In 1768, Jacob Nicolai Wilse became parish priest at Spydeberg, and he brought the ideas of the European Enlightenment with him. Wilse was not a typical country priest: he was a scientist, writer and keen observer of nature who believed that a well-designed garden could educate, feed and inspire. He laid out a formal garden at the vicarage that combined utility plants with careful aesthetic design, using the surrounding landscape to create focal points and views.
The garden disappeared over the centuries, but archaeological excavations uncovered the original layout, making it the best-documented 18th-century garden in Norway. It has been reconstructed to match Wilse's original design, and in 2017 the restored garden was named "Green Park of the Year" by the Norwegian Association of Landscape Contractors.
Today, volunteers grow vegetables, herbs and berries in the formal garden beds, keeping Wilse's idea alive: a garden that is both beautiful and useful. The vicarage itself dates from the 1700s and sits near Spydeberg church.
The garden disappeared over the centuries, but archaeological excavations uncovered the original layout, making it the best-documented 18th-century garden in Norway. It has been reconstructed to match Wilse's original design, and in 2017 the restored garden was named "Green Park of the Year" by the Norwegian Association of Landscape Contractors.
Today, volunteers grow vegetables, herbs and berries in the formal garden beds, keeping Wilse's idea alive: a garden that is both beautiful and useful. The vicarage itself dates from the 1700s and sits near Spydeberg church.
