Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Travel / Places to Visit => Topic started by: ashley on August 07, 2009, 04:45:15 PM
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Recently I visited the Linnaeus Garden & University Botanic Gardens in Uppsala. Neither seems to have featured on the Forum so here are some pictures and brief impressions. Although these don’t do full justice to such important and beautiful gardens, perhaps they will encourage anyone passing through Uppsala to investigate for themselves.
The Linnaeus Garden (http://www.linnaeus.uu.se/LTeng.html) as it is now called was founded in 1655 by Olof Rudbeck and soon became one of the foremost botanic gardens in Europe. However the gardens suffered in the extensive fire which swept Uppsala in 1702. Then Carl Linnaeus, professor of medicine and botany at Uppsala University during 1741-1778, collaborated with architect Carl HårIeman to redesign it in baroque style with an orangery, greenhouses, hotbeds and watergardens to broaden the range of growing conditions. About 3-4,000 species were cultivated under conditions reflecting their natural environment, primarily for purposes of teaching and research. However in 1802 the gardens were abandoned in favour of a new University Botanic Gardens (see below) and gradually became a town park. From 1917 the Swedish Linnaeus Society began to restore the garden to its state around 1745, aided by surviving descriptions, plans and plant lists. Finally the gardens reverted to Uppsala University in 1978 and now hold about 1,300 species that were grown in Linnaeus’ time.
Main entrance
Area annua, the annual parterre which includes biennials
Commelina communis
Garidella nigellastrum
Salvia sclarea
Verbascum thapsus & Linnaeus Museum in background
Lathyrus odoratus
Zinnia multiflora
Aquarium palustre, the marsh pool
Aquarium fluviatile, the river pool
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Area perennis, the perennial parterre:
Asclepias syriaca
Scilla maritima
Eryngium amethystinum
Gentiana cruciate
Area autumnalis with plants from eastern North America
Eupatorium cannabinum & visiting peacock butterfy Inachis io
Vaporarium, the forcing frame powered by horse dung
Apricarium, the dry frame for tender xerophytes in summer
Succulents
Agave americana
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A last few from the Linnaeus garden:
Orangery & lily pond
Facsimile of one of Linnaeus’ notebooks, including Leucojum (Acis), Narcissus, Fritillaria & Helleborus (with apologies for the terrible reflection!)
The great man’s signature
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In the late eighteenth century the Uppsala University Botanic Gardens (http://www.botan.uu.se/Botaneng.html) were moved from the Linnaeus Garden site near the river to a more spacious and better-drained site near Uppsala Castle. The current gardens cover almost 14 hectares and accommodate about 11,000 species/cultivars, both for teaching & research as well as to promote public awareness of plant biodiversity. Obviously these few pictures give a very limited idea of the BG and its holdings, but it’s such a great place to wander and is within easy walking distance of the railway station.
Yew pyramids flanking main entrance
View from perennial area toward front of orangery
Correopsis verticillata
Verbena & Salvia
Orangery side view
Water lilies
Vegetable garden, leading toward Tropical House
Brassica tapestry
Array of salad leaves
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More from Uppsala BG:
Sedum kamtschaticum var. middendorffianum & Sempervivium tectorum in a small rock garden area
Gentiana siphonantha
Digitalis ferruginea
Lilium shastense in the woodland garden
View across part of the Arid Garden
Allium lineare
Allium pskemense
Rheum spiciforme
Platycodon glaucus
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Zigadenus elegans
And finally, in the peat garden:
Dicentra peregrina
Corydalis pauciovulata, from Pyung-Gang, Korea
… and Corydalis x ‘Craigton Blue’ has reached Uppsala too!
Typo corrected. Thanks Maggi!
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Many thanks for sharing this Ashley, that Asclepias syriaca is weird, but what a lovely stand of Zigadenus...and it is good to see the vegetables are well grown too :)
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Ashley,
Obviously a wonderful place - and a wonderful report on it.
I was fascinated by the Carl Linnaeus notebook and would love to leaf through it though it reminds me of an occasion in the Library in the Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin when I simply touched a book and was stopped with a shrill scream that I put on gloves before touching again.
Perhaps, I should mention to Hestor that you might be available to give a talk to the club in Cork on this visit?
Paddy
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Very interesting indeed Ashley, thanks for posting.
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What a super place to visit, Ashley. Many thanks for taking us along.
I too have to remark upon the clump of Zigadenus elegans - would that I could achieve a big patch like that - I think it a grand plant.
Such fun that Corydalis x'Craigton Blue ' ( no "h" in it, by the way ;)) has reached this exalted place.... what a pit it isn't looking better...... unless it is well past and has begun to die back....... it should not look so little and squinny! :-\ :-[
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Thanks for the preview, Ashley - I'm going to be there in a month from now! Looks like I've got something to look forward to! Last time I was there, the gardens were closed for renovation in connection with the 300th anniversary celebrations for Linnaeus' birth (in 2007).
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Thanks for the preview, Ashley - I'm going to be there in a month from now! Looks like I've got something to look forward to! Last time I was there, the gardens were closed for renovation in connection with the 300th anniversary celebrations for Linnaeus' birth (in 2007).
Hmmmmm....... looking at the beautiful vegetable gardens, I'm a bit worried about what might be left after Stephen visits..... that man eats everything, you know! ;D
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Ashley - Wonderful to see this very northern garden. Simply amazing what can be achieved in a cold climate.
Thanks for posting the pictures.
johnw
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Very interesting array of plants and fine pix!
Simply amazing what can be achieved in a cold climate.
Well, not very cold, it seems. :)
http://www.uppsala.world-guides.com/uppsala_weather.html
(I find it absolutely amazing how very low elevation and ocean currents compensate for northerly latitudes!)
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Well, not very cold, it seems. :)
http://www.uppsala.world-guides.com/uppsala_weather.html
(I find it absolutely amazing how very low elevation and ocean currents compensate for northerly latitudes!)
2005 Uppsala Airport (Sweden) min. -32.6c :o
johnw
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So, did I find the Chamber of Commerce version of the temperature stats? ;D
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So, did I find the Chamber of Commerce version of the temperature stats? ;D
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
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So, did I find the Chamber of Commerce version of the temperature stats? ;D
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.
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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).
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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 :)
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Very interesting visit Ashley !
Thanks for showing !! :D
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Thanks Robin and Luc; I'm glad you enjoyed it :)