Blogging in Myrtle Glen, a central Florida gardening journal: A visit to the most northern Botanical Garden in the world

September 15, 2020 - This post is backdated to the actual visiting date of June 13, 2019. Since covid-19 does not let us travel, I am 'traveling' through my previous trips and decided to add some of those pictures to my blog.

When I plan vacations, I check first for the gardens in that area and a visit to this most northern Botanical Garden was on my wish list.

The Arctic Alpine Botanic Garden by Tromso, or Arktisk alpin Botanisk hage, is the most northern botanical garden in the entire world. Arctic, alpine and boreal plants from all over the world grow here.

Winding pathways lead through artful arranged rock formations covered in flowers

Cushion forget-me-not from New Zealand

The garden is set up in sections, in regions such as The European Alps, The Arctic, North America, Himalaya, and plants such as Rhododendron, Bulbs, Buttercup family, succulents, saxifraga, just to name a few. Then there is the reconstructed farm site of Hansine Hansens (she left her property to the county for educational purposes), Children's corner and Amphitheatre.

I am glad I was able to visit this unique Botanical Garden, just sad I had only about 2 hours time. I could have spent easily a couple days here trying to explore each and every corner.

Tromso has relatively mild winters and cool summers thanks to a branch of the Gulf Stream running up the coast of North Norway providing a warming influence.

not just rock gardens, but a lake and bog garden and a woodland garden are there to explore

Woodland lilies

The time of the midnight sun from 15 May through 27 July provides some compensation to the plants, but hurry hurry they must... since from mid November through mid January there is no sun at all. And a snow blanket covers all from October/November through April.

So many flowers!

A beautiful tulip border by the little cafe

One of the special plant collections is a stunning Rhododendron collection.

It sure made me happy to be able to see the famous Himalayan Blue Poppy (Meconopsis) in bloom. Its color is like looking up at the sky. This special plant grows in the Meconopsis Path in a native birch forest. Along this path are pure meconopsis hybrids with names such as 'Jimmy Baine', Willie Duncan' and 'Tromso'.

The growing season is very short, I am so amazed how Nature adapts. I am used to seeing flowers bloom at their different times of the year, but here the plants must flower all at just about the same time.

This plant, or rather its flower bud, brought on jokes and much laughter from a group of visitors, not understanding their language I am not sure what they found so amusing ;-)