German Garden Vocabulary: A Tour Through Our Backyard

In this lesson, I am taking you on a tour of our garden while introducing useful German vocabulary for plants, gardening tools, outdoor spaces, and common gardening activities. Along the way, you will also see several useful German sentence structures in context, including nicht nur …, sondern auch …, damit, weil, wenn, and anstatt … zu.

You do not need to be an experienced gardener to benefit from this lesson. Many of the words and phrases can also be used when talking about your yard, patio, balcony, houseplants, or outdoor hobbies. Let’s begin our tour on the patio and then work our way through the rest of the garden.

Die Terrasse: The Patio

We enter the garden through a sliding door in our library. This is one of my favorite paths through our house because it leads directly from the books to nature.

Wenn wir durch diese Schiebetür gehen, kommen wir in unseren Garten.
If we go through this sliding door, we enter our garden.

On our patio, or die Terrasse, we have several plants growing in pots. These include lemon and orange trees, tomatoes, flowers, and various culinary herbs.

• die Terrasse – patio or terrace
• der Topf – pot
• die Pflanze – plant
• der Zitronenbaum – lemon tree
• der Orangenbaum – orange tree
• die Tomate – tomato
• das Küchenkraut – culinary herb
• die Blüte – blossom

Potted plants are practical because we can move them when the weather becomes too cold, hot, or windy. During the winter, the citrus trees must be moved into the greenhouse. Otherwise, they would freeze outside.

Die Pflanzen in den Töpfen sind praktisch, weil wir sie bewegen können.
The plants in the pots are practical because we can move them.

Die Zitronen- und Orangenbäume müssen im Winter ins Gewächshaus, denn sie würden draußen erfrieren.
The lemon and orange trees have to go into the greenhouse during the winter because they would freeze outside.

We also spend many evenings sitting on the patio. It is our little place to relax after work. From here, we can watch the hummingbirds fly between the flowers.

Die Kolibris kommen nicht wegen uns, sondern wegen der Blüten.
The hummingbirds do not come because of us, but because of the blossoms.

Die Kaninchen und das Gewächshaus

If we follow the path next to the patio, we arrive at the rabbits. Our rabbits are not only pets. They also contribute to the garden by eating clover and other greenery and by producing manure that can eventually be used in the garden.

Die Kaninchen sind nicht nur Haustiere. Sie helfen uns auch im Garten.
The rabbits are not only pets. They also help us in the garden.

The rabbits now live in a greenhouse that originally belonged to my grandmother. It was once used exclusively for plants, but it has since become a small rabbit hotel. The rabbits have space to play and rest, and they are better protected from rain, wind, and predators.

• das Kaninchen – rabbit
• der Klee – clover
• das Grünzeug – greenery or leafy plant material
• der Mist – manure
• das Gewächshaus – greenhouse
• das Raubtier – predator
• geschützt sein – to be protected
• frei herumlaufen – to roam freely

When the rabbits are allowed to roam freely, we have to watch them carefully. Rabbits may look cute, but they can destroy a garden quickly. From a rabbit’s perspective, almost everything in the garden is part of a giant salad buffet.

Pflanzen im Gewächshaus vorziehen

We begin each gardening season in the large greenhouse. Even while the outdoor garden still looks dead, we can plant seeds and allow the young plants to grow inside.

Wir pflanzen viele Samen und lassen sie eine Weile wachsen, bis es draußen warm genug ist.
We plant many seeds and let them grow for a while until it is warm enough outside.

This gives the plants a head start before they are moved into the raised beds. Some plants grow quickly, while others seem to take forever. Sometimes nothing grows at all, even when you think you have done everything correctly. Gardening is always at least partly an experiment.

• der Samen – seed
• etwas pflanzen – to plant something
• wachsen – to grow
• überleben – to survive
• der Vorsprung – head start or advantage
• ewig brauchen – to take forever

Gartenwerkzeuge auf Deutsch

We keep several tools in the greenhouse so that we do not have to carry everything over from the shed whenever we need to complete a small job. Here are some of the most useful German words for common garden tools.

The words der Rechen and die Harke can be somewhat confusing because their use varies by region. A sturdy rake used for soil may be called a Harke, while a tool used to collect leaves can be called a Laubrechen, Laubbesen, or simply Rechen.

This is a helpful reminder that there is not always one universal German word for every object. Sometimes several words are possible, and the context or region determines which one a speaker uses.

Die Ernte sammeln

My wife uses a garden basket to collect the day’s harvest. The basket looks nicer than a plastic bucket, but it is also useful for gathering tomatoes, herbs, beans, and smaller fruits.

• der Gartenkorb – garden basket
• die Ernte – harvest
• etwas ernten – to harvest something
• etwas sammeln – to collect something
• reif sein – to be ripe

Manchmal ist die Ernte groß. Manchmal ist es nur eine Tomate und ein trauriges Basilikumblatt.
Sometimes the harvest is large. Sometimes it is only one tomato and a sad basil leaf.

Eine kleine Oase für Tiere und Insekten

Next to the greenhouse, we created a small oasis with a waterfall and a pond. The sound of the water makes the entire garden feel calmer, even though ordinary life continues just beyond the fence.

There are goldfish and several plants in the pond. The fish are not merely decorative. They also eat mosquito larvae, which is especially helpful during the summer.

Die Fische sind nicht nur schön. Sie fressen auch Mückenlarven.
The fish are not only beautiful. They also eat mosquito larvae.

We have also planted flowers for hummingbirds and beneficial insects. The flowers provide food for bees, butterflies, and other insects.

• der Wasserfall – waterfall
• der Teich – pond
• der Goldfisch – goldfish
• die Mückenlarve – mosquito larva
• das nützliche Insekt – beneficial insect
• die Biene – bee
• der Schmetterling – butterfly

Der Zaun als Gartenverteidigung

Before entering the main garden, we have to pass through a fence. This fence is not simply decoration. It is an essential part of our garden’s defenses.

Our dog JoJo sometimes plays too roughly in the garden. Unfortunately, she does not understand that a raised bed is not a dog playground. After she jumped over the original fence several times, the important question was no longer whether we needed a fence. The question was how tall the fence had to be.

Seitdem wir diesen Zaun haben, sind die Pflanzen sicherer.
Since we have had this fence, the plants have been safer.

• der Zaun – fence
• das Tor – gate
• über den Zaun springen – to jump over the fence
• die Pflanze schützen – to protect the plant
• sicher – safe

Die Hochbeete

We originally planned to have only one small garden bed. As often happens with hobbies, however, the project became a little larger every year. Eventually, the garden was no longer a small project. It became an important part of our lives.

I built the raised beds from concrete formwork blocks. The blocks are heavy, but that is also their primary advantage. Once they are in place, they do not move. Wooden beds may look attractive, but wood does not last forever outdoors in our climate.

The raised beds contain different layers. Large pieces of wood and other coarse materials are placed at the bottom. The top layer is a mixture of soil and compost where most of the plants’ roots grow.

Das ist ein bisschen wie ein Schichtkuchen für Pflanzen: unten grobes Material, oben gute Erde.
It is a little like a layer cake for plants: coarse material at the bottom and good soil on top.

• das Gartenbeet – garden bed
• das Hochbeet – raised garden bed
• die Erde – soil
• die Komposterde – compost soil
• die Schicht – layer
• die Wurzel – root
• sich zersetzen – to decompose
• den Boden verbessern – to improve the soil

Every year, we have to add more soil. It sometimes feels as if the garden eats dirt. We use a wheelbarrow to transport it.

Ohne Schubkarre wäre diese Arbeit schrecklich. Mit der Schubkarre ist sie nur halb schrecklich.
Without a wheelbarrow, this work would be terrible. With the wheelbarrow, it is only half as terrible.

Was wächst in unserem Garten?

We usually grow vegetables in the raised beds, but we also have culinary herbs and fruit. The exact selection changes from year to year. Some plants thrive, while others behave as if we have personally offended them.

Gardening requires flexibility. You can plan everything carefully, but the plants will still do whatever they want. Sometimes we harvest far too many beans and almost no tomatoes. When that happens, we have to become creative in the kitchen.

• das Gemüse – vegetable or vegetables
• das Obst – fruit
• die Bohne – bean
• der Kürbis – pumpkin or squash
• die Brombeere – blackberry
• die Himbeere – raspberry
• die Traube – grape
• etwas anbauen – to cultivate or grow something

Beim Kochen kann man einfach in den Garten gehen und schauen, was gerade reif ist.
While cooking, you can simply go into the garden and see what is currently ripe.

Rankgerüste für Kletterpflanzen

Many of our plants grow on trellises that I constructed from livestock fencing. The fencing was designed for animals, but it also works well for pumpkins, beans, grapes, and other climbing plants.

The trellises save space because the plants can grow upward instead of spreading across the ground. Without them, we would probably have a giant jumble of leaves, vines, and pumpkins on the ground.

• das Rankgerüst – trellis
• das Gitter – grid, grate, or mesh
• die Kletterpflanze – climbing plant
• die Ranke – vine or tendril
• nach oben wachsen – to grow upward
• über den Boden kriechen – to crawl across the ground
• Platz sparen – to save space

We also stretch nets over the grapes and fruit trees because birds and deer find our fruit just as interesting as we do.

Wir spannen Netze über die Trauben, damit die Vögel sie nicht fressen.
We stretch nets over the grapes so that the birds do not eat them.

Regenwasser sammeln

Our rain barrels may not be the most visually exciting part of the garden, but they are among the most practical. We collect rainwater from the gutters and use it to water the plants.

The rain falls onto the roof and then flows through the gutter and a hose into the first rain barrel. All four barrels are connected so that they fill and empty evenly. Each barrel holds approximately 210 liters, giving us a total capacity of about 840 liters.

• die Regentonne – rain barrel
• das Regenwasser – rainwater
• das Leitungswasser – tap water
• die Dachrinne – gutter
• der Schlauch – hose
• der Gartenschlauch – garden hose
• der Eimer – bucket
• die Gießkanne – watering can
• die Pflanzen gießen – to water the plants

We usually fill large buckets with the collected rainwater. A watering can may look nicer, but the buckets are faster. If it does not rain for several weeks, we eventually have to use the garden hose and tap water. That is our backup plan.

Wir versuchen zuerst, Regenwasser zu benutzen. Leitungswasser ist eher unser Notfallplan.
We try to use rainwater first. Tap water is more of our emergency plan.

Ein Ort für die Familie

The garden is not only a place for growing plants. It is also a place where our family can spend time together. Beneath the pergola, we have a table and six chairs where we can eat dinner outside.

Das Essen schmeckt draußen irgendwie besser, auch wenn es genau dasselbe Essen ist wie drinnen.
Food somehow tastes better outside, even when it is exactly the same food as inside.

Nearby, we have a potato tower designed to produce many potatoes in a small amount of space. There is a compost container in the center so that nutrients can gradually enter the surrounding soil and fertilize the potatoes.

• die Pergola – pergola
• der Kartoffelturm – potato tower
• der Kompostbehälter – compost bin
• der Nährstoff – nutrient
• etwas düngen – to fertilize something
• etwas ernten – to harvest something

Klee als Bodenbedeckung

Instead of ordinary grass, we planted clover as ground cover in part of our backyard. The clover stays relatively low, looks green, and is much more interesting to our rabbits than normal grass.

Sometimes we let the rabbits roam in this area and eat the clover. This arrangement works well for everyone: the rabbits keep the clover short, and they are allowed to spend the day eating.

Anstatt Gras haben wir hier Klee als Bodenbedeckung gepflanzt.
Instead of grass, we planted clover here as ground cover.

Der Schuppen und weitere Werkzeuge

At the back of the garden, we have a shed where we store tools and other objects that we do not want in the house. This includes a hedge trimmer, loppers, and gardening gloves.

Gloves are important because plants may look nice while being considerably less friendly to your hands. We will not look too closely inside the shed, though. It is functional, but it is not particularly photogenic.

• der Schuppen – shed
• die Heckenschere – hedge trimmer or hedge shears
• die Astschere – loppers
• der Handschuh – glove
• funktional – functional
• fotogen – photogenic

Kompost selbst herstellen

We make our own compost in containers built from wooden pallets. Chicken wire covers the inside so that smaller pieces do not fall out.

We add fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, grass clippings, leaves, egg cartons, and paper. It does not look especially attractive at first, but the material gradually decomposes and becomes useful compost.

Für uns ist das Abfall. Für den Garten ist es später Nahrung.
To us, it is waste. For the garden, it will later become food.

Every two months, I mix the compost with a pitchfork. The compost needs air so that the material can decompose properly. At the beginning of each gardening season, we transport the finished compost to the garden with the wheelbarrow.

Obstbäume vor dem Haus

Our garden does not end in the backyard. We have planted fruit, herbs, and other useful plants in several areas around the house.

One particularly interesting tree bears several different kinds of fruit: peaches, plums, nectarines, and apricots. Another tree produces three varieties of pears. Because the varieties ripen at different times, we do not have to harvest all the pears at once.

• der Apfelbaum – apple tree
• der Pfirsichbaum – peach tree
• der Haselnussbaum – hazelnut tree
• die Birne – pear
• der Pfirsich – peach
• die Pflaume – plum
• die Nektarine – nectarine
• die Aprikose – apricot
• eine Frucht tragen – to bear fruit
• reif werden – to become ripe

We have to place nets over the trees so that the deer in our neighborhood do not eat the fruit.

Die Rehe finden unsere Obstbäume leider genauso interessant wie wir.
Unfortunately, the deer find our fruit trees just as interesting as we do.

Useful German Phrasing from the Garden Tour

In addition to garden vocabulary, this tour contains several useful sentence structures that you can apply to many other topics. Below, you will see examples with nicht nur …, sondern auch …, damit, weil, wenn, anstatt … zu, and ohne.

If you would like a more detailed explanation of how German conjunctions affect sentence structure and word order, read my lessons on German conjunctions and word order. They will help you understand why the conjugated verb moves to the end of clauses introduced by words such as weil and damit.

Nicht nur …, sondern auch …

Use nicht nur …, sondern auch … to connect two characteristics or pieces of information. It corresponds to “not only … but also …” in English.

Der Garten ist nicht nur ein Ort mit Pflanzen, sondern auch ein Ort zum Ausruhen.
The garden is not only a place with plants, but also a place to relax.

Damit

The conjunction damit expresses a purpose or intended result. It often corresponds to “so that” in English. The conjugated verb moves to the end of the subordinate clause.

Wir benutzen Netze, damit die Rehe die Früchte nicht fressen.
We use nets so that the deer do not eat the fruit.

Weil

The conjunction weil introduces a reason. It means “because” and also sends the conjugated verb to the end of its clause.

Wir benutzen die Schubkarre, weil sie die Arbeit leichter macht.
We use the wheelbarrow because it makes the work easier.

Wenn

Wenn can mean “if” or “when,” depending on the context. When the wenn clause comes first, the verb in the main clause immediately follows the comma.

Wenn es lange nicht regnet, benutzen wir Leitungswasser.
If it does not rain for a long time, we use tap water.

Anstatt … zu

Use anstatt … zu when one action is performed instead of another.

Anstatt eine Gießkanne zu benutzen, gießen wir die Pflanzen mit Eimern.
Instead of using a watering can, we water the plants with buckets.

Ohne

The preposition ohne means “without” and is followed by the accusative case.

Ohne die Rankgerüste würden die Pflanzen über den Boden kriechen.
Without the trellises, the plants would crawl across the ground.

Ein Garten ist nie wirklich fertig

Our garden is more than a place filled with plants. It is a place where we work, eat, relax, experiment, and solve problems. Not everything in it is perfect, but that is part of what makes it interesting.

A garden changes constantly. Plants grow, weather conditions change, animals create unexpected problems, and every season teaches us something new. No matter how carefully you plan, there is always something else to plant, repair, move, harvest, or improve.

Viele Dinge in diesem Garten sind nicht perfekt, aber genau das mag ich daran. Ein Garten ist nie wirklich fertig.
Many things in this garden are not perfect, but that is exactly what I like about it. A garden is never truly finished.