The gardens at Råda Säteri

Kitchen garden with its own pollinators

In the kitchen garden next to the manor’s west wing, vegetables and old-fashioned herbs grow next to new and unusual plants. The garden cafe harvests fresh ingredients here during the summer months. You can have a look around, breathe in the scents and learn about the different plants. And don’t forget to (carefully) have a peep at the show hive where you can see the bees working. Thanks to them our bushes and trees bear fruit for us!

Landscape gardens

If you’re interested in gardening there’s a lot to see at Råda Säteri, and the borders are worth a special mention. Over the last few years they have been thoughtfully designed by two people well known in Swedish gardening circles.

Idea Garden

Cassian Schmidt is responsible for the development of this approximately 200 m² Idea Garden, on the lawn nearest the Garden Villa.

Terrace Garden

Hannu Sarenström has created the beautiful Terraced Garden, which flowers from early spring until late autumn. In a photo in the 1931 book Svenska Trädgårdskonsten (Swedish Landscape Gardening) you can see what the eastern part of the upper terrace used to look like, with several so-called carpet beds and narrow flower borders. In the same spot two flower beds have been laid, one along the wall and one in the middle of the terrace.

The borders, kitchen garden and greenhouse were funded by the EU-project Råda Säteri park och trädgård (Råda Säteri Park and gardens) 2012–2014.

The history of the gardens

We don’t know what the garden and farm looked like during the first centuries of Råda Säteri’s existence. In the 17th century the French Baroque style became a popular model, and characterised Swedish manor house gardens for most of the 18th century. This very formal style was then followed by its opposite, the English landscape garden, designed to replicate unspoilt pastoral landscapes. At Råda Säteri there are features of both.

Over the centuries Råda Säteri’s owners have changed the garden and farm according to their interests, needs and current fashions. From 1776 onwards we can follow the major changes via maps and surveys, and from the 20th century with photographs as well.

In the enclosed cabbage patch, the old name for a kitchen garden, not just cabbages and turnips were grown but also carrots, onions, peas, beans and herbs. Råda Säteri undoubtedly had a cabbage patch and maybe fruit trees and berry bushes long before the ornamental gardens were laid.

During the late 1800s and some decades into the 1900s, substantial amounts of vegetables, fruit and flowers were grown on the estate, both outdoors and in several glasshouses. Greens and fruit were sold at the market in Gothenburg and Råda had its own flower shop in town. The farm was in operation until 1975.

After a long period of slumber Råda Säteri’s gardens have finally, in the last few years, been brought back to life. The kitchen and ornamental gardens are thriving. And many people want to come and experience this historic manor with its beautiful surroundings.

Råda Säteri is also part of Trädgårdsresan, the West Swedish equivalent of the British National Garden Scheme.