Alpine garden

Last updated
An alpinum adjacent to the King's House on Schachen in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany Alps-Garden Schachen.jpg
An alpinum adjacent to the King's House on Schachen in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany

An alpine garden (or alpinarium, alpinum) is a domestic or botanical garden, or more often a part of a larger garden, specializing in the collection and cultivation of alpine plants growing naturally at high altitudes around the world, such as in the Caucasus, Pyrenees, Rocky Mountains, Alps, Himalayas and Andes. It is one of the most common types of rock garden.

Contents

Although it is often associated with rocks, an alpine garden does not require rocks to thrive. It is the alpine plants that is the focus, not the rocks. [1] Scientifically, alpine plants are characterized as plants that grow above the tree line in mountainous regions, where the environment makes it hard for plants to produce woody tissues. [2] From the horticulture perspective, any plants with a suitable size and is able to withstand harsh conditions such as a rock garden, trough, or raised beds could be considered as alpine. [2] They are often smaller in statue and more hardy.

An alpine garden tries to imitate the conditions of the plants' place of origin. One example of this is using large stones and gravel beds, rather than the soil that naturally grows there. Though the plants can cope with low temperatures, they dislike standing in damp soil during the winter months. The soil used is typically poor (sandy) and extremely well-drained. One of the main obstacles in developing an alpine garden is the unsuitable conditions which exist in some areas, particularly mild or severe winters and heavy rainfall, such as those present in the United Kingdom and Ireland. This can be avoided by growing the plants in an alpine house (essentially an unheated greenhouse), which tries to reproduce the ideal conditions, or just covering them with a raised sheet of glass in winter. According to some Austrian sources, the first true alpine garden was created by Anton Kerner von Marilaun in 1875 on the Blaser Mountain, in Tyrol, Austria, at an altitude of 2,190 m (7,190 ft). [3]

Vegetation

Betty Ford Alpine Gardens BF alpine gardens 1.JPG
Betty Ford Alpine Gardens

Typical plants found in an alpine garden include: [4]

Botanical gardens with an alpine house or garden

The alpinum in Botanischer Garten Bielefeld, Germany Bielefeld Botanischer Garten Alpinum 1.jpg
The alpinum in Botanischer Garten Bielefeld, Germany
Alpinum in Orto botanico di Padova, Italy OrtoBotPadova Roccera alpina.jpg
Alpinum in Orto botanico di Padova, Italy
Austria
Belgium
Canada
China
France
Germany
Italy
Slovenia
The Netherlands
United Kingdom
United States

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freiburg Botanical Garden</span> Botanical garden in Germany

Freiburg Botanical Garden is a botanical garden in the Herdern district at Schänzlestraße 1, Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany and is associated with the University of Freiburg as the "Forschungs- und Lehrgarten der Universität Freiburg" of the Faculty of Biology. The current director of the garden is Professor Dr. Thomas Speck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chanousia Alpine Botanical Garden</span> Alpine botanical garden in La Thuile, Aosta Valley

The Chanousia Alpine Botanical Garden is an alpine botanical garden located at 2170 meters altitude near Mont Blanc, at the Little St Bernard Pass. Though located in France, it belongs to the Italian commune of La Thuile. It was founded by Valdostan abbot and botanist Pierre Chanoux. It is open daily in the warmer months.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jardin botanique alpin du Lautaret</span> Botanical garden in Hautes-Alpes, France

The Lautaret Alpine Garden is an alpine botanical garden located at 2100 metres altitude in the Col du Lautaret of the Dauphiné Alps, near Villar-d'Arêne, Hautes-Alpes, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France. It is part of the List of Remarkable Gardens of France certified by the Ministry of Culture (France).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Botanic Garden of Würzburg University</span>

The Botanischer Garten der Universität Würzburg is a botanical garden maintained by the University of Würzburg. It is located at Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 4, Würzburg, Bavaria, Germany, and open daily; admission is free.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Botanischer Garten der Universität Regensburg</span>

The Botanischer Garten der Universität Regensburg is a botanical garden maintained by the University of Regensburg on campus at Universitätsstraße 31, Regensburg, Bavaria, Germany. It comprises 4.5 hectares. The garden is open daily except Saturday in the warmer months.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Botanischer Garten der Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz</span>

The Botanischer Garten der Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, also known as the Botanischer Garten Mainz, is an arboretum and botanical garden maintained by the University of Mainz. It is located on the university campus at Franz von Bentzel-Weg 9, Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, and open daily.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Botanical Garden of TU Darmstadt</span>

The Botanical Garden of TU Darmstadt is a botanical garden maintained by the Technische Universität Darmstadt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dresden Botanical Garden</span>

The Botanischer Garten der Technischen Universität Dresden, also known as the Botanischer Garten Dresden or Dresden Botanical Garden, is a botanical garden maintained by the Dresden University of Technology. It is located in the north-west section of the Großer Garten at Stübelallee 2, Dresden, Saxony, Germany. It is open daily without charge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Botanical Garden, Potsdam</span>

The Botanical Garden in Potsdam, is a botanical garden and arboretum maintained by the University of Potsdam. It has a total area of 8.5 hectares, of which 5 hectares are open to the public, and is located immediately southwest of the Orangery Palace at Maulbeerallee 2, Potsdam, in the German state of Brandenburg. It is open daily; an admission fee is charged for the glasshouses only (2017).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Botanischer Garten der Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel</span> University botanic garden in Germany

The Botanischer Garten der Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, or less formally the Botanischer Garten Kiel, is a botanical garden and arboretum maintained by the University of Kiel. It is located at Am Botanischen Garten 1, Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, and open daily.

The Botanischer Garten Oldenburg, more formally known as the Botanischer Garten der Carl von Ossietzky-Universität Oldenburg, is a botanical garden maintained by the University of Oldenburg. Its public gardens are located at Philosophenweg 39, Oldenburg, Lower Saxony, Germany, and open daily without charge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Botanischer Garten Schellerhau</span>

The Botanischer Garten Schellerhau is a botanical garden located near the hamlet of Schellerhau in Altenberg, Saxony, Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Botanical Garden of Ruhr University Bochum</span>

The Botanischer Garten der Ruhr-Universität Bochum, also known as the Botanischer Garten Bochum, is a botanical garden maintained by the Ruhr University Bochum. It is located at Universitätsstraße 150, Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and open daily without charge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Botanical Garden Frankfurt</span>

The Botanischer Garten Frankfurt am Main is a botanical garden and arboretum formerly maintained by the Goethe University and since 2012 administered by the City of Frankfurt. It is located at Siesmayerstraße 72, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, and opens daily in the warmer months.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Botanical garden of Düsseldorf</span>

The Botanischer Garten Düsseldorf, also known as the Botanischer Garten der Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf and the Botanischer Garten der Universität Düsseldorf, is a botanical garden of 8 hectares maintained by the University of Düsseldorf. It is located at Universitätsstraße 1, Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and open daily in the warmer months; admission is free.

The Neuer Botanischer Garten der Universität Göttingen, also known as the Experimenteller Botanischer Garten, is a research botanical garden maintained by the University of Göttingen. It is located immediately adjacent to the university's Forstbotanischer Garten und Arboretum at Grisebachstraße 1, Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany, and open daily without charge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loki-Schmidt-Garten</span>

The Loki-Schmidt-Garten, also known as Botanischer Garten Hamburg, or, more formally, as Botanischer Garten der Universität Hamburg or Biozentrum Klein Flottbek und Botanischer Garten, is a botanical garden maintained by the University of Hamburg. It has a size of around 25 hectares and is located at Ohnhorststrasse 18, Hamburg, Germany, beside the Klein Flottbek station in the Osdorf quarter, and open daily without charge. It was renamed in 2012 after Loki Schmidt, the wife of the former German chancellor Helmut Schmidt. Though it was renamed, the old name coexists with the new one. Nearby Klein Flottbek station still has the second name "Botanischer Garten".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Botanischer Garten der Universität Tübingen</span> University botanical garden Garden in Germany

The Botanischer Garten der Universität Tübingen, also known as the Botanischer Garten Tübingen or the Neuer Botanischer Garten Tübingen, is a botanical garden and arboretum maintained by the University of Tübingen. It is located at Hartmeyerstrasse 123, Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, and open daily.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scientific collection</span> Systematic scientific collection of objects for the study of nature or of the human history

A scientific collection is a collection of items that are preserved, catalogued, and managed for the purpose of scientific study.

<i>Digitalis davisiana</i> Species of foxglove

Digitalis davisiana is a species of foxglove, a herbaceous plant in the genus Digitalis in the family Plantaginaceae, formerly in the Scrophulariaceae and briefly the Veronicaceae. It is native to Turkey.

References

  1. Harding, W. F. W. (1981). Alpine Gardening: A beginner's guide. Birmingham: The Alpine Garden Society, L. Baker (Printers) Ltd. pp. 1–2. ISBN   0 900048 38 7.
  2. 1 2 Wilford, Richard (2010). Alpines: from Mountain to Garden. Surrey, UK: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. pp. 1–7. ISBN   978-1-84246-172-3.
  3. Alpine garden in Austria-Forum (in German) (at AEIOU)
  4. Collins complete garden manual. United Kingdom: HarperCollins. 1998. p. 290. ISBN   0004140109.