Gardeners Go Europe

After work we drove 30 minutes to a wonderful lake called Store Økssø. The road to the lake was really bumpy, so it was a lot of fun. At first we collected firewood in the forest. And started to make a fire. At home we made stock bread dough and baked it over the fire.
After a while it got colder so we finished the barbecue.
We put our things in our cars and walked around the lake. Actually we wanted to swim, but it was so cold, but Olivia still got for a swim. The water was warmer than the air around us.
It was a really really beautiful evening.

This morning my day started at 7:15 am. First my colleague and I drove to the company to pick up a compactor. Afterwards we went to the building site where I had been the last days. There we met our team leader (Kaspar) who told us to go to another lot because there wasn't enough work for three persons. As we arrived at our new building site Peter, the foreman, introduced us which work we should do. After he told us what to do we were so exhausted from listening that we had to take a break and eat something ;-)
Bursting with energy we started to place some curbstones and supported them with concrete followed by paving with cobblestones. At eleven o'clock Kaspar called us and said that we can come back to the first lot. Once again we supported curbstones with concrete. In the afternoon I assisted my colleague with cleaning up the building site and put some old rails away. When everything was cleaned up and organized I was driven home by my colleague. "Thanks, dude! :-)"

During my three weeks stay in Aalborg I am working for OKNygaard. At this company work is split in green and grey. This week I am working for the green division. The last two days I worked with two girls on a big area with several apartment buildings. The whole ground is not so old, maybe you can see it on the picture below

We were weeding one bed after the other. We did this again and again. It was a quite boring but also easy job. As the weather is very good (no clouds, continuous sun and temperatures between 20 and 25 degrees) and the two girls are very friendly the job is anyway fun. I also want to mention that the Danish people are very friendly, open minded and try every time to help other persons. And they give us lots of tips what we can do during our visit in Denmark. So it is not going to be boring in our leisure time. By the way they pick us up every morning and drive us home after work to Sportshøjskole. This is more than we can expect. So at this point big thanks for this.
Yesterday evening, we went for a two hours walk on the promenade. At the end of a rampart we found a nice place to sit down and observe the sailing and rowing boats. During the whole walk we made a couple of beautiful photos. On the pictures below you can see the beautiful sunset.

This morning I had to wake up very early because my colleague Andreas picked me up at 6 am. He always starts one hour earlier than normal so he has more time in the afternoon. At first we drove to the other side of Aalborg to a bank. There we had to pick up garbage with a long stick where you can grab something. In the mean time my colleague cut the grass with a brush cutter. After that I went over the pathway with a leaf blower so everything gets clean. Our next building sites were train stations. The first one was in Hobro and the second one was in Skørping. There we had to collect garbage also under the hedge. We weeded weed out and put mineral fertilizer on the roses. My colleague burned weed with a flame thrower. He just had to go over it fast so the cells in the plant brake and water gets out so the plant dies from inside out. We couldn´t use herbicides like Roundup to get rid of the weed because it was a government building. Our last building side was on a company area and there we used Roundup for weed on pathways and around the building. We also had go around trees and lamps so it is easier for the grass man to cut it. For our health we had to wear long pants, plastic gloves, buts and a gas mask.
In the afternoon I drove with my car to a the lake Store Økssø and walked around it. I also swum in the lake. It was very nice. I found a great tree to climb and to sit in it. I drove back to the Sportshøjskole. It took me around half an hour. After that I went to dinner and out with my camera for a walk to get some good pictures near the water.

Today was my first working day at buus&Co. I started at 7 o'clock and worked till 3:30 in the afternoon. While working I enjoyed the good weather in Aalborg and I got to know my nice new colleagues. Our accomodation is pleasant and located only 2 km away from the center. The soap smells really bad but the meals are delicious. We also had some struggles with the shutters but after we solved this with our concentrated power there was nothing left that could stop us. Weakened by the long exhausting drive from Heilbronn to Aalborg yesterday it was a pleasure to work physically in the sun today. We had to cut down trees and bushes. After we had finished this job we drove back to the company ground and planted some Carpinus betulus as hedge. "Baumschule Schimmele" would have had better quality. Anyway I kept calm and carried on planting. Not every city can be so lucky to have a "Baumschule Schimmele". I'm looking forward to work tomorrow at Buus&Co for new experiences as a competent landscaper in Denmark.
God morgen!

We just arrived in Aalborg!

After over a month I see the stay in Denmark clearer. I didn’t just learn about the work, also about the people and the country itself. I will remember Denmark as a beautiful country with very nice and helpful people. I enjoyed every single day while we were there.
But the possibility of the stay was not our own merit. There were many people who collaborated. And I owe thanks to these people.
At first I want to thank our teachers Mrs. Baumgartner, Mrs. Mangold and Mr. Schrader who had the idea which enabled us to do this trip. Thank you for your commitment for young gardeners to see the world. I hope you'll be active for the next generations, too.
They went to Denmark to cooperate with the teachers there, Finn and Anette. Thank you for the possibility of the exchange.
Finn and Anette found companies where we could solve the traineeship. I thank the bosses of these companies, especially Martin, the leader of Buus & Co. where I was allowed to work. I thank the employees of Buus too, at first Kristian and Mariusz who picked me up and drove me home but also the others I worked with for example Michael for the fun and nice conversations we had.

Tusind tak!

Nun liegt mein Aufenthalt einige Wochen zurück. Ich kann nun auf einen sehr schönen Aufenthalt in Dänemark zurückblicken. Landschaftlich ist das Land wirklich beeindruckend. Mir wird die Weite und die offene Art der Dänen auf jeden Fall in sehr guter Erinnerung bleiben. Auch die langen Tage habe ich anfangs hier in Deuthschland vermisst. Denn in Dänemark wurde es zum Zeitpunkt unseres Aufenthaltes kaum dunkel. Mein Dank gilt den Lehrer, die diesen Austausch ermöglicht haben, den dänischen Betrieben und natürlich - nicht zu vergessen - den anderen Austauschgärtnern. Wir waren immer eine lustige Truppe und hatten viel Spaß. Rückblickend ist das mit dem mangelhaften dänischen Betrieb auch nicht mehr so gravierend. Ich habe viel vom Land und den Leuten gesehen. Damit bin ich sehr zufrieden.

Wow, nearly one month passed after returning to Germany and still I remember Randers Regnskov like it was yesterday.. I really miss the colleagues and to work around all those animals, even if I'm so afraid of snakes somehow I miss them, too. Especially to hold the python on my neck was so exciting and I think one of the most valuable experience to me! I'm so thankful for that and for the whole three weeks!
Also a big greeting goes to Jimmy, Vivi, Jacob, Jonas and Andreas (my host-family) who treated me so good, I really enjoyed your hospitality!

Im tropischen Zoo in Randers ist die Arbeit wirklich toll. Der Regenwald ist naturgetreu nachgebaut und hat verschiedene Pflanzen und Tiere. Es gibt einen drinnen und draußen Bereich. Die Pflanzen im Park müssen gegossen werden und das Unkraut muss auf den Kieswegen entfernt werden. Die meisten Pflanzen werden gespendet und somit waren wir auch in Randers unterwegs und haben die verschiedenen Zimmerpflanzen bei den Privat Leuten abgeholt und bei uns eingepflanzt.
Wir waren Im örtlichen Kino und durften für einen neuen Film die Blumen, Sand, Strand Dekoration aufbauen, das hat mir besonders gut gefallen. Am Abend gab es eine Betriebs Feier und ein Teambuilding, das trotz mangelndem Dänisch gut funktioniert hat. Danach gab es leckeres Essen vom Grill und nette Unterhaltungen.
Abends in Aarhus war es auch schön, von dem Hafen bis zum Strand gab es verschiedene Skulpturen zu besichtigen. Der Rehstreichelzoo ist sehr zu empfehlen, da die Tiere dort sehr zutraulich sind und es Spaß macht sie zu beobachten.



Vielen Dank an Randers Regnskov für die schönen drei Wochen, das Arbeiten hat sehr viel Spaß gemacht trotz des warmen und schweiß treibendem Klimas im Innen Bereich. Die Mitarbeiter sind alle sehr herzlich und zuvorkommend. Ich werde auf jeden Fall noch einmal dorthin reisen und es mir noch einmal anschauen.
The employees are very kind and obliging. I will travel once again there.
Liebe Grüße
Sophie

Well, after a week back home I miss Denmark. The hot weather deep south in Germany is hard when you come back after 3 weeks of freezing autumn.



I want to say thank you to all the nice people I got to know in Denmark!
It was nice to learn about a different way of working abroad, even when the type of work is mostly the same.



Stay as you are, Aalborg!

But export your working conditions to Germany ;)

I’m so sorry that this post is so late. In fact I have to write about last Thursday, but it was our last day and we had stress with packing our stuff, paying the flat and driving home. And now I’m not used to the german work anymore. ;)

But none the less I’ll tell you what I’ve done in these three weeks.
I had the pleasure to work at Buus & Co Anlægsgartner (www.buus-anlaeg.dk). For me it were new and useful experiences to work with a landscape gardener because I do my apprenticeship in a tree nursery. For sure I know how to plant and to handle with plants, but I never laid turf or made roof greenings with drainage system before. I the last week I was with Michael to cut hedges. It was a very big area, so we took the mower to pick up the leaves. This was very faster than to pick them up with the hands. In this week the weather was warm (even for us germans) and not so windy so the leaves didn’t fly away all the time. That simplified the work very much because we are not used to so much wind in Germany.


Nice place to work in the first week


This kind of wide hedge is called "pur"

by Debora

I want to say thank you very much to everyone.

First of all to the danish and german teachers.

Annette and Finn for being our contact and guide in Denmark and showing us the schools and nice places.

Mrs. Baumgartner, Mrs. Mangold and Mr. Schrader for aorganizing this experience and the possibility for let us be a part of it. Also thank you for solving little problems very quick.

Next, I want to thank Martin and the workers from OKNygaard, Aalborg.

Martin: Thank you very much for admitting us in your company. Also a big thank you for picking me up almost every morning and for the article in the newsletter, in whoch we will appear.

All the workers: Thank you for picking me up, sometimes very early. And thank you for teaching us, how you work and giving us tips for a better working.

Also a big thank you for all the insights in your company.

Of course a big thanks to the group. It was a great time with you, folks. I hope we will see us again, anytime!

Last but not leas a big thank you to my boss Mr. Gröning. For giving me the time, at the main season, to travel to Denmark for this experience!

As a summary I can say, it is a great project in a great country. It is a super possibility to get experiences and other working skills.

Igen Mange Tak!!



[Sankt Hans Fire - Midsummer]

Now it´s time to say thanks to all the people who submitted the exchange with denmark.
At first there are our teachers in Germany who have organised the trip and the
payment.
Second thanks goes to Annette and Finn who have showed us denmark and helped us
if there was a problem...
And last I would like to say thanks to OKNygaard and especially to Martin who has picked
me up every morning at the Anneberghus and has brought me back in the afternoon.
It is an honour to be part of this exchange and to work at OKNygaard with these
funny guys...
It was a very nice time in denmark and I have learned how they build their ways
in an other country. Furthermore it was a good experience to work under working
conditions.
Darüber hinaus möchte ich mich noch bei meinem Betrieb in Deutschland, Firma Sievers,
Garten- und Landschaftsbau bedanken, der mich für die Zeit sofort freigestellt hat.

Now it’s time to thanks everyone!
I want to say thank you to the people of HedeDanmark! Especially Rieke, Anita and Jakson.
It was a special experience to work at your company. During my attendance I have seen many different places in Denmark. Now I became acquainted with gardening at public and industrial places.

A special thanks to Martin from OKNygaard! Working at your company helped me to improve my skills in landscape gardening! I really enjoyed the last week working at a construction site.



Nicht zu vergessen sind natürlich die Organisatoren unseres Austausches. Ein besonderes Dankeschön gilt natürlich den deutschen und dänischen Lehrern.
Ohne ihr Engagement hätte es für uns nie die Möglichkeit gegeben die Arbeit des Landschaftsgärtners in einem anderen Land kennen zu lernen.
Auch wenn Probleme auftraten waren sie immer erreichbar und hatten ein offenes Ohr uns. So konnte für alles eine Lösung gefunden werden. Danke dafür!!!

Zum Schluss bedanke ich mich noch bei meinen Mitbewohnern und natürlich den Fahrern die es möglich gemacht haben die Strände, Märkte oder sonstige Plätzchen des Landes zu besuchen.
Das gemeinsame Speisen und Feiern mit euch hat alles perfekt abgerundet!

Mange Tak!