The Netherlands
The wind pushes the salt smell of the North Sea inland, while hedges and shrubs protect the garden from harsh coastal winds. This Dutch garden in the middle of an industrial estate feels like an oasis and offers an ideal retreat for insects and birds, promoting biodiversity at the same time. Although a hectare is quite manageable, the garden holds an enormous variety of medicinal plants. More than 200 species of plants are cultivated here. The heavy soil is given better structure with strongly mineralized compost and, to meet the special requirements of some plants, the soil is further varied, from heavy to light, from wet to dry, from nutrient-rich to nutrient poor. A heated greenhouse is also used for the cultivation of some tropical medicinal plants. Almost all the plants needed for Weleda products are grown here.