Gardens are our human oases to relax and enjoy nature. That doesn’t mean one has to do all the work that comes along with a plot of land, no matter the size, it can be a public park! When we visit cities, at some point, we’re all ready to walk amongst plants, something green in the shade, sit on a bench, maybe enjoy a botanical garden and learn something new about plants?

I found this astonishing Gunnera tinctoria “mirbel” (Chilean Rhubarb) at one of the walkway intersections in the Munich Botanical Garden.

The sheer size of the leaves of this plant is eye popping, so is the interior with its massive prickly stems and what seems to be a flowering body. A variety of different Gunnera can be found in many gardens around the globe, but I had never noticed its fruiting stems, almost like brushes. All the plant matter of this perenial comes up in one summer season. 

The Botanical Garden in Munich, Germany, is special to me. I grew up only a few miles from there, and loved to spent time in the conservatories with tropical ponds.
The Botanical Garden borders the extensive park of Schloss Nymphenburg, a major castle of the Kings of Bavaria two centuries ago. In between the castle and the botanical gardens is the Palm House which often houses special exhibits: sometimes snakes, another time butterflies or other exotics.

The most important part is, it is a huge garden in a city of 1.6 million inhabitants and readily accessible by the public (although, the botanical garden charges a fee Euro 5.50). Besides many other significant parks in the city, such as the English Garden, the parks are highly valuable spaces to ride a bike, watch birds or have a walk for free.

When I’m in an -new to me- urban area, I always look for botanical gardens.