Carnivorous
Plants and Moose Steak
Though Sweden is not exactly
what most Americans would envision as a gardening Mecca, it does feature
some exciting landscapes. Since my husband’s entire family lives
there, I had no choice but to worship wildflowers under the midnight sun
last August (2001). Every Swede seems to adore flowers; they adorn everything
from candles to curtains to cakes. However, in terms of garden design,
I have to admit, I returned glad to be an American. Regardless of taste,
gardens abound in the States. Not necessarily so in other places. In Stockholm,
for example, most of the city structures are apartment buildings built
on rock.
Consequently, very few residential gardens even exist. Of course, who’s
complaining? This enchanting city really is a Scandinavian Venice. What
follows is almost stream-of-consciousness and highly subjective. Wanted
to get my impressions down before they faded like poppies.
We started off in the middle
of Sweden in a cold valley near a big lake due East of Lillehammer, Norway
(remember those gorgeous Winter Olympics?). Old stone fences add an interesting
sculptural character to the Dalarna region. Farmers wrestled rough rocks
from the ground before the industrial revolution shifted the nation’s
economy away from agriculture, to Nokia. The endless landscape of birch
and pine forest carpeted with moss & lichen is extraordinarily calming,
if you happen to avoid encountering one of the many bear that also hunt
the berries for which Scandinavia is so justly famed. Here, the natural
flora & fauna tops anything manmade; given the difficulty of growing
things, people tend to plant pots. Cheerful, annual combinations predominated.
I favored tarty geraniums (lipstick red or ocean coral) surrounded by
deep purple lobelia. The cool, wet summers so saturate colors, I wanted
to paint myself in petals.
[Now for the inevitable aside
on eating, for what would travel be without…except perhaps if you
are Bill Gates touring Moscow fueled by Big Macs. Sweden’s food
culture favors cold weather, brisk enough to bestow an appetite. In winter,
try moose, reindeer and butter cookies. The warm months serve up salmon
a thousand ways and firm, delectable North Sea shrimp; late summer heralds
chanterelles, crawfish parties, and cloud berries. Year-round meals include
hunks of cheese as big as early Schwarzenegger, liters of cream, gobs
of butter and the occasional carrot or beet. Mustn’t forget all
the occasions that call for coffee, cake, chocolate and aquavit. Special
guests require smörgåstårta.
The Omega-3 oil plus exercise integrated into lifestyle (i.e. septuagenarians
riding their bikes to the grocery store in the snow) seem to prevent the
amount of obesity one would reap from that diet in the US.]
My Swedish travels included a quartet of gardening highlights: 1.) Linneas’
original botanic garden in Uppsala 2.) Gunnebo Castle and Garden just
outside Gothenburg 3.) The Conservatory at the Gothenburg Botanic Garden
4.) Drottningholm Castle in Stockholm. The most fabulous non-gardening
event was witnessing Verdi’s "The Scottish Play" at Dalhalla
(LINK: http://www.dalhalla.se/ ),
a theater set in the bottom of an abandoned quarry. Imagine Macbeth’s
fate reverberating off limestone cliffs that fix wo/man’s insignificance
within the shadows of earth’s geological timeline.
Linnaeus (LINK:
http://www.systbot.uu.se/dept/history/linnaeus.html )was the patriarch
of the sexual system of nomenclature we now use to name plants. In landscaping,
you must specify the botanic name (as opposed to the common name), not
to one-up laypeople, but so you will get the exact plant you want. One
forgets that as a medical professor in the eighteenth century, Carl von
Linné used botanic cures extensively for his myriad ailments (as
a patient of Homeopathic MDs, that resonated for me). After frequent and
difficult travels in the nether regions of Sweden, Linnaeus took over
the existing house and academic botanic garden at the University of Uppsala
(1769-73). Eventually, when the botanic garden grew too large, the university
moved the garden to a new location and allowed Linnaeus to retain the
original plot. Of all the places I visited, Linnaeus’ personal garden
moved me the most. Though its design is not exceptional, the ambiance
is so powerful that the force of his genius must inhabit the place still.
Linnaeus divided the main area into perennials and annuals. What excited
me was seeing that certain plants just recently becoming fashionable,
and thus available, here in the States, inhabited his garden over two
centuries ago. Also, as a fan of Astrantia major, I was delighted to see
that Linnaeus favored the plant enough to dub it affectionately, "My
Little Ladies."
In the countryside just beyond
Gothenburg, I visited a place whose spirit reminded me of one of our national
treasures: Jefferson’s Monticello. Built in the late 18th century
by a most wealthy Swede, John Hall, Gunnebo is a unique, Swedish neoclassical
villa. The architecture, interior design and landscapes were progressive
and outstanding not just for their times, but up to the present.
Hall’s heir ended up destitute. The house and garden became public
property and, over time, much of the grandeur and character disintegrated
due to various factors.
Over the past half dozen years,
with the aid of the national government and the EU, this amazing property
has been in the process of restoration. Currently, the Swedish gardener,
Marika Irvine, and her husband, John Irvine (an English landscape architect),
continue to accomplish extraordinary changes in the garden and greenhouse.
They pay remarkable attention not just to horticultural and design detail,
but to Gunnebo’s soul. Many plants have been painstakingly rejuvenated,
especially a linden hedge, and are exquisitely maintained. Hardscape has
been reclaimed from years of acid rain. The kitchen garden not only provides
superb fare for the restaurant, but also, is gorgeous enough to grace
an artist’s palette.
And the newly constructed greenhouse (built from original and incomplete
plans) is a marvel of science and horticulture.
Inside, Marika allows her children to maintain an heirloom pelargonium
(scented geranium) each while she cultivates seed and maintains exotic
species. Outside, she is in the process of reclaiming land that had been
built over with service buildings. Pigs have done the initial job of aerating
and fertilizing, potatoes will be grown next, and after that, a different
crop. Despite these wonders, they struggle with staff shortages. Any Master
Gardeners want to volunteer a season in her garden? (LINK:www.gunneboslott.se/english/index.htm)
No matter the size or quality, I am always curious to visit other botanic
gardens, arboretums and conservatories. It always makes me grateful for
what we Chicagoans do have, inspired about what we could have and aware
of what I should appreciate elsewhere and not covet. The Gothenburg Botanic
Garden (LINK: http://w3.goteborg.se/botaniska/
) induced all these responses. My favorite part was its Conservatory.
Best among those exotic rooms were the habitats featuring carnivorous
plants. It’s hard not to anthropomorphize the fantastic shapes and
activities consuming space and breath under glass. I took half of my photographs
in the Conservatory where a great sense of humor predominated.
Pomp and circumstance better describe what has been since 1981, the Swedish
royal residence: Drottningholm Castle. Originally built for a 16th century
queen, it is located on a stunning island site in the archipelago to which
Stockholm belongs. Of course, you arrive by boat. The 17th century castle
and gardens resemble Versailles; an English style park was added a century
later. While I tend to go gaga over Gaudi, three landscape elements at
Drottningholm moved me. Most remarkable, some of the countless Linden
allees include three hundred-year-old trees planted when the castle was
rebuilt following a fire. Maintaining the Lindens is a huge challenge.
Not only is the history and science compelling, but also, these trees
have character! As well, expert water features punctuate the gardens.
Not having perpetuated monarchies (although we may be living through one
currently), our country doesn’t have too many places like these
(think Vanderbilt or Getty). This, it’s a treat to hear these fountains
and to watch their elegant arches of spray: [LINK:
http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Cabana/2973/Scandinavia/Drot.html
] Most inviting, Drottningholm boasts a whimsical side. A short walk
from the main residence stands a compound of magical buildings called
the Kina Slott. This place is a great example of chinoiserie and its more
human scale made it more fun and approachable than the castle.
For me, the great gift of traveling lies in its ability to place my daily
reality in a broader context. Whether that’s landscaping, food or
politics, I always return with my vision enlarged. Of course, soon enough,
the eyes become wide shut as usual and it’s time to leave home again
in order to gain perspective.
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