FLOWER MEADOWS
Flower meadows are hotspots of biodiversity. Why are they risking extinction?
Garden Highlight 2021
This season the Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle celebrated their 20th anniversary. Opened in 2001, after 7 years of construction, today they are one of the most popular attractions in South Tyrol. For their 20th anniversary they organised a great garden party and many special events. In 2021, biodiversity reigned supreme at the Gardens. The Touriseum presented its new special exhibition „Grab it, drag it, roll it - Luggage through the ages“.
Biodiversity
In 2020, biodiversity reigned supreme at the Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle. In keeping with the theme of “Diversity,” the Gardens showed how important biological diversity is for humanity, animals and plants.
In the 2021 garden season, visitors strolling through the multi-faceted garden landscapes met with vibrantly-hued flower meadows, age-old varieties of vegetables, and buzzing insect life, found out about brightly-coloured birds, wily wasps and hard-working bees, and learned about the small things that can make a big difference in preserving biodiversity. Throughout the entire garden area, you found a wealth of interesting information, fascinating facts and handy tips.
Various information boards in the garden showed how exciting and diverse the topic of biodiversity can be:
ANCIENT CULTIVAR VEGETABLES
Ancient cultivar vegetables are robust, tasty and high in nutritional value. Many of them were cultivated hundreds of years ago and have all but fallen into oblivion…
REINFORCING THE PLANTS
In the Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle it is impossible to find conventional and biological pesticides, because the gardeners rely on plant fortifiers and on soil reactivation.
WATERCOURSES
Natural streams and their riversides are an invaluable habitat for numerous plants, animals and microorganisms. Unfortunately, many watercourses have been drained, channelled or built upon.
DEADWOOD
Deadwood provides many endangered species with a much-needed habitat. Unlike the name would suggest, however, deadwood is actually pretty lively…
SOIL INHABITANTS
Soil is inhabited by millions of organisms. The highest percentage is represented by the bacteria that play a fundamental role in the decomposition of organic substance. What would we do without them?
BALCONY PLANTS
Flowers that offer a good quantity of pollen and nectar are a veritable Garden of Eden for honey bees, bumblebees, wild bees, hoverflies, butterflies and beetles. That is why they are also best to have on balconies and terraces.
Studies
The interesting results of the following biodiversity studies have been presented to the visitors:
FLOWER POLLINATORS: During a floral biology research project carried out in 2013 and 2014, 344 different species of flower visitors were collected, classified and photographed in the Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle. Inside the Gardens visitors will find photographs and information about some of them.
Fotos by focusnatura.at
THE BIRDS OF THE GARDENS: During an ornithological survey carried out in 2018 and 2019, 48 species of birds were recorded at the Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle. Visitors will get to know some of them inside the Gardens.
Fotos by Roberto Siniscalchi, Johannes Wassermann
Installations
SEED BOMBING:
During the course of its activity, the duo Officinadïdue has interpreted this year’s theme dedicated to “Biodiversity” as an opportunity for studying in depth the alternative sowing technique known as “Seed Bombing” that is designed to requalify arid or deforested areas that are isolated or difficult to reach by launching “seed bombs” from the air. Officinadïdue’s idea is to position hand-blown glass spheres in a such a way that makes them look as if they were falling from above or gently rest on the ground or on the water. The glass spheres, full of various types of seeds, will be placed in three different areas of the garden: on the porphyry blocks at the entrance to the Gardens, on the surface of the pond in the Forests of the World and in the Glass House. With the “Seed Bombing” project, the artistic duo intends to portray the fragility of life, natural balance and biodiversity.
XXL INSECTS:
The Italian artist Lorenzo Possenti, with a degree in natural science, is a “scientific” sculptor who has combined his artistic talent with his passion for insects in the creation of insect sculptures that are precise down to the smallest detail and oversized. His works ave been exhibited in various museums all over the world. For the Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle, Possenti has created a carpenter bee on a rockrose flower, and a couple of common blue butterflies on an aster flower. Both insects have been observed and photographed in the Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle in the years between 2013 and 2014 during a research on flower visitors. The intent of the project is to show how important the interaction between insects and plants during pollination is for the preservation of floral and animal diversity.
TWIN FLOWERBEDS:
On the occasion of this year’s theme dedicated to “Biodiversity”, the garden designer and best-seller author Noel Kingsbury has designed a flowerbed for the Gardens and an identical one for the city of Merano, selecting vivaciously coloured perennial plants that bloom from spring to autumn. In this way, the flowerbed turns into a veritable banquet for wild bees and other insects. The planting of draught-resisting perennials is a sustainable alternative to “summer” seasonal plantings with annual varieties because they live longer and offer insects more nourishment. The flowerbeds host various plant species: different types of sage, pasqueflowers, catnip, aster, sedum, yellow chamomile, Oriental poppy, artemisia, achillea, various herbaceous plants as well as many perennial varieties sporting brilliant colours
