Botanical Garden Of The University Of Helsinki (Finland)

When we arrived at the University of Helsinki Botanical Garden for the first time, it was covered with snow, and in the illuminated greenhouses were large palms and tropical nymphs. This time we decided to look at the open field plants in the autumn garden.

Botanical Garden of the University of Helsinki

View of the Gulf of Finland

The botanical garden is located near the city center, in the Kaisaniemi region, on the shores of the Gulf of Finland. The garden is open to the public all year round, and is divided into 2 parts - an open garden with over 2,800 plants and a greenhouse with 800 tropical plants.

The garden, of course, has its own history. In 1773 the governor of Helsinki rented a plot of land from the city and ordered a park to be laid there. When the capital of Finland was moved to Helsinki in 1812, the park became a municipal park, a favorite walking place for citizens. A year later, after the fire in Turku, the Botanical Academy moved from there to Helsinki.

Initially, garden and medicinal crops grew in the garden. To expand the collection of the garden, Franz Faldermann from the Petersburg Botanical Garden was invited to the position of Chief Gardener. According to Faldermann's plan, the garden was divided into a garden proper, an arboretum (a collection of trees and shrubs) and a later planned Palm Greenhouse. The collection of plants included almost all species growing in Finland, private collections of plants transported after the fire from Turku, and brought from North America

Botanical Garden of the University of Helsinki

Until the Second World War, the garden was periodically replenished with collections of plants, greenhouses were completed, but during the war 3 bombs hit the garden, as a result of which it was badly damaged, especially the greenhouses. Some of the plants died due to severe frosts. However, already in the 1950s, the losses of both the greenhouses and the garden were restored.

The garden amazed us with its autumn beauty and tranquility before the cold weather. This time it was warm enough, +7 ^o C. Right at the entrance there grow incense, barberry, winter-hardy rhododendrons and tall thujas adorning the still green lawn. In front of the Palm Conservatory, there is a small pool with sculptures, and it is beautifully decorated with sugar-flowered miscanthus (Mischanthus sacchariflorus).

Miscanthus sucrose

Pea cypress

Ornamental trees and shrubs are planted along the paths and lawns clean of leaves, behind the pool, which attract attention with their grace and fruits on the branches even in late autumn.

Apple tree Makamik

Rowan intermediate

Hybrid apple tree "Makamik" (Malus х Makamik) was decorated with decorative apples as toys. In spring, dark pink flowers appear on the drooping branches of this apple tree, and in autumn it pleases hedgehogs and squirrels with its fruits.

Walking around the pool, we saw a strange tree. They came up and looked carefully. There are small bright orange berries hanging from the branches, of which there are so many that the tree looks bright orange. It turned out that this is an intermediate ornamental rowan (Sorbus x intermedia), or Swedish (Swedish Whitebeam), a species of complex hybrid origin. Her fruits are located unusually for rowan - 2-3 berries along the branches.

Not far from the greenhouse entrance, pea cypress trees (Chamaecyparis pisifera) are planted, their drooping branches with "peas" are very graceful.

Botanical Garden of the University of Helsinki

Still reminiscent of the summer are flowerpots with cold-resistant plants and roses of Finnish and Canadian selection, which do not require shelter for the winter and blooming before snow, evergreen rhododendrons and conifers.

Winter hardy Finnish roses

Rhododendron

Looking at the works of Finnish gardeners, I would like to see our far from southern gardens as attractive in autumn and winter. So that even at the time of their wilting, one could admire ornamental grasses and bright fruits. Photo: Nikolay Tikhonov