Talvipuutarha, Helsinki

The photos were taken at Midsummer. It is very hot in Finland, so cooling 

blue Agapanthus bring hopefully freshness!

The Winter Garden of the City of Helsinki is a gorgeous conservatory of cast-iron and glass. 

It's structure was designed by architect Gustaf Nyström and the aim was to mimic 

the architecture of The Crystal Palace in London that was built for the Great Exhibition of 1851. 

Our Finnish crystal palace was opened to the public a bit later, in 1893. The entrance 

has been free since the beginning. 

The bust of the donator, general major Julius af Lindfors is situated at the entrance,

designed by sculptor Walter Runeberg. The City of Helsinki has owned

the Wintergarden since 1907. The glass building has three parts, a palm room, a cactus room 

and a west wing. In front of the building, towards The Gulf of Töölö and Helsinki city centre, 

there is a terraced garden with roses and topiary.

Earlier I have shared photos from inside in many posts, now I made a quick visit to see

their summer plantings. The roses were not yet in bloom, but they had gorgeous 

blue Agapanthus in bloom in big black pots. Simply beautiful.

Geraniums were stunning!

Stachys byzantina, peonies at the background had bloomed already.

Clematis mandschurica or C. recta - I did not smell!

Links to some of my previous posts about Talvipuutarha:

The cactus room 2019 & 2018

Spring views outside 2019

Inside views 2018

❤︎❤︎❤︎

#der natur donnerstag #garden affair #gartenglück #image-in-ing #makrotex 

#my corner of the world #saturday’s critters #t in die neue woche #wednesday around the world

Sightseeing: Lush Green & Exotic

Talvipuutarha / The Winter Garden of Helsinki is a wonderful place to visit.

Now photos from inside from my visit in early May.

About everyman’s rights

The freedom to roam, or everyman's right, is the general public's right to access 

certain public or privately owned land, lakes, and rivers for recreation and exercise. 

In Scotland, the Nordic countries of Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, 

the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and the Central European countries 

of Austria, Czech Republic and Switzerland, the freedom to roam takes the form of 

general public rights which are sometimes codified in law.

The access is ancient in parts of Northern Europe and has been regarded as sufficiently basic 

that it was not formalised in law until modern times.

To give advice to the general public

as how to behave in the nature,

in The Winter Garden there was this rhyme:

Don't trample on lawns, don't damage the trees!

Don't disturb the peace of nature, 

don't disrespect, don't roar!

Clean your camp site, remove your garbage!

Don't draw pictures or names on trees, 

you'll just stain what was pretty.

Beware, protect someone else’s own. 

Memories in honor always!

All this in your mind imprint!

In addition to permanent plants, there are always flowers and

flower arrangements according to the season.

// MY CORNER OF THE WORLD
// WEDNESDAY AROUND THE WORLD
// IMAGE-IN-ING

HERE / Photos from outside & HERE / Heat loving plants.

As Global Warming Proceeds...

The climate change & global warming are hot topics today. 

NASA lists striking evidence on global warming. According to Nasa there are

several extreme effects that we have been witnessed this summer too: 

for example record high temperatures & draught  in Central Europe.

I photographed these hot loving desert plants at Talvipuutarha / The Winter Garden of Helsinki. 

Now all these agaves, cacti & other desert plants can survive in Finland

only in greenhouses. But who knows how much and how soon the climate gets warmer? 

In recent dystopia literature the writers play among other things with these thoughts:

* Africa and southern parts of Europe turn too hot for people and animals to live.
* Potable water is a rare commodity.
* Due to the heat cattle breeding & cultivation of present plants becomes impossible.
* A famine arouses and drives masses of climate fugitives towards the North.

Of course this is fictional thinking. But who knows. The threat is obvious.

Perhaps in the distant future these plants can survive outdoors also in Finland? 

There is a special wing for hot loving plants at The Winter Garden of Helsinki.

// MOSAIC MONDAY

// FOTO-TUNES

// MY CORNER OF THE WORLD

Early May at The Winter Garden in Helsinki

Last time I visited The Winter Garden of the City of Helsinki in February 2018, now I went to see how the awakening spring looks there. It is a gorgeous conservatory of cast-iron and glass and it's structure was designed to mimic the architecture of The Crystal Palace in London that was built for the Great Exhibition of 1851. Our Finnish Crystal Palace is situated on a low hill facing over The Gulf of Töölö towards the very centre of Helsinki.

There are beautiful plantings that shall be a great sight in the summer: a lot of roses and peonies! 

I admired the gardeners’ skilful work with their precise eye & sharp scissors!

At the background you see a city district called Kallio - The Rocks.

It was build for workers and had a bad reputation. Nowadays it is very popular for 
urban professionals and the prices of apartments have risen. 
I lived there in the 90's.

The chamber choir where my son is singing - Addictio - was not rewarded in Cork Choral Festival. 

But they were very satisfied with their Cork-visit.  He sent me a few photos from Dublin 
- Famine statues, Library of Trinity College & Brian Boru's Harp. Click here to my post.

// MOSAIC MONDAY

// MAKROTEX CHALLENGE - Toukokuu, May

Friday Bliss #34 - À la Japanese

I’m so sorry I missed this happening that took place at The Winter Garden of the city of Helsinki. The Friends of the Japanese Culture arranged a Japan weekend there with Ikebana arrangements, calligraphy, origami & haiku poems. When I visited our Finnish Crystal Palace there were left only these two Ikebana arrangements.

If you are interested, please look at the post of my Japanese blogfriend Miyako

telling about the change of era in Japan.

The 85 years old Emperor Heisei (Akihito) has abdicated from crown 

for his 59 years old son Naruhito, the new Emperor Reiwa.

This year Finland and Japan are celebrating the centenary of diplomatic relations:

 100 Years of Finnish-Japanese Friendship

One of the most popular snow sculptures at the Sapporo Snow Festival in February was the white cathedral of Helsinki! Photo: Japan Today. I have never visited Japan but have read a lot of Japanese literature. The latest was Hiro Arikawa’s charming The Travelling Cat Chronicles.

❤︎

We have an extremely cold week & weekend, but I wish you have it better.

Happy weekend!

- riitta

 #FRIDAY BLISS 

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