Greenery in Muséhagen

Greenery Image displaying concrete stairs inbetween trees and bushes.

The Old Garden

This is the oldest part of the Museehagen. The old garden is what remains of the original installations. It consists of rounded plant beds and lawns named after and shaped like organs. Locally these areas were named as “Brunchorsts heart and kidneys”, after the originator Dr. Jørgen Brunchorst. The style can resemble how the Byparken is today, which was layed out in 1865. The Muséhagen has been reworked many times since then, and only the “Old Garden” is partially preserved from Brunchorst facilities. Near the gate are some yew trees which are about 200 years old. One of them was moved from Kalfaret. The transport of ot required the use of a special wagon, as its size exceeded the usual tuck length. The bamboo-bed, which is consisting off a very representative amount of bamboo plants is located beside it. It is about 2 Meters high around the pathway and gives you real jungle vibes when you are wandering through it.

an image of a bright red exotic looking plant.

The Rockbed

The rockbed is situated at the back of the natural history museum and was originally layed out between 1926 and 1927. Over the years it got reassambeld and provided with new stone stairs, walls and paths in 1995. Along side the Museumwalls a large collection of herbs from all corners of the world found a home there, for at least some duration. The heat coming from the closeness to the museum accompanied by being shielded from the wind by it turned out to be beneficial for the groth of plants which are used to a warmer climate. Even though the selection of herbs changed just as much over time as at all the other parts. Its center piece is the fine collection of several remarkable Rhododendron species. One of them was planted in the 30s and bloomed every year since.

The Kitchen Garden

The kitchen garden grows different sort of usefull plants. Nothing thats grown there is harvested from the kitchen garden, so that people can see and experience the different plants.

a picture displaying herbs looking like salvie.

Herb bed

One of the plantbeds is dedicated to herbs and spices to name some of the specimen, you can find your whole herbs de la provence and much more (oregano, thyme, sage, dill, clove, coriander). The smells you get are amazing.

Greenery Image displaying different plants

Beer bed

Another plantbed worth mentioning is the beer bed, it consist of plants like Meadowsweet and hops but also wineplants and tobaccoplants - hence it is sometimes also referred to as the “pleasure-bed”. Every vice finds its plant.The annual vegetables the garden have to offer, cover a wide range.

an image of a radish peeking up from the soil with green leaves hovering over.

Vegetable Beds

The beds are filled with various corns like: wheat, oats, barley and rye. Oters grow different types of vegatbles. Beautiful colored cabbages and squashes, Leafbeets Chard and salads are grown on a separate bed as well A bed of potatoes as well as onions is also a substantial part of the kitchen garden, just as well as every other well equipped vegetable garden has these essentials.

an image of red cale growing in one of the many flower beds at Muséhagen.

Natural Colouring

One of the highlights of the kitchen garden is the natural color department it has to offer. In the colour-bed one can find whatever the heart is thriving for in relms of colouring with natural plant sources. Therefore blotokk or reinfann are exapmles of plants grown there to make colours from.

a closeup of green, red and orange berries growing on a poisonous plant.

Poisonous Plants

Another highlight of the kitchen garden is the poisonous plantbed: it consits of four beds of plants that contains plants which could if consumed, destroy inner organs, which may lead to ones death. Earlier in history those plants have been used medicinally. But consuming them unattended by a doctor is very ill advised.

The Medieval Garden

The Medieval Garden contains old middleage-plants varieties in the middle of it. The tree in the middle of the medieval garden is a walnut tree. The last summer 30 liters of walnuts were picked from it alone. Heart-tree, heart shaped leaves. They smell like burnt sugar at the fall. Is called ‘kak-tre’, or cake tree, in sweden/swedish. This pictures the smell of it quite neatly.

An image of a green wooden bench surrounded by green climbing plants.

The Rhododendron Slope

The rhododendron slope like the title displays is a slope of rhododendron bushes, and an additional big green oak. Many different rhododendron species are planted here and present an astonishing variety when they blossom. This part is at its most beautiful in the spring, when the rhododendron is blossoming.

The Alpine Garden

The Alpine garden which is situated south of the greenhouse, was build in 1955 and today consists of a collection of alpine plants. Those plants benefit from the sandy soil they are planted in. This Section of the Musehagen is one of the most species dense ones. Many different species are situated in this section and almost all year around some of them are blossoming. This makes this section a site which has something to offer all year around.

an image of the gardeners house in Muséhagen surrounded by green trees and shrubbery.

The Gardner slope

The gardener-building which was built as a heat-central/source for the museum. For a duration it even had a boiling room, where they cooked animals to preserve bones (until 2010). There has been three head gardeners living in the building with their families until 1970. This way it is a old house with quite a lot of history. It got renovated in 2019, in correspondence with the reopening of the museum - it got new drains, roof/tiling and its windows fixed. A little walkway behind it was added, named danielsens vei after a head doctor. The slope behind the gardener building primarily consists of a Primula-bed. The flowers usually bloom in early in spring. A Cotoneaster, which is showing red berries is situated there as well.

an image of cherrytrees covered in sunshine and casting some shadow on a green lawn.

The Cherry blossom trees

The area on which the Cherry blossom trees grow is also referred to as the ‘Cherry-hill’. The trees growing there vary a bit in size but are all quite old as well as high. They are over 90 years old, and blossom in may. The best time to have look at them is the time they blossom, to experience the beautiful rose flower petals.