The restoration project

To restore the old garden and open it to the public has been the family's wish since the early Seventies. A restoration is a rather costly affair and thus the prerequisites for commencing have constantly changed and progress has been slow.

The fundamental material was then a dissertation prepared by a group of landscaping students initiated by the present owner’s father. The dissertation gathered all existing knowledge about the garden - maps, drawings, various texts, etc. The conclusion of the dissertation was that a restoration was feasible. Adequate documentary material existed.

From a very early stage there has been awareness of the great culture-historical value the garden represents. Both from the documentation in Sanderumgaard’s own archives and at various museums in Denmark, but simply also from what has been said and written and what can be seen in the garden today.

The garden is one of the most well-documented gardens in Denmark. The work around a renovation of the garden really got going in the middle of the Nineties with a great deal of local support from institutions as well as individuals. The public have shown an increasing interest due to the organisation of concerts and the first regular tours. From 1995-98, a new master plan was designed for at possible reconstruction. The plan took into account all the thoughts and ideas regarding the garden that existed at that time. What was required to get from the idea stage to the stage where the first guests arrive. The extensive work also involved applying for various permissions regarding local and regional plans, involvement of local authority and county persons. Establishing who knows what about the garden – a society of friends was founded that included people with knowledge of culture and those with knowledge of landscaping. Finding out where in the country there was material about the garden, museums, libraries and the like. The tourist and financial aspects were handled by auditors. What is required and what can be expected. In the following years the plan became a manual for the further work. The storm of 1999 put a temporary stop to the project. Sanderumgaard was badly hit – the buildings, the garden and the woodlands. The old canal system itself was wrecked and the subsequent clearing up was not concluded until 2003. The water surface in the romantic garden is a very important element. With a canal system more than 2,5 kilometres long, the water winds in between lawns and small islands and this garden differs clearly from similar attractions. With support from the Funen diocese among others and various foundations, the canals and ditches were cleaned and deepened. Then efforts were put into the main path system and various surveys were performed. Various lawns were laid and minor paths were re-established. In 2005, the garden skeleton was about to take form. Huge efforts were then put into applying for funds for the remaining elements of the garden. In 2006, TANKEFULD (Thoughtful) – one of the two existing pavilions was restored using funds from The Heritage Agency of Denmark among others.

Furthermore, a basis for restoring Johan Bülow’s kitchen and rose garden was created. The major breakthrough takes place in 2006, when Realdania gets in touch offering funds for the restoration. The project forms part of the foundation’s major project for the conservation of culture-historical gardens in Denmark. A total of 9 gardens are involved. The undertaking concerns an overall garden plan under the management of a landscape architect.

In 2007, the restoration of the pavilion SOMMERLYST (Sommer’s delight) began – the most well-known from Eckersberg’s painting. Through funds from the Augustinus Foundation and the Heritage Agency of Denmark, this work is well on the way and expected to be concluded in 2008.

In 2007, the archives at Sanderumgaard have been registered, in such a way that you can quickly and easily gain access to information about the garden.

References concerning Sanderumgaard’s romantic garden:

H.P. Rohde: Johan Bülow på Sanderumgaard

Emil Hannover: Maleren C.W. Eckersberg

Christian Molbech: Fragmenter af en dagbog

Charlotte Dorothea Biehl: Mit ubetydelige levnedsløb

Oluf Olufsen Bagge: Sommeraften på Sanderumgaard 1808

Anne Christiansen: Sanderumgaards romantiske have