Until now, I’d always associated lavender, rosemary, and thyme with the south of France, not Brandenburg. That these Mediterranean classics can thrive on the sandy soil of the Mark is proven by Provinz, a permaculture farm near Brandenburg an der Havel. Here, they thrive in mixed cultivation, alongside yarrow, ground ivy, ground elder, and St. John’s wort, among hops, fruit trees, and berry bushes. All following a principle that stays as close to nature as possible.
Since 2020, Clara and Raphael Danke — an interior designer and an artist from Berlin and Aachen — have devoted themselves to a contemporary vision of living and working in the countryside. They cultivate herbs and edible blossoms and call their approach slow farming. Instead of large fields and monocultures, there’s mixed cultivation; instead of artificial fertilizer, compost and mulch. The soil is disturbed as little as possible and left a little better with each passing year. The idea behind it is as simple as it is convincing: whatever is allowed to grow slowly in healthy soil develops character, and in the case of herbs, above all, aroma.
What’s especially lovely is the focus on what’s already growing right outside your own front door. At harvest time, the plant sets the rhythm of the day. Blossoms are picked in the morning, while Mediterranean herbs are harvested more in the midday sun, when their essential oil content is at its highest. Only then do Provinz’s products come into being: herbal teas, spice blends, bath salts, and smudge bundles. Everything is hand-harvested, air-dried, and processed right on the farm. Rosemary, oregano, thyme, lemon thyme, and lavender come together to make Kräuter der Provinz; mint, hops, and lemon balm, along with blossoms, go into the evening tea Ouuumm; sage and mugwort are bound by hand into smudge bundles. This summer sees a new blend take shape: Clara’s Geist. The Sale Florale bath salt brings together lavender, mallow blossoms, and rosemary.
Going forward, Provinz aims to be more than just a farm whose herbs and blossoms find their way home in pretty tins and jars. Wild-herb workshops are planned on-site, where visitors can turn the plants into their own smudge bundles and bath salts. Wild-herb walks through the surrounding landscape are also in the works, taking a closer look at mugwort, St. John’s wort, and others, and at which plants grow here and how they can be used.
For those who want to stay longer, there’s a retreat at the edge of the farm: an old circus wagon nestled among meadows, fields, and the landscape of the Mark. A place to slow down and, for a few days, immerse yourself in a Brandenburg defined by openness, quiet, and a touch of wilderness.
The best thing about Provinz is that the farm isn’t trying to turn Brandenburg into Provence. Instead, it draws attention to what the region has to offer, and how much knowledge is held in plants that most of us otherwise walk right past without a second thought. To me, that’s a pretty good reason to look closer to home for herbs, and especially towards Provinz.
Text: Milena Kalojanov / Photos: Adel Bikulov, Clara & Raphael Danke, Provinz
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