Summer in the Linnaean gardens
The summer of 2020 is the summer when staycation is the word of the day and the summer when we want to experience Sweden out of doors. In our three gardens, you can enjoy the greenery, become inspired, improve our knowledge, or have “fika” under the apple trees. If you have to stay at home, we offer digital resources and virtual visits. Do discover our unique sites and the heritage of Carl Linnaeus.
The current covid-19 pandemia affects our activities and we do all we can to facilitate social distancing. Many events have been cancelled and we have restricted the numbers of visitors in our buildings. As a result, you may not be able to seek shelter indoors on a rainy day. Regardless of the weather, though, we offer daily tours outdoors in the Linnaeus Garden and at Linnaeus’ Hammarby, and every weekend in The Botanical Garden. As the guidelines of The Public Health Agency of Sweden may change with short notice, please check our opening hours and program before visiting us.
Current opening hours and timetable for guided tours in The Botanical Garden, The Tropical Greenhouse, The Linnaeus Garden, The Linnaeus Museum, and Linnaeus’ Hammarby.
Inspiration – knowledge – Linnaeus
Inspiration for cultivation
Every year, we compose our ornamental flowerbeds in a new way. In the Linnaeus Garden, perennials linked to Linnaeus are mixed with delicate summer blossoms. This year, the colour scheme is blue and yellow with dashes of white. The circular flowerbed in front of the manor house at Linnaeus’ Hammarby is dominated by reds and yellows. The Linnaean connection is strong – plants unfamiliar to him are not welcome.
The Botanical Garden har a large variety of Dahlias on display in the flowerbeds at the castle end of the baroque garden where we also celebrate Uppsala’s orienteers with an orange and white flowerbed. Linneanum is framed by sheer notes with gray and silvery foliage and white blossom. Near Café Victoria, by The Tropical Greenhouse we have planted red and yellow flowers, such as Dahlias and Zinnias. EWe hope that they will attract lots of pollinating insects during the summer.
Knowledge about the potato family
If you would like to learn something new, do visit our educational areas. The Tree of Evolution of Flowering Plants demonstrates the contemporary view of the relations between different groups of plants. In the Linnaeus Garden, you can see its 18thCentury predecessor. There, most of the garden is a living encyclopedia of plants with the species arranged according to Linnaeus’ sexual system.
This year, we focus on the potato family in our gardens. We demonstrate the biology of potatoes in our school garden and introduce you to their relatives. Come harvest time, we will display a diverse selection of potatoes, chili peppers, aubergines, and tomatoes.
Carl Linnaeus – the 18th century prince of flowers
Carl Linnaeus was the Swedish academic prodigy of the 18th century and the originator of modern botany. No town holds as much Linnaean heritage as Uppsala. Here, you can visit gardens and other scenic areas connected to his life and work. Visit his residence (The Linnaeus Museum) in The Linnaeus Garden. Trace the changing of the seasons in the garden, just like he did. Escape the bustle of the city at Linnaeus’ Hammarby, the country estate bought by Linnaeus in 1758. The park has the world’s largest collection of living Linnaean plants and the manor houses the famous botanical prints. The cultural reserve, managed by the county administrative board, aims to reconstruct 18thcentury agricultural landscape with its meadows, pastures, and small fields.
Anyone wishing to literally follow in the footsteps of Linnaeus should trek along one of the eight Linnaeus trails of Uppsala. This is where Linnaeus demonstrated flora and fauna in their proper element, and several hundred species still grow in the same places where he showed them to his students.
Tropical heat
From July 1 you will again be able to enjoy the song of the frogs, rich greenery, warmth and humid air in the Tropical greenhouse. Welcome! Do come in and admire the gigantic leaves of the Santa Cruz water lily, Victoria cruziana. Towards the end of the summer, during late afternoons, you might even be lucky enough to see the water lily in bloom. Each flower is only open during two nights. The flower normally closes during the day, but sometimes late in summer it loses its beat and opens the flowers while the sun is still up. There is also a lot of other exciting and interesting things to see in the greenhouse, for example carnivorous pitcher plants, banana plants, cotton, lemon and lotus.
Learn about Swedish trees
Would you like to learn more about Swedish nature? There is a trail of Swedish trees and shrubs in The Botanical Garden and you can download a map with Swedish and scientific names from our web page.
Summer cafés under the trees
All of our gardens – The Linnaeus garden, Linnaeus’ Hammarby, and The Botanical Garden – have cafés with seating under the trees. They serve pastries and light lunches. They have all adapted to facilitate social distancing.
Opening hours for the cafés of The Linnaeus garden, Linnaeus’ Hammarby, and The Botanical Garden
Visiting from home
For those of you who cannot visit us in person, we have some digital resources to offter. You can take a good look at what the gardens and museums have to offer or see the season change through social media. Keep revisiting, there might be more on offer later in the summer!
Virtual tours on Google Maps
- Virtual tour of Linnaeus’ Hammarby, with interiors of the manor
- Virtual tour of The Linnaeus Garden
- Virtual tour of The Linnaeus Museum
- Virtual tour of The Botanical Garden
The Linnaean Gardens of Uppsala in social media
You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook, with daily updates from our gardens.