Natural Garden

What Natural Garden does

Natural Garden (Naturgarten Fachbetriebe) is a German non-profit association that certifies and coordinates a national network of specialist companies delivering natural garden services under the designation "Fachbetriebe für Naturnahes Grün – Empfohlen von Bioland." Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Bonn, the organization operates through a strategic partnership with Bioland e.V. established in August 2009, which sets the jointly developed certification standards governing planning, execution, wild plant cultivation, and seed production. Members must pass formal examination and ongoing compliance to retain the co-branded Bioland endorsement, and the association runs formal Patenschaften (mentorship) programs to onboard new specialists.

The business model is a two-sided network: the association monetizes through membership and certification activities, while independent Fachbetriebe firms execute project work directly with end customers. Documented end-customer segments include private homeowners, public institutions (schools, kindergartens, municipal facilities), commercial and industrial enterprises pursuing corporate biodiversity goals, and other garden professionals sourcing certified plants. Showcase enterprise installations include Daimler AG at Mercedes-Benz Werk Gaggenau (over 10,000 m² of converted habitat, recognized as a UN-Dekade-Projekt in 2013 and 2015), Novartis Pharma Produktions GmbH (3,800 m² nature experience park with 575 woody plants and 4,780 wild perennials), and the Staatskanzlei Baden-Württemberg at Villa Reitzenstein (over 3,000 m² of wildflower and species-protection landscaping).

Distribution is exclusively through the certified Fachbetriebe network accessed via the association's interactive member map, with cross-referrals from Bioland's organic farmer network. The association markets through its website (naturgarten-fachbetriebe.de), the annual Naturgartentage event, and partner channels; no direct-to-consumer sales or public pricing exists because each project is scoped individually. The organization also maintains informal affiliations with sister associations in Switzerland (bioterra.ch) and the Netherlands/Belgium (stichtingoase.nl), supporting knowledge exchange across the DACH region. Governance is provided by a five-member Vorstand (Carola Hoppen, Carsten Naumann, Franz Straubinger, Karsten Mody, Sabine Weiss), with Silke Kaden chairing the Fachbetriebsausschusses and Dr. Reinhard Witt serving as press spokesperson.

Name

Natural Garden

Legal name

NaturGarten e.V. – Verein für naturnahe Garten- und Landschaftsgestaltung

Website

https://naturgarten-fachbetriebe.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Natural Garden (Naturgarten Fachbetriebe) is a German non-profit association that certifies and coordinates a national network of specialist companies delivering Bioland-certified natural garden planning, construction, and native plant/seed production services across Germany.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ecological Landscape Services

NAICS

Forest Nurseries and Gathering of Forest Products (113210), Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating (115112), Forest Nurseries and Gathering of Forest Products (11321)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Retail-Building Materials, Hardware, Garden Supply (5200), General Bldg Contractors - Residential Bldgs (1520)

akta.pro primary industry

Native, Pollinator & Drought-Tolerant Garden Installations (HSAIAFAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Garden Bed Design, Layout & Planting Plans (HSAIAFAA), Garden Bed Installation & Planting (Annuals, Perennials, Shrubs) (HSAIAFAB), Native Species & Restoration Plant Nurseries (AFAMADAF), Plant Replacement, Transplanting & Garden Refresh Services (HSAIAFAG)

Keywords

• Natural garden design
• Ecological landscaping services
• Bioland certified gardens
• Native wild plants supply
• Biodiversity landscape construction

Headquarters

HQ city

Bonn

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Professional Planning and Design Services: Certified specialists provide natural garden planning services for private, commercial, and public projects. Services include site assessment, plant selection, and comprehensive garden design.
2. Garden Construction and Execution: Implementation of natural gardens by certified Fachbetriebe including earthworks, planting, and natural materials installation.
3. Wild Plant and Seed Sales: Sale of Bioland-certified wild plants, perennials, herbs, and native seeds through certified nurseries and partners.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Natural Garden (Naturgarten e.V.) is a German non-profit association that coordinates a network of certified specialist companies (Fachbetriebe) for natural garden and landscape design. Services span planning, execution/construction, certified wild plant production, and regional native seed production, all delivered under a Bioland organic certification partnership established in 2009.

Product overview

Natural Garden (Naturgarten Fachbetriebe) is a network organization of certified specialist companies for nature gardens, recommended by Bioland. The organization offers certification services for garden planners, execution companies, wild plant producers, and seed suppliers who meet strict Bioland ecological guidelines. The portfolio includes certified nurseries (Zertifizierte Gärtnereien) producing authentic native wild plants and regional seeds, nature experience spaces (Natur-Erlebnis-Räume) for educational institutions, and project categories covering private gardens, commercial/industrial sites, and public green spaces. Services are organized into four main areas: planning, execution/landscape design, wild plants, and seeds, all adhering to Bioland ecological standards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fachbetriebe für Naturnahes Grün – Empfohlen von Bioland (Certified Specialist Network) A coordinated network of certified specialist companies across Germany offering planning, execution, wild plant production, and seed production services for natural gardens. Available to private homeowners, commercial enterprises, public institutions, and educational facilities seeking certified ecological landscaping.
• Bioland Certification Services for Specialist Companies Certification program that examines and licenses specialist companies in ecological gardening practices, requiring compliance with Bioland organic guidelines for natural garden design and implementation.
• Certified Wild Plants and Regional Native Seeds Authentic native wild plants, wild plant seed mixtures, and regional seed products produced by certified specialist nurseries (including Bioland-Gärtnerei Staudenspatz, Hof Berg-Garten, and Strickler). Supplied for natural garden projects and habitat-specific plantings.
• Nature Experience Spaces (Natur-Erlebnis-Räume) Certified natural garden project delivery for educational and play spaces in schools, kindergartens, and public institutions, featuring native plants and natural materials for outdoor learning environments.

Quantifiable outcome

• 65 wild bee species documented at Daimler Gaggenau project, including many Red List species
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Bioland e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2009Deep strategic partnership with Germany's largest organic farming association. Since August 2009, certified specialists are officially 'empfohlen von Bioland' (recommended by Bioland). Jointly developed guidelines ensure natural gardens meet strict Bioland organic standards.
• Naturgarten e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent association for natural garden and landscape design, serving as the central organization for certified Fachbetriebe, providing guidelines, certification, and network coordination.
• Certified Nurseries (Staudenspatz, Hof Berg-Garten, Strickler, Gaissmayer)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of certified Bioland nurseries producing and selling certified wild plants and native seeds for natural garden projects.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Rieger-Hofmann GmbH: Germany's leading producer of native wild plant seeds and regional seed mixtures for ecological landscaping. Comparable product offering in the wild plant/seed supply category and increasingly active in biodiversity-focused landscaping projects.
• Syringa Pflanzenkulturen: Native plant nursery specializing in wild perennials and regional ecotypes — a peer in the certified native plant production space that supplies natural garden projects and competes in the same provenance-documented plant niche.

Regional players

• Gaissmayer Jungpflanzen: Bioland-certified perennial nursery in Southern Germany referenced in the Natural Garden network. Operates as a producer of organic perennials and wild plants, comparable in product but not in the network-coordination role.

Direct peers

• Stichting Oase: Dutch-Belgian sister organization for natural garden and landscape design, referenced on the Natural Garden links page. Mirrors the same Fachbetrieb certification model in the Netherlands/Belgium market.
• Bioterra: Swiss sister organization of Naturgarten e.V. explicitly linked on the Natural Garden website. Operates the same model of certified Fachbetriebe for natural gardens in Switzerland, making it the closest functional peer in a different geography.
• Naturgarten e.V. Parent association for natural garden and landscape design. The Fachbetriebe network sits under this organization as the specialist-company arm; effectively the same ecosystem addressing a slightly different audience (hobby gardeners vs. professional specialists).

Broad incumbents

• Deutsche Gartenbau-Gesellschaft (DGG): National horticultural society with broader scope including private and public garden design. Comparable audience overlap (garden enthusiasts and professionals) but with a much broader, less specialized mandate than the Natural Garden network.
• Bioland e.V. Germany's largest organic farming association and Natural Garden's strategic partner since 2009. Not a direct competitor but a broader organic standards organization whose 'Empfohlen von Bioland' mark provides the regulatory moat for the Fachbetriebe network.
• BUND (Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland): Major German environmental NGO that drives biodiversity and habitat policy. Comparable in mission and influence on the natural landscaping market, though it does not operate a certified specialist company network like Natural Garden.
• NABU (Naturschutzbund Deutschland): Germany's largest nature conservation association. Adjacent rather than competing — promotes biodiversity in green spaces and influences demand for natural garden services, but does not deliver certified specialist landscaping services.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/naturgarten.ev
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/naturgarten-e.v.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Natural Garden