A GARDEN BED OF MEDICINAL PLANTS

A GARDEN BED OF MEDICINAL PLANTS

Composition of this garden bed of 43m² was guided by two key sources, which influenced the selection of 37 plant species chosen for planting here. The initial draft drew on two historical herbaria: the Broumov herbarium, which contains 358 species of dried medicinal plants, and Boccius’s herbarium in three volumes with dried specimens of 1,136 species. An intersection of lists of plants represented in these works formed the basic starting point for selecting plants that met the specific requirements of a bed of mixed perennials with irregular internal divisions at the Kačina chateau.

In the end, the design included 37 plant species whose selection was largely guided by the ecological properties of these perennials and their potential to form a composition. Perennials are prevalent in this composition, but they are supplemented by some annuals and biennials. Our aim was to create a garden bed that would look attractive throughout the year but especially during the peak visitor season. The core of the composition consists of tall species and vines, whose placement was influenced by the bed’s orientation to the cardinal points, location of the main road, and connection to the chateau.

The garden bed was created and prepared in the spring of 2025. Plants were grown by our project partners: the Faculty of Horticulture of Mendel University in Lednice, the Czech Agrifood Research Centre in Olomouc, and by gardeners of the National Museum of Agriculture in Kačina.

Using QR codes placed on info boards associated with the plants, visitors can access more detailed descriptions of the medicinal plants, learn more about their use in the past and the present, and take a look at their dried specimens included in the Broumov or Boccius’s herbarium.