Latest edition : 20 August 2015
Who will be the most beautiful? For a month, from September 4 to October 4, Baby Blue, Anuschka Zuckowski, Anne-Sophie, Bonne Louise and another Lady of Fire deploy their petals in brilliant colors. More than 12,000 dahlias of 270 varieties compete for the title of queen of dahlia.
For more than 60 years, this explosion of colors has heralded autumn in a colorful firework display. If "die-hard" gardeners refer to Mainau as the "Disneyland of flowers", more than a million visitors a year do not shy away from their pleasure and come to spend a day in what looks like a small island paradise.
Thanks to the tale Lennart Bernadotte, for transforming the site into an island of flowers. But this beautiful story began with his great-grandfather, the Grand Duke Frederick I of Baden, who is at the origin of the majestic arboretum of the island.
How good it is to stroll in the shade of these exceptional trees when the crowd of great days goes into ecstasy in front of the fuchsias on the stem, the roses, the perennials, the rare lemon trees, the bougainvilleas and other vegetable wonders. In all, some 350,000 exotic flowers and plants in pots splash their colors on the island.
If the island is accessible by a bridge (forbidden to cars), the visit is more magical when arriving by the lake on one of the many boats which provide the connection. On paths lined with rhododendrons and hydrangeas, we climb slowly towards the baroque castle and its immense palm grove.
Even if rhododendrons and azaleas are no longer in bloom, we can easily imagine the explosion of colors in spring! The gardeners also had to change the soil so that these shrubs could flourish to make the English green with envy!
An immense lime tree welcomes the visitor. As is customary, the Grand Duke planted it in 1862 when his daughter Viktoria was born. From there, two bronze figures show the way to follow: straight ahead or to the left .... As the rosebushes are hardly in bloom, the left alley is essential.
The Mediterranean terraces with the very romantic “flamingos in love” fountain, surrounded by a multitude of elegant agapanthus, attract couples for photos with a touch of glamor.
Other developments attract photographers. The Italian water staircase, which impresses with its rows of cypress trees and its floral arrangements that seem to cascade next to the water in a riot of colors!
Along the way, we admire the peacock and the family of ducks in bloom. In size XXL of course! Without forgetting the reconstruction of the lake with its main cities in bloom. All along the alleys, the developments and discoveries are linked harmoniously. Perennial gardens, aromatic and medicinal herbs, beds of peonies, hydrangeas, educational trail ...
Nothing is left to chance. The gardeners are busy by the dozen in the different beds to remove faded flowers, chase weeds, correct pruning.
While their parents rave about the countless plants, the children are never bored. Several playgrounds are reserved for them. There is even a mini-lake with its island and its lakeside village which young adventurers access by suspension bridges or a raft. Don't panic, a dryer can dry wet clothes!
Petits et grands s'émerveillent dans le très joli pavillon des papillons aménagé avec beaucoup de goût. Il faut bien la journée pour tout voir, tout explorer. Mais aussi pour prendre le temps et rêver dans la quiétude de l'arboretum, recharger ses batteries au contact de ses arbres magnifiques.
