Inside “The Pope of Bees'” Garden

Erwin Scheuchl, dubbed the “Pope of Bees,” is a scientist at the forefront of wild bee research. His work involves determining what threats bees face and what can be done to support them in their native environments. Truly worthy of the title, “Pope,” Erwin surrounds himself with his favorite insects even at home on his time off. His private garden– an amazing secret garden in Landshut, Germany– is built as a bee paradise.

With the help of his wife Gerda, Erwin has transformed the small yard in Southeast Germany into a space blossoming with bright flowers. There, he’s built up his property to be a complex of bee houses– in short, he’s provided everything necessary to make bees feel as much at home in his yard as he does. The result is a garden with its own distinct character, one somewhat at odds in the conservative town of Landshut. But Erwin is widely known as a famous entomologist and his garden (however unconventional) is respected. Through the overgrown plants, one can see that Erwin’s garden has preserved the wild– like Mother Nature herself, he has been looking out for bees from the start.