Our Herb Garden.
Behind our oldest building in Eckwälden, Germany, sits the source of much of what makes Dr. Hauschka different. Five hectares of biodynamic land. More than 150 plants. Every harvest done by hand.
Our herb garden operates according to nature’s own rhythms — seasonal, lunar, ecological. It’s a closed living system: wild enough for lizards and frogs, cultivated enough to yield the botanicals in your products. A real oasis.
Biodiversity: variety over monocultures.
More than 150 of the plants we use in the production of Dr. Hauschka Skin Care products and WALA Medicines are cultivated in our own herb garden. We’ve cultivated a living ecosystem of shady wooded areas and bright sunny spots, flower beds and open meadows, trees and shrubs, each microclimate chosen to give every plant exactly the conditions it needs.
The garden isn’t just for plants. We maintain several bee colonies and provide nesting holes for birds, piles of stones for lizards and wild bees, and a pond for frogs, toads, and multiple other species. Our herb garden provides a stable habitat and varied food supply all year round.
How We Farm: One Living System.
Our herb garden covers around five hectares (12 acres). Our dedicated gardeners cultivate this land biodynamically based on nature’s own rhythms. What does this mean, exactly? It means we use our own seeds to grow the next generation of plants, which thrive in the closed ecosystem of our garden – a single organism that comprises the living soil, the surrounding environment, and the climate into which the plants grow.
We work with compost, crop rotation, and green manuring, constantly observing how the garden is developing and always gathering new experiences – particularly in these times of changing climate conditions. Our gardeners observe, adapt, and gather new understanding every season.
Our Garden’s Gold: Compost
Compost is central to how our garden thrives. We maintain several distinct compost heaps — differentiating between leaf and manure compost, each serving a different role in the garden’s ecosystem. They provide the sustainable structure required for soil and plants to thrive in harmony.
But not all compost is the same – for example, we differentiate between leaf and manure compost. Each heap is turned by hand an average of four times before it reaches maturity. This way, we can directly monitor the changing quality of the compost. After turning, our gardeners add various biodynamic preparations to the compost. Nettle, chamomile, yarrow, oak bark, and dandelion all help the compost to reach its full potential. Finally, a thick layer of straw provides each heap with a protective barrier.
Carefully Harvested by Hand.
Each plant in our garden receives dedicated care and attention. Our gardeners harvest leaves, blossoms, fruit, and roots by hand all year round – and these are then processed to produce our plant extracts. All the plant-processing departments are located right next to the garden to ensure the harvested raw materials are as fresh as possible when they arrive.