Certainly, it's not a time machine or an airplane, but a ticket to the botanical garden. Much cheaper, isn't it?
Hey, folks!
Here in Kyiv (Ukraine), we are having a true winter with lots of snow, frost and sun. I think it's a great idea to visit a botanical garden, when it is -12 C outside, and see the blooming sub tropical plants.
This visit was special because of 2 reasons. There are 2 Botanical Gardens in Kyiv. I've been to the bigger one many times, including it's orangeries, but I've never seen the orangery of the small one from inside because it's located in the restricted area. Although, it's much closer to my place.
Secondly, I came across the publication about blooming Livistona australis recently, a palm tree from Australia. And I came here to see it and hear its amazing story.
The frost painted my windows during the last night. The world outside was awakening from the long night under a sick blanket of snow.
A.V. Fomin Botanical Garden celebrated its 180 anniversary a few years ago.
On May 22, 1839, the first rector of the University of Kyiv, together with the architect Beretti and the director Trautfetter of the Botanical Garden, chose a hilly wasteland behind the future red building of the university, where cattle grazed on the banks of the Lybid river.
The first plants, including Livistona, were brought from other botanical gardens of the country and county estates. That's why this palm tree is elder than the garden itself, it is 200 years old and 30 m in height.
From the manner the guide spoke about the palm, I realized that it is a common favorite and pride. We can say that the palm tree grew together with the greenhouse.
Despite the hard times, destruction and looting that the greenhouse and botanical garden experienced during World War I and II, the palm tree continued to grow, and one day the stuff found out that metal of the roof bent, glass shattered - the palm tree made its way up to freedom! :D
They had to make a temporary superstructure over the roof. Our guide said that when she just started working here, she did not see the top of the palm tree, but only a hole in the shelf and something green in it.
In 1974, the garden was finally reconstructed. In 1978, a greenhouse complex was built with the world's tallest 32-meter Climatron at the time.
And here, you see that Livistona almost reached the top of the roof again. Unfortunately, it can't be reconstructed anymore, and soon the palm will die. That's why every it's flowering can be the last. It's so sad...
Oh, and in order for a palm tree to reproduce, it needs few more palms, since nature has thought out the process of flowering and ripening of seeds in such a way that the palm cannot pollinate itself.
We had an absolutely unique and exciting experience - ascending by steps to the top of the climatron and to see the blossoming on the level of eyes, and also overlook everything from the high. It was awesome!
These palms love humid and warm air. Probably because of this, the metallic constructions were covered with rust. But it's safe here, as they said. Anyway, I don't fear :D
From the gallery up here there is a good view and the lady our guide speaks about other palms and plants, about her long experience, and it is so interesting and interactive and fun.
Look, this is a younger cousin, Livistona chinensis. It is also blossoming. Actually, I've read that Livistona's blooming season is in summer. But wait, it's summer in Australia! Actually, there is an indoor species as well, but the full-size plant looks more impressive.
Finally, we all have to go down, as there are interesting things to be seen there too. I take the final shots and walk down the narrow metal stairs.
[//]:# (!pinmapple 50.444301 lat 30.500475 long Livistona australis in A.V. Fomin Botanical Garden in Kyiv, Ukraine d3scr)
There are 17 greenhouses and 12 orangeries there, and we visited just 3 or 4 of them. It all cost about $5.5 only. I'll share all that I learned in my next posts. Stay tuned, and thank you for a visit!
