Living with Bergs

A Garden Passion for Generations

Posted 2 years ago

We have peeked into the home and garden of Swedish photographer, stylist, Elle Decoration blogger, and a mother of two girls, Anna Kubel, to get her view on how to pass down the passion for growing things, something that has been running in her family for generations.

In a farmhouse from 1790, a few kilometres north of Stockholm in the village of Norrtälje, Anna, has, for the past six years, devotedly grown flowers alongside her family and turned the family’s piece of land into a beautiful garden, including making an old orangery flourish and a greenhouse sprout.

Anna has her own flower field and loves to work in the garden, growing flowers and vegetables in abundance. Her garden is her space for finding peace and slowing down her pace for a time.

I love gardening and growing summer flowers and vegetables; I think gardening is so incredibly fun and for me, who always lives at a high pace, this is where I can unwind.

– Anna Kubel

The large greenhouse of Anna Kubel in the family’s garden in Norrtälje, Sweden. Photo: Anna Kubel.

Piles of quality terracotta pots 'Elizabeth' by Bergs Potter. Photo: Anna Kubel.

In her orangery, Anna keeps stacks of pots – new and old – ready to be sowed. Photo: Anna Kubel.

Anna Kubel is planting flowers in her terracotta pots from Bergs Potter. Photo: Anna Kubel.

Anna’s love for gardening is passed down for generations. Photo: Anna Kubel.

The fondness for growing has been passed down from generations – and to Anna – it is mainly her grandmother’s garden that materialises as a flourishing flower field of pristine reminiscences. Now, Anna is creating future childhood memories filled with the wonders of nature for her two daughters, Hollie and Bianca, when witnessing the miraculous evolutions of small seeds transforming into gorgeous flowers.

My children have always been with me when I have sown and grown in the garden. And my children have taught me that the imperfect is what I like the most. In some way, it is so liberating to see crops and a garden through a child's eyes

– Anna Kubel

The children’s greenhouse in the family’s garden. Here it is Anna’s daughter, Bianca, playing with seeds.Photo: Anna Kubel.

Elizabeth pot by Bergs Potter - the gothic arches in the top resembles a bold crown when turned upside down. Photo: Bergs Potter.

The Elizabeth pot is a tribute to all women – everyday queens – who sail into headwinds with pride, grace and strength. With the Gothic arches embellishing its top, the pot resembles a bold crown when turned upside down. Photo: Bergs Potter.

Two terracotta pots designs 'Elizabeth' and the 'Daisy' pots by Bergs Potter in front of a green conservatory. Photo: Anna Kubel.

A royal garden party for two female crowned heads – Elizabeth and Daisy. The Elizabeth pot is named after H.M. the Queen of England, while Daisy is named after the H.M the Queen of Denmark. Photo: Anna Kubel.

Girls holding a quality terracotta flower pot by Bergs Potter in front of her face inside a green conservatory. Photo: Anna Kubel.

The girls are getting ready to plant sugar peas, beans and sunflowers in pots. Photo: Anna Kubel.

Anna’s approach to pass down green thumbs

Anna always invites her children to help her with gardening work. She gives them pots, a pile of soil and some seeds to poke down. Her children usually grow sugar peas, beans and sunflowers, and Anna finds it delightful to see how they get involved with watering and weeding.

Happiness is most remarkable in August when the children’s homegrown sunflowers are the tallest of all the flowers in the entire garden. The girls are so proud of what they have grown. Anna’s hopes and beliefs are that her children will flourish by always being included in her gardening work. In her opinion, it is a universal, fulfilling, and an unbeatable feeling when cultivating and seeing things grow.

Girl lifting a clay pot from Bergs Potter. The pots are manageable plots for small heads and fingers. Photo: Anna Kubels.

Tip: Use pots when you are introducing your children to garden chores. The pots are manageable plots for small heads and fingers. Photo: Anna Kubels.

Clay pots for outdoor use - stacks of 'Elizabeth' pot collections by Bergs Potter. Photo: Anna Kubel.

The Elizabeth pot collection is also available in Nordic Grey. It comes in six sizes from Ø12 to Ø 25 cm. Photo: Anna Kubel.

A collection of rosa terracotta Elizabeth pots in sizes Ø12 and Ø18 cm and a large Emilia pot Ø35 cm, all by Bergs Potter. Photo: Anna Kubel.

Pictured above is a collection of Rosa Elizabeth pots in sizes Ø12 and Ø18 cm and a large Emilia pot Ø35 cm, all in raw terracotta. Photo: Anna Kubel.