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The arctic-alpine botanical garden in Tromsø

@brittarnhild

 

Far north of the Arctic Circle you find the city of Tromsø, and here, where the midnight sun shines 24/7 in the summer and the northern lights can be seen all through the winter, you find the most amazing botanical garden I know, The Tromsø Arctic-Alpine Botanical Garden. It is not a big garden, neither is it an old one, but in beauty, in charm and exotic plant collection the gardens must be the best there is.

Good luck for me I am able to visit Tromsø from time to time in connection to my job, and if it is the tiniest possibility to visit the gardens on these trips - that is what I do. This time I managed to take a later plane home, which gave me several hours in the garden.

One of many things I love about the garden is that they post regular highlights, "DON`T MISS" posts, on their website, on facebook and as information hung around in the garden. 

The main highlight this time was this spectacular flower from the Himalayas. I walked around, searching for the flower without finding it. Luckily I met one of the gardeners, he explained the way and I could go right there.  Later I passed the same gardener. This time he was in deep conversation with another person but when he saw me he looked up, smiled and said "I hope you found the flower" :-)

With its latitude, the summers are short and not specifically warm, the winters are cold and dark with a long period without sun. This means that not all plants can grow here. A lot more than you might believe though, and the garden has sections with plants from the Alps, Sibir, Himalaya, Caucasus and places like that.

There are plants I already have in my garden, plants I know from before, but also so many plans which are quite new to me. Like this one, looking like some kind of a dumpling.

My favorite section is always the rock garden with the unbelievable deep blue gentianas. 

It was here I found the Sea Hollies and the bumble bees, and ended up taking several dozens of photos of them.

I have no idea when I will come back next time, but meanwhile I keep the garden in my heart, and I have brought a few plants back to my own Akeleiehagen/ Columbine Garden. This time two small gentiana hexaphyllia.

 

 

Here is the website to the garden

 

and here you find them on facebook

 

Tromsø, a city far north of the Arctic Circle

@brittarnhild

I was 19 the first time I came here, to Tromsø, a city far north of the arctic circle. I came to a charming little Norwegian city and I saw the midnight sun for the first time in my life.

Since then I´ve come back from time to time, and for each time the city has changed.

What met me today was new constructions popping up almost everywhere. Many, very many of the new buildings hotels.

Tourists from all over the world are coming. In summer to see the midnight sun, in winter to see the northern lights, aurora borealis. All year round for whale watching.

The city is changing rapidly, and today I really had to search to find some of its old charm.

Lucky for me the search was fruitful,

and the hour I had between end of meetings, start of dinner, went almost too fast.

A café today, I have no idea of the history of this house.

You can stop for a hot dog,

buy knitwear at a market booth,

look over to the Nordlyskatedralen, Northern Light Cathedral,

or just stroll around, listening to the seagulls.

 

By the way, my hotel is down by the harbour, and while I am writing this post it sounds like they are having their late night concert.

 

 

Tromsø Arctic-Alpine Garden at latitude 69

@brittarnhild

Can you imagine a botanical garden at latitude 69? Well, you find one in Tromsø, the Tromsø Arctic-Alpine Botanical Garden. And in many ways my favourite botanical garden.

I have been there once before, three years ago, in May 2015, and when I had a few hours between the end of a conference and my plane leaving to fly back to Trondheim, I knew where to go.

To the arctic garden of course :-)
I called for a taxi, three other people heard where I was heading and came with me, and off we went, with our suitcases and everything.

Luckily I met a young Swedish man when we arrived. He was working in the garden, and locked our suitcases into a room. Last time I was here was also a visit between a meeting and a flight back home, I met no young Swedish man and had to drag my carry on suitcase all through the garden.

 The primulas are the highlights in the garden just now. There were hundreds of them, and they were just amazing.

I had already read on facebook, and were met by a poster when we arrived, that there would be a special guided primula walk at 7pm, just when I had to be at the airport, to catch the 9.45 plane. What a pity.

Well, you can never get everything. The art of living is to be content with what you have.

But no midnight sun.......probably

@brittarnhild

I am up in Tromsø for a couple of days, on a church conference with the Sami people. Tromsø is far north of the arctic circle, and therefore has midnight sun at this time of the year. But not tonight. It is icy cold, it rains,  actually some of the rain which falls come like snow, the clouds are low and there will probably be no sun to see at midnight.

And if the sun should happen to be out during the night, my hotel is situated so that it can´t be seen from here. I would have to climb å mountain. And as I had to be up at just after 4am this morning, to catch the plane.......well, when midnight comes, I will be fast asleep.

I did go for a walk after dinner though, and met this charming two wigeons, a male and a female.......

.......and when I came back to the hotel, I did something I have been planning to do for some time. I started a new blog :-) :-) :-) This time with a nature/creation theme,

Britt Arnhilds naturdagbok / Britt Arnhild´s Nature Journal