About the gardens
The University Garden at Landbohøjskolen was founded in 1858 at the same time as the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural College was built. Today, the area is known as the Frederiksberg Campus and forms part of the University of Copenhagen.
Starting from a bare field far from Copenhagen, a garden was designed which, to this day, is of great value both to staff and students at the faculty and to gardening enthusiasts in the neighbourhood, as well as to visitors who come from far afield. The garden was named Landbohøjskolens Have.
Today, there are several gardens in the area, and both the gardens and all the green spaces surrounding the buildings on Frederiksberg Campus are collectively known as Landbohøjskolens Have. The campus area stretches from Grundtvigsvej in the west to Ågade in the east and is bounded by Bülowsvej to the south and Den Grønne Sti to the north.
The garden was laid out in accordance with the conventions of the time in the Romantic style, incorporating many elements from landscape gardens. The garden features many of the garden and park features typical of the style: a pond, a stream, a rockery, a rose garden, a woodland, groves and open spaces, carpet beds and flower beds, etc. Today, the central part of the garden is known as Den Romantiske Have.
In 1856, the state purchased the Rolighed estate, and on this property, situated far out in the countryside, construction began on the first buildings at Landbohøjskolen: Bindesbøll’s main building and the South and North wings.
The old Veterinary School, dating from 1773 in Christianshavn – where the curriculum was exclusively devoted to veterinary medicine – moved out to Frederiksberg; however, the new Landbohøjskole was also intended to provide education for farmers, land surveyors, horticulturists and foresters.
It was therefore only natural that there should be a garden surrounding the college’s buildings, and with the schools first director, Councillor of State Carl Emil Fenger, as chairman, a committee was set up to draw up a proposal for the garden’s layout and use.
The garden was to fulfil three main purposes, which it still does to this day:
- to provide plant material for teaching botany and horticulture,
- to enhance the beauty of the college’s surroundings, and
- to serve as a public park.
The historical information below is an extract from material compiled by former senior gardener Kim Greiner. Find the full text here.
The Beginning
The garden was laid out in the mid-19th century, designed by Julius August Bentzien. Work on the garden began in 1858, when shrubs and trees were planted with the assistance of several botanical experts. The garden was almost fully planted by 1860, and many of the original trees and shrubs still stand today.
The Garden’s Origins
The garden was laid out with romantic, winding paths, offering new views at every bend in the path. Areas such as the central pond and the undulating lawns with their flowerbeds remain virtually unchanged.
The Changes
Over the years, the garden has undergone changes, particularly due to extensions to the buildings. In 1922, part of the site was repurchased and used for new plant collections, and a rose garden was established in 1929.
The Gardener’s Cottage
In 1919, the Gardener’s Cottage was built to replace the old sheds and outhouses for the garden staff. This beautiful house, which formerly housed the head gardener, now serves as an office, guest rooms for international students and offices for the Garden. In the basement there is a small workshop, and the space is used for storing various materials and for overwintering bulbs and tubers.
Management of the Garden
The management of the Garden has evolved over time. From 1858, responsibility for its running was shared amongst several managers, which later led to a number of disagreements; consequently, a garden committee was established in 1892. However, this was dissolved in 1903, and since then responsibility has shifted between various managers. Today, many planning and record-keeping tasks are delegated to the gardeners, and the work is mainly managed and allocated by self-managing teams.
The people in the garden
In the early years, there was only one permanent gardener, but over time more workers and apprentices were taken on, partly because the curriculum was expanded in 1896, placing greater demands on the garden and, consequently, on the size of the workforce. In the past, a number of ‘Madammer’ and weeding women were employed during the summer – today there are usually three summer weeders spread across the various areas from May to September.
Current staffing
Today, five permanent gardeners look after the University Gardens, namely the Romantic Garden on Bülowsvej, the Summer Flower Garden, the High-Rise Area and the Rolighedsvej Area, including all the plant collections, as well as other green spaces associated with the faculty. The garden has undergone many changes but remains an important part of the university campus.
Gardening apprentices
In 1878, H.J. Hansen became the garden’s first gardening apprentice, and in 1939 the number peaked at 14 apprentices. One notable figure was Miss Johansen, the first female apprentice in 1905. Today, there are only five gardening apprentices left.
The Garden Attendant
The garden attendant, who used to supervise the garden and open and close it, has been replaced by garden wardens. In the mid-1990s, the post was abolished, and gardeners and students now share the responsibility for supervision.
Regulations and the public
Originally, the garden was intended solely for study and walks, and it was forbidden to walk on the grass. However, since 2005, visitors have been allowed to walk on most of the lawns. The tradition of closing the garden in the evening has also ceased; the garden is now open from sunrise to sunset.
In days gone by, the Agricultural College Garden was a popular destination for Copenhageners in their Sunday best, and today both locals and students visit the garden daily.
Merger with the University of Copenhagen
Since 1858, the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural College has been an independent university, but on 1 January 2007, Landbohøjskolen merged with the Danish University of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the University of Copenhagen. Despite these changes, the garden remains unchanged and continues to be enjoyed by staff, students and visitors alike.
Source: A. Pedersen: Den kgl. Veterinær- og Landbohøjskoles havebrugsafdeling og højskolens haver gennem 100 år. fra 1964.
Diverse småskrifter og egne optegnelser.
The purpose of the garden is…
- to support teaching and research at the Faculty of Science
- to serve as a green meeting place for students, staff and visitors
- to preserve the historic features and garden spaces, and to develop them in a contemporary style
- to stimulate interest in research and study programmes at the Faculty of Science by using the gardens as a showcase for research and teaching
- to serve as an inspiring, green source of ideas at local, national and international levels by continuously developing the Garden and showcasing both new and classic plant collections, methods and technology
Visiting the garden
The Garden and the entire campus area is open to the public.
Everyone is welcome to enjoy the beautiful plants, buildings and surroundings at their leisure. However, there are certain rules regarding access and behaviour which we ask you to observe out of respect for the garden staff, plants and trees.
The garden is open from sunrise to sunset all year round, except on 24 and 31 December. If the garden is locked, the exit at Bülowsvej/Thorvaldsensvej can be used.
In the event of storms, snow, icy conditions or other hazards, the Garden will be closed to visitors.
Toilets are available at the entrance on Thorvaldsensvej.
Keep your eyes and ears open – from spring 2026, the garden will be offering free guided tours once a month!
We need your help to look after our old trees and many plants! You can do this by…
- Not bringing dogs or other animals
- Avoiding ball games and playing (please use Grønnegårdsplænen instead, to the left of the garden’s south-western exit)
- Refrain from climbing trees
- Refrain from picking or collecting plants
- Avoid riding bicycles, scooters or mopeds, and do not park them in the garden
- Avoid noise or music that may disturb other visitors in the garden
- Do not use barbecues or open fires
- Do not use gazebos, tents, garden furniture or parasols
Take care in windy weather – the trees in the garden are old, and large branches may fall.
Why am I not allowed to walk my dog in the garden?
Although dogs are lovely, they are unfortunately not welcome in the Garden. There are several reasons for this, including the fact that dogs tend to dig and scratch where we do not want them to, because our hard-working gardeners would prefer to avoid having to deal with dog mess, and particularly because dog urine is toxic to our plants. We therefore hope for your understanding and that you’ll leave your dog at home the next time you visit the Garden.
However, you are welcome to bring your dog, kept on a lead, to the rest of our faculty’s publicly accessible areas.
Private events
You are welcome to hold an event in the garden with blankets, a picnic basket or similar, but if the gathering involves more than 20 people, please contact us in advance to make further arrangements.
Weddings
If you would like to get married in the garden, you are welcome to do so provided that the bride or groom is a current or former member of staff or student at the University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg. Please contact us so that we can let you know when there is availability in the garden.
Filming and photography
Please contact us if you wish to use the garden for filming or photography for commercial purposes. Photography for private use, such as wedding photos, does not require prior arrangement.
Visitors to the garden have the opportunity to sponsor brand-new benches for several of the garden’s many lovely seating areas.
Become a gardener apprentice
The Garden is approved as an apprenticeship for landscape gardeners on the maintenance programme and for horticultural production specialists on the production programme.
We have a total of five apprenticeship places, which are filled on an ongoing basis to ensure that the placement fits in with the apprentice’s training plan.
When we have vacancies, you can find them on Jobnet and on the University of Copenhagen’s job portal.
We generally do not take on apprentices for the entire duration of their training programme, so it is essential that you have a flex or combination agreement – that is, an apprenticeship at another company where, for example, greater emphasis is placed on the commercial production of plants or the creation of new gardens.
We place great importance on the final part of the training programme taking place with us, so that you will have completed your training as a horticulturist by the time your apprenticeship with us is over.
You are welcome to contact us to find out more about how the training programme works, or to visit us and take a closer look at the premises.
Plant collections
The Garden contains a large and diverse collection of cultivated and wild plants. Unlike the Botanical Garden, our focus is on cultivated species and cultivars.
There are around 6,000 different plants (species, cultivars and hybrids, etc.) in the Agricultural College Garden. There are collections of wild Danish herbs and woody plants, as well as collections of plants comprising cultivars and improved varieties, where the focus is on ornamental and practical value. The collections are primarily used for teaching students and for research.
The garden features areas with specialised plant collections, such as the rockery with alpine plants, the rose garden with a profusion of roses, acid-soil beds with azaleas, rhododendrons and heather, the shade garden with ferns and woodland plants, the perennial walk, etc. At Café Væksthuset, there are collections of summer flowers, culinary herbs and medicinal plants. These collections are open to the public.
The complete plant list
Download a list of all the plants in the gardens. The ‘Field’ column indicates where the plant can be found.
Below is a map of the fields in the garden (field numbers 100–145), the Sculpture Garden (plot numbers 150–152) and the Summer Flower Garden (plot number 173). Plots 200–208 are situated in the area between Thorvaldsensvej and Rolighedsvej. Plots 300–315 are situated in the Rolighedsvej area.
Grasses
The grass collection comprises the finest grasses, selected for their beauty, health and good growing characteristics.
Grasses with numerous underground runners or which are prone to spreading are therefore not included in the collection.
To highlight the grasses, various groundcover plants such as foamflower and golden strawberry have been planted beneath them.
Read more about the grasses and how to care for them below.
Using grasses in gardens and landscaping
Grasses are particularly well-suited to small gardens, where their long, narrow leaves and sweeping inflorescences lend an elegant touch throughout the summer and well into winter.
Note that it is not only the giant varieties of grass that add stylish details to the garden, but often the smaller grasses with their distinctive leaves, leaf colours and attractive inflorescences.
If you’re interested in grasses, here you have the opportunity to study the individual species up close and, based on this, make your choice if you wish to grow grasses in your own garden.
Grasses are mainly ‘grass-green’, but can also have various leaf shades in green, silver, white-striped, blue, yellow-striped, yellow and reddish-brown colours – which is clearly evident in this collection of grasses.
Please note that blue grasses, such as Festuca and Agropyron, require a sunny and not overly damp growing spot.
Caring for grasses
Grasses should be watered and fertilised in the same way as other plants in the garden. They are hardy and rarely suffer from pests. They do not require any spraying with pesticides.
Delicate grasses, such as pampas grass (Cortaderia), should be protected from the winter cold with leaves and fir branches.
Dead grass stalks and leaves should be cut back in March–April. As a general rule, the top should be removed before the new grass begins to grow.
If the clump of grass has become too large, it can be divided in April–May.
Medicinal plants
In a ‘secret’ corner by the gardener’s cottage on Grønnegårdsvej, there is a collection of plants with medicinal uses.
These are plants that have been used throughout history, but the majority are also used in modern medical treatment.
Many of the plants in the garden are poisonous, but there are a particularly large number of poisonous plants gathered here amongst the medicinal plants. We would therefore like to remind you that it is not permitted to pick or collect plants or parts of plants from the garden’s collections.
The Summer Flower Garden is one of Denmark’s largest collections in terms of the number of different plants. It comprises around 250 different species – totalling more than 13,000 individual plants.
The plant collection is situated in front of the gardener’s house at Grønnegårdsvej 15, 1870 Frederiksberg C.
New varieties and cultivated cultivars
On the left-hand side of the paved path (as seen from Grønnegårdsvej), there are two large display beds featuring several different genera and cultivars which are not yet available in shops. In the other beds, the plants are grouped by genus, so that varieties of petunia, impatiens and pelargoniums are each in their own bed.
The original forms
On the right-hand side of the paved walkway is a collection of seed-propagated species and varieties, showing the well-known cultivated summer flowers in their original form, i.e. without double flowers or altered colours. The plants are divided into low and tall varieties and arranged alphabetically by their Latin names.
The purpose of the plant collection
The collection of summer-flowering plants is used partly for teaching purposes, including botany and the uses of plants, and partly as a showcase for new varieties that will be marketed in subsequent years.
Information for researchers, lecturers and professionals
Read through our information below to see what we can offer researchers, lecturers and professionals.
The Garden and Greenhouses maintain a wide range of plant collections with a view to supplying cuttings for teaching botany and related subjects at the University of Copenhagen, as well as at other educational institutions and universities.
The Garden and Greenhouses supply cut plant material for teaching botany and related subjects at the University of Copenhagen and at other similar institutions and universities.
If you are covered by the user-fee scheme applicable to staff and students at the University of Copenhagen, please contact us regarding booking and payment.
Other users, i.e. researchers, lecturers and students at other Danish or foreign universities, research institutions or companies, are welcome to contact us to discuss arrangements for the supply of plant material from our collections. We are happy to provide a quote for a comprehensive project.
Please find the list of plant collections further up on this page, which can be used when ordering plant material.
The plant collections can also be used in connection with field trips for small groups of students. Similarly, the collections can be used for inspirational visits by small groups of professionals within the green sector.
However, we would very much appreciate being notified in advance so that we can take this into account when planning our work, and the general rules of the Garden must, of course, be observed.
Seeds are collected from annual and perennial plants for exchange with other botanical gardens and parks.
Seeds from our Index Seminum are not on sale but are available, on an exchange basis, exclusively for scientific, educational, and nature conservation purposes.
The Index Seminum list for 2021-2022 can be found here.
For inquiries regarding the Index Seminum, contact Lars Birck.
Seeds can be ordered by indicating the enclosed Desiderata or by e-mail to: haven@plen.ku.dk
Progeny raised from these seeds may not be used to generate commercial profit without prior written permission from the University Gardens, which will not be granted unless equitable sharing of benefits with the countries of wild origin, under the terms and in the spirit of the Convention on Biological Diversity, is secured.
Seeds or their progeny passed on to third parties must be vinculated to the same conditions.
Sponsors
Contact
Team leader
Lars Birck
Telephone: +45 51 54 44 84
E-mail: haven@plen.ku.dk
General enquiries
Telephone: +45 35 33 35 60
E-mail: haven@plen.ku.dk
Find your way
University Gardens - Landbohøjskolens Have
Grønnegårdsvej 15, 1st. floor
1870 Frederiksberg C