It is rather small, the botanic garden in Lund. Situated behind a solid brick wall on the outskirts of the old town of Lund, it is like a green little universe of its own. The high, old trees shelter the garden from the city noises outside, and it is easy to forget you are in the second oldest university town in Sweden once you’ve entered through the gates.
It was late May and summer was just about to arrive to the south of Sweden. The small greenhouses were neat and well-frequented by primary school children – but really, it was the time of outdoor explorations.
The rhododendrons were in full bloom, colorful and heavy with the drops of a light afternoon shower.
I ate strawberries and chocolate from Malmborg’s grocery store under a northern red oak, strolled through the beech and linden groves, the width of the trunks revealing the great age of the garden.
I admired the wild early summer-time meadow flowers, everything open, saturated, the air pregnant with the smells of summer. Peonies, tulips, herbs and clovers. Even the spiky leaves of the monkey puzzle tree boasting fresh green edges.
Yes. A perfect place for a well-deserved and needed break in the middle of my interviewing tour of Scania.
Katja Malmborg 