About the society
A group of garden enthusiasts, all with horticultural backgrounds, met up in 2014. Their agenda was to form a society with the clear objective of generating a greater focus on the many Danish gardens that are open to the public by gathering them all on a common marketing platform in the form of a website.
Using funding from a foundation, we were able to get the website up and running in May 2015, and the first gardens have already signed up as members.
Thanks to GBHF - Godfred Birkedal Hartmann's Family Foundation.
There are around 150 gardens in Denmark that are open to the public – either completely, in periods or by special agreement and for events.
Some of them are very famous and acknowledged, some are large, some are small, some are associated with museums and others are just created by skilled amateurs who can’t help themselves.
These are the gardens we really want to have as members, so that garden enthusiasts from home and abroad can easily and clearly find the gardens they would like to visit.
Vision
The Danish Society of Open Gardens, DSOG intends to develop garden tourism in Denmark, build awareness of Danish gardens, and increase not only the Danish visitors, but also our guests from Europe and the rest of the world. Our open gardens must be a clear and natural part of the total experience for all visitors/tourists looking for Danish garden history, garden traditions and horticultural heritage.
The Board consists of:
Susanne Vind |
Dorthe Iuel |
Gregory Bryan Kobett |
Bibi Lisbet Edinger Plum |
Niels Mellergaard
Agency for Palaces and Cultural Properties |
Mette Rønne |
Berit Charlotte Kaae |
Jens Hendeliowitz Landscape Visions |
Christel Lüttichau |
Tine Meide The Geographical Gardens at Kolding |
Articles of Association for:
Danish Society of Open Gardens - Foreningen af Åbne Danske Haver
§1. The purpose of the society is develop garden tourism in Denmark, including increasing accessibility and disseminating knowledge of our valuable horticulture to benefit and please visitors from home and abroad. The society will collaborate to the greatest possible extent with related and associated organisations, including the tourist industry. The society can initiate research and communication itself, or can encourage others to do so. The society aims at increasing knowledge and exchange of experience among garden owners in relation to optimising operations and the financial constraints involved in running gardens that are open to the public. It organises conferences, themed gatherings, meetings and lectures, as well as excursions.
§2. Anyone interested in the work of the garden owners can be admitted as a member.
§3. The society’s registered address is Rolighedsvej 23, DK-1958 Frederiksberg C
§4. The Annual General Meeting is the society’s highest authority. The Annual General Meeting is held in March, and invitations will be sent to members 14 days in advance, on paper or electronically, and will include the agenda.
This includes:
- Election of the Chair for the meeting
- The President will submit the annual report
- Accounts and budget
- The business plan for the next two years
- Elections to the Board and election of the auditor
- Received proposals
- Setting of the membership subscription and collection method for the next year
- Any other business
Proposals for inclusions in the agenda of the Annual General Meeting must be sent to the society before 1 March.
§5. The society is led by a Board of directors of between seven and nine members, elected at the Annual General Meeting.
They are elected for periods of two years, with three and four members, respectively, stepping down in alternate years. The Board constitutes itself with a president, vice-president and treasurer. Meetings are held as required, though at least twice per year. The intention is for the rest of the Board to consist of a broad range of representatives from architects, owners of large and small gardens that are open to the public, representatives of heritage organisations or others who are strongly committed to horticulture, either personally or via the organisations that they represent.
§6. The accounts are kept by the treasurer. The financial year is the calendar year. The Annual General Meeting elects the treasurer every second year.
§7. The society’s dissolution can be approved at an Annual General Meeting with a 2/3 majority.
(updated February 2015)