Her mission is to spread garden culture: Anita Fischer – with a pot of Icelandic poppies in her arms – invented the Freising Garden Days 25 years ago and is still its driving force. © Lehmann
For the 25th time, the Freising Garden Days will take place. Organizer Anita Fischer remembers the emotional beginnings and the biggest challenges.
Freising – Strictly speaking, it has been 27 years since the Freising Garden Days first took place in the courtyards of the district office. But due to the pandemic, the 25th edition of this visitor magnet will only take place this weekend. In an FT interview, landscape architect Anita Fischer talks about how the two-day event came about, why she was in tears, and what particularly encourages her.
Ms. Fischer, do you remember how you came up with the idea for the Garden Days more than a quarter of a century ago?
Very well, in fact. In 1996 I was with friends in Holland, where we visited the plant days together at Huis Bingerden Castle. 50 to 60 exhibitors created a great atmosphere. I raved so much that someone in our group asked me: Why don't you organize something like this at home?
And what did you answer?
Unfortunately, I don't have a castle with a park available. (laughs) But when I drove home from Holland, I thought about it all the time: My God, where could we raise Freising Garden Days? As a student, I attended a jazz festival in the courtyards of the district office and the former Neustift monastery. And suddenly it was clear to me: This is a perfect fit. Because in this country, garden culture started from monasteries.
And the district administrator immediately played along?
At the time, that was Manfred Pointner, who had just been elected. I approached him with a concept and immediately suggested the Mother's Day weekend in 1997, but I was already wondering: Will it start? But it is. I couldn't get along with that anymore (laughs).
At that time, I was still doing it all on my own. I don't know if I would still dare to do that now – 27 years later.
Anita Fischer, organizer of the Freising Garden Days
Let's keep reminiscing! How were the first garden days?
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It was a small event with 24 exhibitors, but including 20 of the best perennial nurseries in all of Germany. And it turned out that there was a need for Freising Garden Days. Already in the first year 4000 visitors came – the madness. At that time, I was still doing it all on my own. I don't know if I would still dare to do that now – 27 years later.
At the same time, the Freising Garden Days have become bigger and bigger.
That's right. We all embarked on an adventure that kept us growing. The exhibitors' booths became more and more beautiful, more and more special. At weddings we had up to 7000 visitors and 125 exhibitors here. Because I am very well connected in my international circle of colleagues, I have had the Who's Who of European garden designers to give presentations over the years. After Corona, this has decreased again, this year there are about 80 exhibitors. It has also become more difficult to generate good people. But it's better to keep the quality high than to fill up the event with shoelace sellers. And there are still visitors from out of town who spend the night in Freising so that they can be there on both days. Of course, that encourages me.
Are there any experiences with the Garden Days that you remember particularly well?
What comes to mind again and again is the first opening speech in front of the stables. After holding it, I was so relieved that I felt tears come to my eyes. I swallowed them in a makeshift way. But just then, an acquaintance, Sister Katharina from the Frauenwörth monastery in Chiemsee, came to me and took me in her arms. There was no stopping me.
I think it will take another year or two for everything to settle down.
Anita Fischer, organizer of the Freising Garden Days
What have been the biggest challenges you have had to overcome in 25 years of garden days?
The year 2020. We were already done with the organization when the lockdown came. That was bitter. I also had to leave a lot of money to fulfill contracts. 2021 was also an emotional roller coaster: Can the Garden Days take place or not? In the end, it didn't continue until 2022. When we got the green light in mid-March, we set up a light version within a few weeks. I think it will take another year or two for everything to settle down.
(By the way: Everything from the region is now also available in our regular Freising newsletter.)
Is there any plant that hasn't been presented to you yet?
I believe that there is very little – apart from large trees – that we haven't had there yet. Whether lotus flowers or aquatic plants, cacti or carnivorous plants - everything was already there at the Freising Garden Days. Not to mention the specialists who presented 400 varieties of tomatoes from yellow to black to striped – or 300 species of ferns. Spreading garden culture was and is simply my mission.
Which plant is most dear to your heart?
I love hydrangeas in any form – fat ball hydrangeas or flat plate hydrangeas. The great thing about hydrangeas is that even if they have faded, they still look good when dry. They simply bring color to life.
You can find even more up-to-date news from the district of Freising on Merkur.de/Freising.
Good to know: The Freising Garden Days are open this weekend from 9 a.m. to 18 p.m. Admission costs 9 euros (reduced 7 euros). Further information can be found on the homepage of the Garden Days.