Katja

Amsterdam (ii)

138 In addition to the butterfly house and three really nice greenhouses representing different biomes, Hortus Botanicus in Amsterdam also had a snug, tightly planted outdoor part, with trees and shrubs and flowers. A tiny Giant Sequoia, for example. Only a whisper, though, compared to the ones growing in their natural habitat up in theContinue reading “Amsterdam (ii)”

Visby (iii)

137 And there are plenty of benches to sit and read on in the Visby botanic garden. For a brief moment, the sun breaks through the clouds during my visit and I spend some minutes reading the so incredibly impressive “The Unwomanly Face of War: An Oral History of Women in World War II” byContinue reading “Visby (iii)”

Meise (iii)

136 There were parts of the Meise botanic garden that were dedicated to seasonal displays, and in early autumn: pumpkin season. Such a beautifully arranged garden, with pumpkins of all different colors, shapes and sizes. Yes, the garden in Meise is really impressive. A great example of a space for environmental education, where both wildContinue reading “Meise (iii)”

Lyon (v)

135 Botanical garden of Lyon, October 2018. There is something special about the stillness in a garden located in the middle of the city. The trees painted yellow by autumn, being reflected in the milky turquoise water of the lake. I can sense, more than hear, the bustle of the streets behind the trees –Continue reading “Lyon (v)”

Hamburg (iii)

134 I like how the old botanic garden in Hamburg, established in 1821, is a living space in the city. It is situated centrally, on easy walking distance from the main railway station. When walking around in the garden, and in the adjoining park, Planten un Blomen, I got the impression that this is aContinue reading “Hamburg (iii)”

Barcelona (iii)

133 Speaking of tending to the wild – the Botanical Garden of Barcelona is a place to get lost. Not in the sense that it’s extensive or has a confusing structure, but because it has been planted to replicate how these ecosystems might have looked, had they evolved with much less management and care thanContinue reading “Barcelona (iii)”

Bergius (viii)

132 Compared to other botanic gardens, like Kew in London or Meise outside of Brussels, the Bergius garden is not big. But somehow, they have still managed to divide it into several distinctly different parts, sections with such completely different characteristics. There are the flowerbeds with garden flowers, the sections representing different more or lessContinue reading “Bergius (viii)”

Glasgow (iv)

131 As it happened, the Glasgow Botanic Gardens celebrated its 200th anniversary when I visited in 2017, and on the weekend that I was there the celebration meant hosting an orchid show in one of the greenhouses. Poor Natalia, the friend I was visiting in Glasgow. I never wanted to leave. With my camera, IContinue reading “Glasgow (iv)”

Nitobe, Vancouver (ii)

130 There was a short guide to the Nitobe Memorial Garden that was included in the entrance fee during my visit to Vancouver in 2012. In the guide, the symbology of the Japanese garden was explained and how different features of it might be interpreted. This particular garden could be seen as a symbolical walkContinue reading “Nitobe, Vancouver (ii)”

Edinburgh (iv)

129 I love the greenhouses in Edinburgh. They are like little universes, each created as a little, intensified piece of different places on Earth. Artificial, of course, but still. A place to marvel in. On a wall-length poster by the entrance, when I visited in 2013, the following quote was posted: “Destroying rainforest for economicContinue reading “Edinburgh (iv)”