why. It's hard to believe how diverse roses can be: climbing roses in delicate pink and yellow wind their way up arches. Rose bushes with countless yellow blossoms and pink buds attract more than just winged visitors. Bee-friendly roses are currently in high demand, reports Markus Brunsing, head of the municipal parks department.

The ideal rose is healthy, has a beautiful bloom, and a captivating fragrance. Since fragrance plays a prominent role, this colorful spectacle will also be recognized in this special category. Five perfumers from France, Germany, and Switzerland will travel to the event to decide who will receive the olfactory award. However, the judges won't be the only ones to choose; the public will also have the opportunity to select their favorite rose.

Ulrike Armbruster has dedicated herself entirely to the knowledge of plants. Almost everything the 62-year-old grows in her farm garden in Berghaupten finds a use – both in the kitchen and in her home medicine cabinet. Prevention rather than cure is the motto of the now 62-year-old. This is knowledge that her mother passed on to her, who died at the age of 104. Therefore, Armbruster believes: "Old knowledge should be preserved." And so, herbs and plants find their way onto her plate in everyday life. She shares her knowledge of the healing properties and uses of plants in courses and during farm tours.

She explains how clove roots can be used as a spice, how cabbage leaves help with bruises, how to refine vinegar with elderflower and rose petals, how homemade meadowsweet salves can help with back pain, and how many vitamins and minerals microgreens are packed with. For her plants to fully unleash their healing power, the garden needs to thrive as naturally as possible. Plants should be in bloom so that bees and plump bumblebees can forage to their heart's content. And afterwards, they can rest in a woodpile in the bee hotel.

Armbruster gently keeps snails away from her lettuce by spreading sheep's wool over the soil. This natural product also acts as fertilizer and retains water. What doesn't decompose over the months is snatched up by birds in the spring to line their nests. So everyone benefits.

BLACK FOREST IN BRIGHT COLORS

ARRIVAL Baden-Baden can be reached from Stuttgart by train via Karlsruhe, www.bahn.de. With the KONUS guest card, you can travel free of charge on buses and trains in the Black Forest holiday region, www.schwarzwald-tourismus.info/planen-buchen/konus-gaestekarte. Moosbach Garden is most easily reached by car. If traveling by train, take the train to Zell am Harmersbach, then a taxi to Moosbach is recommended, www.bahn.de.

ACCOMMODATION

Centrally located and comfortable: Hubers Hotel in Baden-Baden, double rooms with breakfast from €150, www.hubers-hotel.de
Romantic getaway in nature: The Moosbach Garden in Nordrach, double rooms from €215, www.moosbach.garden
Steeped in tradition: Hotel Palmenwald in Freudenstadt, double rooms from €127, www.palmenwald.de

ACTIVITIES

Guided herb walks and herb courses at Armbruster's farm. Dates and registration via www.armbruster-berghaupten.de
Rose novelty garden in Baden-Baden, information online at www.baden-baden.de
Picnic in the garden of The Moosbach Garden, www.moosbach.garden

GENERALLY