The Botanical Garden and Arboretum of Mendel University in Brno is preparing four special exhibitions this year. The first of these will cover irises and will begin on 20 May. But visitors can already admire orchids in the greenhouses, which have blossomed into unprecedented beauty. Photo credit: Mendel University.
Brno, Feb 27 (BD) – “If it weren’t for Covid, we would be preparing a solo orchid show, which usually started at the end of February,” said Michal Pavlík, head of the MENDELU botanical garden and arboretum. “Fortunately, the orchids did not watch the news, so the whole greenhouse bloomed again. During this period, mostly hybrids of the genus Phalaenopsis bloomed, but also various other botanical species.” Although there will not be a special exhibition for orchids this winter, visitors will be able to enjoy their beauty.
Visitors to the site can look forward to the May Iris 2022 exhibition (20-30 May), which is the culmination of the spring season every year. In July, it will be the Summer Weekend (30-31 July), which, in addition to summer flowers, will bring guided walks and an additional program. Autumn Babí léto (16 Sep.- 2 Oct) will show visitors flying tropical butterflies. “And if the situation allows, the November weekend of Blooming Orchids is also on the agenda from 12-14 November,” said Pavlík.
The Botanical Garden and Arboretum is a purpose-built teaching facility at Mendel University, founded by Professor Bayer in 1938 on an area of two hectares. The area was expanded in 1967 to the existing 11 hectares.
The arboretum’s collections include over 4,000 varieties of orchids, 300 of Tillandsia, 2,000 perennials, 350 cultivars of large-flowered irises, 500 rock gardens and 4,000 taxa of woody plants, divided into five thematic sections. Photo credit: Mendel University
Before Covid, an average of 6,000 to 7,000 people visited the botanical garden each year, but the pandemic has decreased that number substantially. In 2020, there were only 900 visitors, and 4,000 last year.
