A place where people come in the summer to look for shade

Even though April is the month in Arboretum Volčji Potok Every year, it attracts the most people, as it awakens spring and blooms daffodils and tulips, and visitors are not deprived in May. The biggest boom are rhododendrons and ornamental onions, in fact the arboretum is beautiful in all seasons. After all, the natural diversity is the reason why in 1952 they designed a garden, which is one of the most important and most visited in Slovenia.

Last year, they listed 350,000 entries, including constant visitors who have an annual card, some of them wrapping up several times a week in the arboretum. There are about ten percent of foreign visitors, they want more, especially in the summer when the locals are on vacation. As it is for Work said director of the Volčji Potok Arboretum Matjaz Mastnak, Also known as a great connoisseur and rose loverthey want to arrange a visit throughout the year. « If there are about 30,000 visitors a month a month, there are about 50,000 in April, and from experience we know that three thousand people a day is what can be done by our parking lot and, last but not least, to allow it to be over 80 hectares, there is no feeling crowded. » Many similar gardens abroad.

Photo: Beti Burger

A flowering chestnut avenue

After the park, this time she took us with a tractor Melita Mouse Strgarwhich, like the director, has been working in the arboretum for over 30 years »Arboretum is my second home. When I had even smaller children, we walked together, but now my husband and I walk here every weekend. We enjoy it here, it’s really nice, « she explained on the way to the chestnut avenue, which is especially beautiful when this magnificent tree blooms. “The daffodils have bloomed, but we do not mow them immediately to get food in the meantime, otherwise we already have the bells of the crown that spread over five acres in February. But even if not all lush flowering plants, it is always nice in our country. « 

The director points out that part of the arboretum is also a rich forest park. Photo: Beti Burger

In the summer, they have a special charm of tall trees, in the park they have a really rich collection of trees, including a giant metabol, which was planted in 1953 and is supposed to be the thickest in the world, and tulips that are among the highest in Europe. Especially in the summer, people come to look for shade there, as noted by both interlocutors. The consequences of climate change must also be adapted to the park, although, as the director explained, Slovenia is fortunately one of the more soaked countries in the EU, so there is a lot of additional watering needed. “Many come on hot days I cool. It is much easier to carry 30 degrees Celsius between trees than concrete, « added Mouse Strgar.

Therefore, they think about how to make the park more comfortable in hot summers, perhaps planting more shrubs, to prevent the flow of hot air, to make it easier to experience the freshness of the water, emphasize the director: « We have a lot of lakes, streams that run, with how to create extra freshness, we will surely deal a lot. Tree plantations for the future, which are resistant to hotter conditions and can withstand temperature changes, are functionally designed to overshadow the path along the western edge of the arboretum, which was planned 20 years ago when they did not know how hot the summers would be. They found that no one walked there in the summer, as it was not sustainable, so they planted trees to make shade. « 

In recent years, they have been thinking about how to make the park even more enjoyable during the summer months, says Arboretum director Matjaž Mastnak. Photo: Leon Vidic

It is noticed that a park, which is a primary educational role, which is complemented by cultural content, is repeatedly a point of the meeting: families with children get in it, they can play on a large playground surrounded by wooden playgrounds and dinosaurs. He is convinced that they also raise or invest in the future with a playground and infrastructure for children. « If families come to our park today, even though they may be due to play, they will return with their families over the years, maybe they will become interested in plants … It’s about raising the culture of visiting parks and gardens. »

Photo: Beti Burger

Most want peace and enjoy the beauty

Ornamental ports or onions also bloom in May. Photo: Beti Burger

“Many times we see that people also come to walk, they seek peace and silence, relaxation. We must repeatedly step back and be aware that not everyone is about to be particularly learned about plant species. Sometimes you don’t have to know everything about flowers that we enjoy their beauty and in an orderly environment such as arboretum, « Mastnak notes.

As a public institution founded by the Republic of Slovenia, they want to be accessible to people: “This is not a hermetic institution, but a space aimed at residents. From the beginning, his mission was multifaceted: the first thing was a botanical collection, the second schooling, and the third was a place to spend leisure, regeneration, experience something beautiful. This is not a city park where football is played, but it is richer in content. « 

Interlocutor, after the original education forester, He wants the arboretum people to perceive not only as a flower and tree, but also as a forest park. “We have a natural forest in five different designs. If you warn a person, he notices how the forest changes with nature. There are many natural streams that are attractive because of murmur, there are birds, our regular visitor is a fountain, we have rare amphibians of amphibians … Even with this interplay of ecosystems, the park is special. « 

Wonderful flowers waterfall. Photo: Beti Burger

We would like to rejuvenate the staff

The Volčji Potok Arboretum has more than 3500 plant species and varieties, which are taken care of by about 30 people who also bleed billets this time, trimmed trees, mow grass. But so much workforce is difficult to provide, as there is little interest in gardening among young generations. « Vocational schools are poorly attended, it is difficult to get a young man with ambition, » says Mastnak, also a lecturer. Among his goals for the next four years in his directorial position is thus rejuvenated.

When Melita Mouse and I drove to a loud bird singing to a tidy rock, she revealed that it was designed by an 88-year-old retired employee, Lado Pergovnik, a gardener of the old variety. It still helps and directs the young staff to arrange the greenhouse. « We very much want the knowledge to be transferred to the next generation, the current one will soon retire, » Mastnak added.

They entered the spring season with several innovations. The French Garden with Pushpan is renovated, this is the first step in the renovation of the entire French garden, the energy rehabilitation of three central facilities is in progress, and they also increase its offer, including thematic trails for people with impairments.

Photo: Beti Burger

“The first group we have dedicated to is people with dementia who can be brought by relatives or friends for a walk. Such a circle should be very thoughtful: the paths should be smooth, short enough, and above all interesting. As we have tried so far, visitors were evoked by memories through stimulants, especially the smell. This one has an incredible power to awaken memories. Also, when they observe water birds on the lake and thus experience things that ‘do that click’ to awaken from lethargy, « explains the director.

In the future, they intend to further focus on achieving a wide range of visitors, including people with various disabilities, with minimal adjustments. In doing so, they cooperate with the study group and various societies.

The peculiarity of rhododendrons in the arboretum is that they are 60 years old and extremely large. Photo: Beti Burger

Rhododendrons in all its grandeur

In the meantime, there are especially magnificent rhododendrons in the park, which are interesting, among other things, because they are 60 years old. “In most of Slovenia, they do not manage well or even collapse, as they do not have adequate land. The arboretum has about a quarter of the surface with very acidic soil. If we plant rhododendrons there, they have the opportunity to become large and really bushy plants, « the director explained. Rhododendrons, however, are folded from the gardens precisely because of the hot and dry summers that do not suit them. “We are fortunate to be planted with a lot of mind, on the northern slope of the forest, to the edges of the terrace. Two years ago, we helped those who look west with the distributed watering system, so when the drought presses, we help them with water. So they became more beautiful than they were. It should be in mind where the flowers come from. Many ancestors of these rhododendrons are from the slopes of the Himalayas … « 

Photo: Mateja Recevski

The flower « show » of rhododendrons takes about three weeks. In June, however, visitors will attract roses.

Photo: TD Golica