Not far from the noise of the city there are oases of peace and greenery. Not only flower lovers can enjoy the beauty of plants and the careful work of gardeners. In the immediate vicinity of the center of Brno, there are three different botanical gardens and one with the word ”open” in its name.
Botanická zahrada a arboretum Mendelovy univerzity
This largest Brno botanical garden (Botanical Garden and Arboretum of Mendel University) has an area of over 10 hectares. It is located in the vicinity of Mendel University in the cadastral area of Ponava (although probably all the people from Brno will incorrectly claim that it is in the part called Černá Pole).
There are 3 entrances to the complex – the main one from Tř. Generála Píky (at the stop of trams 9 and 11 – Bieblova), the lower one from the Boby center, open only during exhibitions, and across the footbridge from the university intended only for employees and students.
The garden was originally established in 1938 as an arboretum near the school. It had to retreat as the school expanded. In 1968, an arboretum and a botanical garden were opened in today’s place (part of the area consists of an artificial pile after clay mining).
There is also a pleasant sitting by several water reservoirs. If you are lucky, in addition to fish, you will also see some frogs or semi-aquatic insects from family Hydrometridae. A walk through the garden is an experience that you may like to repeat. The garden is open to the public several times a year for various exhibitions. If you come to the Iris exhibition and then to the Colors of Autumn, you can compare yourself how the garden changes during the seasons.
Botanická zahrada MU
Another garden (Botanical Garden) also belongs to Masaryk University (MU). It is located on the premises of the MU Faculty of Science on Kotlářská Street and covers an area of 1.5 hectares. This garden is the oldest of the three university gardens. Its origin can be dated to 1922 , only a little later than the university itself.
The garden was created on the site of an herb and vegetable garden associated with the buildings of the former poorhouse that the university began to use. The fate of the garden is moved. You can read the whole history on the MU website.
But in short. From the beginning, it was assumed that this location was only temporary. The garden was to be moved several times. There were several places, for example Mniší hora in the place of today’s Zoo, Kraví hora, or the place of today’s campus in Bohunice. It was almost destroyed during the war. Instead of exotic plants, such plants were grown here, from which various technically important substances and useful vegetables could be obtained.
Between 1995 and 1997, new greenhouses were built. Each greenhouse has its own specific climate and therefore also plants. In one of them there are cacti, in another one there are cycads. In the highest greenhouse in the middle of the whole five-aisled nave there are palm trees. You may find a spiral staircase in the corner leading to a footbridge over the greenhouses. This way, or up a similar staircase at the entrance to the greenhouse, you can go to the roof garden equipped with rock plants and succulents.
At first glance there are several hidden nooks in the garden. Just bypass the pond at the entrance or head to the back part. There, in the shade of a tree, you will find nooks inspired by a Japanese garden.
Sunbeds near greenhouses are used for teaching. As well as various thematic plantings (plants of alluvial meadows and floodplain forests, plants of oak and oak-hornbeam groves, vegetation of cotton sands, etc.)
There are several treasures in the garden. Probably the most famous is the world’s largest water lily Victoria. A rather hidden treasure is wollemia nobilis, a conifer first found in 1994. MU is involved in its rescue and you can see this unique plant in the greenhouse.
Centrum léčivých rostlin
Although Centrum léčivých rostlin (Center for Medicinal Plants) does not contain the wording in its name, it is a botanical garden in its own way. This smallest and probably the least known garden is located on the slope of Kraví hora, not far from the swimming pool area.
The best way to get here is from náměstí Míru. If you go down the hill along the dormitory, at the level of the Heinrichova stop, you will find an inconspicuous path disappearing into the greenery. You are at the finish line. Behind the gate there is almost 1 hectare of garden.
Rather than in the ornamental flower beds in the parks, this resembles the vast garden of a herbalist. Various medicinal plants alternate in the rows. You will find almost 900 plant species or varieties of plants here. Both domestic and foreign medicinal, aromatic, toning but also toxic plants are represented. Even among the trees lining the edges of the garden, there are also those with healing effects. The pride of the garden is an extensive collection of plants from the poppy family.
The garden is complemented by several small buildings and benches inviting to sit. The main building with facilities for gardeners and students is drowning itself in the greenery that overgrows it. And what is this garden for? Its mission is to maintain the gene pool of medicinal plants, to grow plants for the teaching and research of medics.
In addition, it is also an environment for practical teaching of students at all levels of schools and public education. Love yourself. There are really many plants here. But beware – many of them are poisonous!
Otevřená zahrada
Otevřená zahrada (Open Garden) is a bit hidden. One of the entrances is located in the lower part of the park surrounding the Špilberk Castle, from the path leading from the Obilní trh (Grain Market). The second one leads from the street Údolní 33. Perhaps because the garden is on the border of the city (Obilní trh and the surrounding houses) and a park, it has its own specific atmosphere.
The open garden consists of several parts. The first part includes two buildings incorporated into the garden, built and reconstructed in the spirit of passive standards (simply put, so that as little energy as possible is spent on its heating). This part is followed by a bistro providing refreshments.
In the second part you can meet animals (sheep, hens, rabbits). The third part is a teaching garden of four elements.
It surprises with a number of objects and installations. In a playful way, children will meet the power of water, wind, fire (here rather the sun) and the earth. Children may not immediately associate individual elements with specific objects. They can read exactly what they have in front of them (or it will be read to them by an accompaniment) on the adjacent panels.
The statue of the Virgin Mary in the rock chapel may seem a little surprising. This place for meditation, surrounded by flowers, is part of the Borromean Garden. It is a former monastery garden of the Sisters of Mercy of St. Charles Borromeo. Following an agreement between the Partnership Foundation (garden operator) and the Borromean sisters, it is included in the Open Garden complex.
We hope we inspired you to visit some of the gardens hidden near the city center. They are the oases of greenery and peace inviting to calm down in our hectic times.
[1] Source of picture: http://arboretum.mendelu.cz/cz/historie
