Women inspired Pückler. A gifted charmer, he maintained relationships with women from among the aristocracy, the bourgeoisie, and with bohemian artists. He even archived the love letters he received in alphabetical order. But just how far did the relationships go? Did he, or didn't he?

“A beautiful woman is a gem, a good woman a treasure.” Pückler's treasure trove was Lucie von Hardenberg, his wife, supporter and companion. He called her “Schnucke” (an old word meaning “sheep”) and found in her a motherly, compassionate companion who allowed him his sexual adventures. In return, he confessed everything to her, with a frankness bordering on brutality.

The author and artist Bettina von Arnim captivated Pückler with her sharp intellect, and the two entered into a passionate relationship by letter. Pückler acknowledged Bettina as the source of many ideas for his landscape garden, but the relationship was ruined when she, a very emancipated woman, went against his wishes and visited him in Muskau. She was rather too forward for him in her confessions of love.

During his travels in the Orient, Pückler purchased a girl called Machbuba at a slave market. She was probably only about 12 years old but he soon developed strong feelings for her, believing (or pretending to believe) that she was a princess. However, she died of consumption soon after arriving in Muskau. Pückler's comment: “These desert beings cannot endure our climate, they perish like flowers, yet without being sick.”