I was born in Bernkastel-Kues, a romantic small town in the famous Moselle valley in Germany, close to the borders of Luxembourg and France. This little town is tucked into the river valley, surrounded by vineyards on steep slopes, and crowned by the ruins of an old castle above. The river meanders in tight curves from village to village, creating plateaus in between each curve. From there one can look down to the river on three sides. One of these plateaus is my large and beautiful childhood playground. (I put a few more photos together, click here)

From an early age on I was extremely interested in nature. As a five year old, I started collecting pinecones, bones, shells, and similar objects from nature. I also painted these things and later started carving fossils, dinosaurs, fish and other animals in a soft stone to imitate real fossils. And of course I was crazy about animals, just as every child is.

My father bought a piece of land when I was about 7 years old, where we started a large garden, almost a little farm. We planted fruit trees, hedges, woodland plants, cut flowers, vegetables and much more, and we started keeping bees and sheep. This garden was the center of my life (school was not!). I even spent nights there, often for weeks, sleeping in the hay chamber of the sheep den.

Studying Agriculture brought me to work on many farms in Germany, and when I finished my studies I continued working on farms in France and Australia. I also developed my art skills and took part in an exposition at Gesamthochschule Kassel at that time.

During my studies I specialized in soil science, which I considered the most fundamental for the success of agriculture altogether, and a thorough understanding of soil is certainly essential for horticulture as well. I had the honor of being allowed as one of a small number of students to work in the soil science lab during my studies and I am very grateful for this to my teacher, Prof. Seifert.

For three years I was living and working in Niger, a West African country reaching from the sahel zone into the sahara desert, and with very few resources. I lived in a small town called Tillabéry on the banks of the enormous Niger River. Here I worked in the Agricultural Service, carrying out field trails in rice, corn, and some other crops, mainly to find disease-resistant varieties. I also was involved in pest monitoring in irrigated rice and vegetable fields along the river as well as in the rain fed millet cultures. The best part for me was the pleasure to come together with the local farmers, and learn about their traditions and culture.

I also had the luck to meet Charlotte, my future wife, in Niger, who was working for the Peace Corps. After I had to move back to Germany she followed me and spent 7 years there, learning the language perfectly and getting accustomed to the different culture.

After Niger, I was involved in 'Economic Development' for another 6 years, visiting different countries in West Africa and otherwise working in Berlin at the 'German Development Service' (DED) for most of the time. When Charlotte was getting ready to go back to the U.S., and I could not bear being in an office any longer, I decided to change my profession. I started a career in landscaping. I first took on a temporary job in a Berlin landscape construction company, learning skills like walkway construction and brick laying. The change was very hard at first, but I also enjoyed being outside again, and doing work that was somehow related to my agricultural background and to my art hobbies.

We moved to 'America' when our first child was just three months old, and there a new start had to be made. While inspecting the coast from New Bedford to southern Maine, we discovered the town of Portsmouth, where we decided to settle down. Job applications did not yield anything, so there was only one way to stay in landscaping: start on my own! Thanks to a lot of family support and to our own endurance, we were able to get over some financially tough times. 

Meanwhile, our business is well established and recognized, and we can look into a rosy future. And I love my work, which includes the arts, the plants and living creatures, and the technical aspects as well.

Thomas Berger

My Resumé

Artists Statement