Uppsala Botanic Gardens

[Lori S.]

So, did I find the Chamber of Commerce version of the temperature stats?   

[johnw]

So, did I find the Chamber of Commerce version of the temperature stats?   

Lori

Must have.  I corresponded with the Bengt Kihlman in Uppsala for a few years. Of the Pogonantha rhododendrons only R. primuliflorum was reliably hardy for him. Here we can grow all but R. afganicum and R. colletianum - they never miss a year.  He said low temperatures in the -30's were not at all uncommon.  We were really surprised that the sometimes cranky R. primuliflorum was the toughest of the lot for him. Even some of the Ledum (now Rhodos) were not reliable with him.

Hence the shock of seeing such wonderful gardens, even boxwood hedges. I would never have considered any Buxus to be hardy there.

johnw

[Stephenb]

So, did I find the Chamber of Commerce version of the temperature stats?   

It doesn't say so in your link, but there's a huge difference between the mean minimum temperature which is presented (-2C in January) and the absolute minimum (i.e., the all time minimum!) which is certainly under -30C in Uppsala.

[ashley]

Thanks everyone for your very kind comments.  I understand that winter snow cover in the area is becoming less reliable, so absolute temperatures may be only part of the story.  Therefore it's all the more impressive to see what a wide range of plants can be grown here, and so well.

Paddy, thanks for the thought but unfortunately I don't have enough to meet the usual standards!!!  These were only two short visits while in transit between Stockholm airport and northern Sweden (of which more anon I hope).

[Ragged Robin]

Ashley, better late than never I have had a lovely time looking through your photos of Uppsala Botanic Gardens - what a fantastic setting and landscaping of the garden with interesting plant combinations, I love the Platycodon glaucus with that vibrant blue!  Thanks so much for giving such a good impression of the gardens 

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Very interesting visit Ashley !
Thanks for showing !! 

[ashley]

Thanks Robin and Luc; I'm glad you enjoyed it