As a result of my placement at the office of GFSL in 2004 I got the opportunity to start my thesis within the project 'Prädikatisierung zum Kneipp-Heilbad' (Bad Schmiedebergs nomination as a Kneipp-spa) in Bad Schmiedeberg as a base for the following implementation planning. Under the guidance of the director of the office, Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Rüdiger Clausen, and the professor for perennial planting and planting design at the Anhalt University of Applied Sciences in Bernburg, Prof. Dr. Wolfram Kircher, I designed a horticultural ensemble, unique in its form and considered an enrichment for the area as well as a challenge for all participants.

The area is situated at the end of the main path through the park in the middle of the so-called 'Sonnenpark'. In combination with an extensive rose garden, the centre line with herbs and bog plants acts as a setting for the Kneipp-basin as well as an attraction in the park and a station for the bog nature trail.

Mediterranean planting	Fen	Wood and meadow bed	Raised bog	Duftbeet	Transition moor	Rockery

My intention was to show both of the therapy approaches of the spa: moor mud, which is used against the illness of the musculoskeletal system, and the Kneipp-therapy, which was added quite recently. The ensemble contains three different kinds of bog in raised beds (raised bog, fen and transition moor), three beds with plants used for Kneipps phytotherapy (Mediterranean planting, wood and meadow bed and rockery), and one bed to show the fragrance of different plants (Duftbeet).

The partition of this seven beds was effected by the requirements of the plants concerning their habitat as well as aesthetic aspects. The composition of species was modified to alleviate the long-term garden maintenance.

Sample of plant portraits raised bog		Sample of plant portraits rockery

After finishing my work I delivered seven planting designs as well as a concept of maintenance and detailed portraits of the used plants. Furthermore I created a website on the base of the collected informations to support interested public in building their own bog or a herb garden.

Furthermore I created a website taking all of the collected informations into account to support anyone interested in building their own bog or a herb garden. This website will be online soon under the following link www.moor-und-kraeuter.de.