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.All Trips / Denmark / Europe
The oldest sculpture in the garden is ‘The Horse …
The King’s Garden, Copenhagen
The King’s Garden — sometimes known as Rosenborg Castle Gardens — was designed in the early 1600s, during the reign of popular Danish King Christian IV. It was created as a private garden for King Christian and adjoins Rosenborg Castle. It’s the oldest Royal Garden in Denmark and is a popular green space in Copenhagen, with about 2.5 million visitors a year most obviously visiting in the summer.
As you might expect, the garden has undergone a number of changes over the years, but its overall design is mostly preserved. Within the park you’ll find a large number of sculptures, including the most famous one of beloved Danish novelist, Hans Christian Andersen.
Rosenborg Castle Gardens – Hans Christian Andersen statue
The oldest sculpture in the garden is ‘The Horse …
Tagged Copenhagen, garden, King Christian IV
“Pic of the Week”, May 28, 2021: Great Green Wall, Madrid
It’s not every day you see a garden growing VERTICALLY! My wife and I stopped and did a double-take when strolling by this lovely wall, across the street from the famous Prado Museum in Madrid.
A little research revealed that the wall was designed by Patrick Blanc, who specializes in creating vertical gardens. This wall, which is four stories tall, has more than 15,000 plants representing 250 different species. The plants are watered by a drip irrigation system.
The wall was once part of a power plant dating to 1899, but today the building within it has been converted to an arts and cultural center.
(Click on thumbnails to enlarge, right arrow to advance slideshow)
May 27, 2021
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.All Trips
The Ljubljana Botanical Garden
One of Ljubljana’s less visited sites is its Botanical Garden. Situated about a half hour’s walk from the historic heart of the city, the garden is an interesting green diversion. The walk to the gardens takes you past some lovely scenes, like the ones below.
The Ljubljana Botanical Garden was established in 1810, making it the oldest botanical garden in southeastern Europe. It’s affiliated with the city’s University and as such is a formal part of this scientific and educational institution. While it is quite small (just 2 hectacres — about 5 acres), it has a surprisingly large diversity of plant life and plant environments, with more than 4,500 different species, a third being native to Slovenia.
Ljubljana Botanical Garden
The Botanical Garden plays an …
Tagged Botanical garden, garden, greenhouse, Ljubljana
.All Trips / Europe / Italy
Palermo’s Botanical Garden (Orto Botanico)
While Sicily itself is green and lovely after the rains, Palermo doesn’t have many spacious parks or gardens. This is in part why exploring Orto Botanico di Palermo (Palermo Botanical Garden) was a treat for my wife and I. It covers about 30 acres and has a large and interesting variety of plants that are pleasant to stroll through. Orto Botanico also conducts research for the Department of Botany, University of Palermo.
The garden dates to 1779 when the University created a chair of “botany and medicinal properties” and dedicated a plot of land for a botanical garden. The goal was to grow and study plants that useful had medicinal properties. The garden was moved to the present site in 1786 when …
Tagged Botanical garden, garden, Orto Botanica, Palermo, Sicily
.All Trips / California / North America / Southwestern USA
The Living Desert Wildlife and Botanical Park
Unless you’ve driven across them, it’s hard to comprehend how vast the deserts of the American Southwest are. While at first glance the region seems nearly lifeless, it’s rich in a diverse variety of hardy plant and animal life. An excellent way to see this assortment of desert life is to stop everywhere and explore. A much easier and more convenient way is to visit a botanical garden which, while not a perfect experience, is highly educational. A place I’d recommend is the Living Desert, located in Palm Desert, California (very near Palm Springs), which provides a one-stop chance to explore the flora and fauna of America’s deserts –with an African sampler to boot!
Giraffes, Living Desert Museum
The Living Desert occupies …
Tagged garden, Living Desert, Palm Desert, wildlife, Zoo
.All Trips / Florida / North America / Southeastern USA
Orlando’s Harry P. Leu Gardens
If you’re in Orlando and grow tired of visiting the many theme parks, with their attendant crowds and long lines, then consider a visit to a beautiful southern garden. In my research, the most recommended garden in Orlando was Harry P. Leu Garden, donated to the city by Mr. and Mrs. Leu in the 1960s.
Situated on 50 acres just north of downtown, the Leu Garden did not disappoint. It’s truly lovely, with a beautiful assortment of shade trees including gigantic ancient oaks draped in Spanish Moss (which have survived a number of hurricanes over the years). Orlando’s climate is conducive to a variety of temperate and tropical plants which the gardeners have arranged in a number of themed regions you can visit (a …
Tagged garden, Harry P Leu Garden, Orlando
.All Trips / Hawaii / North America
Wahiawa Botanical Garden, Oahu
I’m fond of exploring parks and libraries in the cities I visit, for different reasons. Libraries are fun because I love and collect books, and because the quality of a city’s libraries tells me a lot about that city’s priorities. Parks are places of escape, especially appealing in largest busiest cities because I quickly tire of wall-to-wall concrete. An oasis of green is an amazing balm for the soul.
While visiting Oahu recently we stopped by the Wahiawa Botanical Garden situated in a small town on the outskirts of Honolulu (and a convenient stop on the way to the Dole Plantation or the North Shore). It’s one of five small parks under the supervision of the Honolulu Botanical Gardens and is …
Tagged garden, Hawaii, Oahu, Wahiawa Botanical Garden
.All Trips / Central USA / Colorado / North America
A Stroll through the Betty Ford Alpine Garden, Vail, Colorado
The Betty Ford Alpine Gardens is the world’s highest botanical garden, situated at the foot of Vail Mountain in the Colorado Rockies, in gorgeous Vail Valley. The Garden rests at an altitude of 8,200 feet (2,500 m) and is named in honor of former First Lady Betty, the wife of President Gerald Ford. The Fords had a home in Vail as the President was an avid skier, and both were very active in the Vail community. Ford Park consists of this alpine garden, a fairly large amphitheater complex, a children’s play area and a large grass field for soccer and such. As you’d expect, these attractions are very popular in the warm Rocky Mountain summers.
While it’s currently likely under a blanket of …
Tagged alpine, Botanical garden, garden, Vail
