The State Garden Show has opened!

By now, some of you have surely taken a look at the State Garden Show grounds, strolled across the site and perhaps already attended one or two events. For all those who haven't had the chance yet, here are some impressions from the opening weekend.

On the unfortunately very rainy Friday, a day after the State Garden Show opened, I make my way to the entrance at the Knowledge Gardens with the newly established bus line 29. I get off at the LGS South stop and immediately notice the colourful flags that have been set up all around the entrance to the grounds. I walk to the ticket office and shortly afterwards I'm holding my season ticket in my hand, after a photo was taken on the spot.

Then it's off for a little tour through the Knowledge Gardens, which are part of Würzburg's "Think Tank". Some things are already blooming here and information boards explain lots of interesting knowledge concisely and memorably. There are also many information stands and an outdoor kitchen on the grounds, which unfortunately weren't staffed due to the bad weather. But it already gives an idea of what activities will take place there over the coming weeks and months. Here at the Knowledge Gardens, the German Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND) has its stand, which deals with biodiversity. In the Garden of Leisure you can sit comfortably and let your gaze wander, or perhaps do a bit of gardening yourself. My little tour next takes me through the Mars Garden, which looks ahead and provides lots of information on the topic of "insects as food of the future", examines the role of 3D printers in nutrition and explains the idea behind the "Mars Farm".

After walking through the Knowledge Gardens, I pass by the Flying Circus and head towards the Generational Gardens, along vegetation that is still quite sparse, consisting mainly of individual beds with daffodils, but will certainly cover a wide range of plants over the course of the entire event.

Arriving at the Old Park, I take a walk on the path and try out some of the fitness course equipment that has been set up, and then relax in one of the hanging hammocks and observe the surroundings. Many small flowers are blooming in the meadows in the old park, and there are also some bean bags and chairs scattered around where you can rest and take the weight off your feet for a bit. I particularly like this part of the grounds, but after a while I set off again to at least have a quick look at the rest of the site.

Since it's starting to rain again, I'm quite glad to have ended up in a corner where there are some buildings with interesting exhibitions to see. The Founders' Centre is still under construction, as is the airfield tower, but the other buildings can be used well as shelter from a rain shower. In the American Diner there is an exhibition with many videos, information boards and exhibits about the flying school, the American campus and many other topics related to the Americans in the Leighton Barracks. Next I take shelter in Lab 13, where there are contributions and exhibitions from the university, FHWS, HfM and UKW on various topics. For example, you can cut trees and roses in the Virtual Reality Laboratory or learn about X-ray microscopy in the neighbouring room. Above all, the overarching theme of networking was beautifully brought to the fore in the room design, as the rooms are connected to each other with net-like stretched strings.

Since the rain has now eased off, I quickly take a short tour of the Terrace Gardens, which will certainly become a paradise for families with children. A large part of the grounds there consists of a play world where children can really let loose, whether by climbing, sliding or searching for shells. The Garden Oasis, a bit further back, also looks very beautiful and has a very calming and relaxing effect, especially since, thanks to the bad weather, I'm practically strolling along here alone. Via the grounds of the Future Gardens, which you really should have seen, I end my little tour of this part of the site and head towards the Flower Hall.

Next is the building complex with the Library and the Flower Hall. When you enter the building through the Library entrance, you find yourself in a large room that is flooded with light on one side by a large glass window front. On the opposite wall you can see many photographs from 1912 onwards, each with short explanatory sentences about the photographs shown, the flying school and the grounds. Otherwise there are also plenty of seating options here and a counter with snacks and drinks for a light bite. Refreshed, I continue into the Flower Hall. At first I'm a bit irritated by the large white room and its layout, but the longer I stay in the Flower Hall, the more I like it. At intervals of a few metres, large scaffolding structures have been set up on which the plants are draped and around which they wind and climb. A square of grass with some planted flower pots and in the middle a kind of hot air balloon made of gas-filled balloons really appeals to me. In the middle of the hall, walls have been erected that separate off another room, in which a similarly planted scaffold structure has also been set up. On the walls there is vertical planting with many different types of ferns. On the other side of the hall, I'm particularly impressed by a green staircase and a structure of suspended test tubes with tulips in them and handmade butterflies floating in the hall.

Now I head towards the Gardens at the Belvedere, along all the newly built residential blocks on the left and many small flower beds laid out in front of the eastern meadow park on the right, which are already blooming in the most colourful colours. Along the many winding paths along all the small pavilions of the garden market, I reach the Belvedere entrance and exit and climb onto the viewing platform. From here you get a truly magnificent view over the entire eastern meadow park, the Gardens at the Belvedere and the Activity Strip, along which various sporting activities can be carried out. So I then walk along the Activity Strip back towards the Knowledge Gardens, past two basketball courts, a field for slagliner, trampolines, a small football pitch and table tennis tables. So in future you can really let loose here. However, I was startled by some sculptures or life-size figures of people that have been placed on the long bench along the entire meadow park and look really very real out of the corner of your eye.

So after my big tour across the entire State Garden Show grounds, I arrive back in the Knowledge Gardens area, sit down briefly at the edge of the large water basin and then stroll across the Creative Market with its many stands towards the exit.

In summary, you can say that the State Garden Show is certainly worth at least one visit, but rather more! The grounds are beautifully designed and with the themes changing every two weeks, it will certainly never get boring. In addition, there are numerous events such as concerts, open-air cinema and more, which you can all discover and find in the programme newspaper. And now I wish you all lots of fun exploring the State Garden Show yourselves!

Selma Metzler