The Gardeners

There are many people working together in our parks so the gardens can grow and thrive. Here you have the opportunity to get to know some of them.

Nicholas Delahooke

Nicholas Delahooke is a gardener who was born and raised in England. He has a French surname and has lived and worked in Germany, but for the last ten years you would be most likely to find him working in the soil of Gothenburg.
“I love this job,” says Nick, who knows the Woodlands area at the Garden Society of Gothenburg best of all.

Work and future plans are guided by the seasons and history

It seems fitting that a gardener with Nick Delahooke’s international background should be responsible for the Woodlands – a collection of park environments that are so hard to define that they cannot be pinned down with a single Swedish word.
“We sometimes call them lundar (groves), but I don’t think there is any truly equivalent Swedish word,” reckons Nick, who after six years as a permanent staff member has grown used to spending each season practising his skills in such a large and popular park as the Garden Society of Gothenburg.

While he attends to the regular care of trees, bushes, perennials, ferns and bulbs, Nick makes plans for what he wants to do in the Woodlands next season.
“I try to avoid repeating the same plants and arrangements year after year. This summer, for example, there were no banana plants in the exotic areas, as it was a little too cold and windy to show them at their best. But look at the big windmill palm, and the Korean rice paper palm – that came to the park back in the 1800s,” he says, pleased to make the connection with the work of his colleagues in the earliest decades of the park.

Nick originally studied history at university back home in the UK, and for a long time thought he would probably go into teaching, but that of course was before he succumbed to the attractions of gardening. Now he takes pleasure instead in linking back to the historical aims of the garden society and explains that his passion for gardening grew partly out of a fascination with frogs, toads and newts.
“Once I started learning more about these creatures I also wanted to learn more about the habitats they thrived in.”

At the Garden Society of Gothenburg he is more likely to see hares, rabbits and squirrels than frogs and toads.
“We used to see the occasional hedgehog, but it’s been some time since we last saw one.”

Englishman in Gothenburg

As an immigrant Englishman it is not always easy to capture the peculiarities of the Swedish language in a city where so many people are keen to practise their classroom English when the opportunity arises. Occasionally Nick gives guided tours of the Palm House in his mother tongue, and he does not need to look far to find compatriots among his colleagues at other Swedish parks. After all, England was the cradle of horticultural art.

So it must feel good to know that the Palm House came from Britain?
“Although it was actually shipped from Scotland,” says Nick and relates in the next breath that for the last few years he has lived with his wife and two sons in Jonsered.
Of course, there is a strong British connection there as well, since the Gibson family spent many years at the mill, I suggest.
“Yes, we really enjoy living there, but the Gibsons were of course Scots,” says Nick, who comes from the Cambridge area himself.

So how does one go about developing and building one’s skills as a gardener?
“The best way is probably by visiting other gardens. And of course there is so much to read and there are always new plants to discover,” says Nick, adding:
“For my part I have a special interest in Mediterranean plants that thrive in a dry climate. There are actually gardens that are never watered, and I find those especially inspiring. All gardeners enjoy watering their plants – me included – but sometimes you do wonder if that is really the right path to follow. One of my teachers once said: ‘Water probably makes the person who is doing the watering happier than the plant that gets covered in water. For whose sake are you watering really?’ It’s an interesting way of thinking.”

Malin Löfstrand

When Malin Löfstrand had a summer job as a park worker in central Gävle at the age of 14, she watched with admiration as her seasoned colleagues skilfully wielded their tools. With confident movements they were able to brighten up the simplest flower bed or gravel path.

“I want to be able to rake the way that Agge does, I remember thinking,” says Malin on a Wednesday afternoon in April as the spring sun washes over the Garden Society of Gothenburg and a growing number of city residents enjoy a moment’s relaxation in this charming park in the city centre.

It is now nine years since Malin moved down from Stockholm to make a fresh start in Gothenburg after many years working in Rosendals Garden. She had a very clear idea of what to expect after having spent a period as a guest gardener at the Heden Garden exhibition in 2000.

“That experience made me very keen to come back and work on the big garden exhibition in 2008. There was no way I could turn down a permanent job in one of the most important parks in Sweden’s history!”

And so it turned out that the teenage summer worker from Gävle eventually become first gardener and supervisor at the Garden Society of Gothenburg. But now that she has overall responsibility and can see the big picture she has less and less time to get to grips with the borders.

“I might get to spend an hour planting pansies occasionally and I work in the Palm House every fifth weekend, but I do sometimes miss being out with my colleagues, says Malin,” whose day more often involves administration, placing orders and talking to various subcontractors.
“If we need an electrician then it is me who makes the call.”

Exhibitions and free admission

The city’s commitment to both garden initiatives in 2000 and 2008 has led this year to an even bigger and bolder undertaking: Gothenburg Green World.

“I think it’s a terrific project and I naturally hope it will encourage even more people to explore the park and that we can help inspire them.

Of course I’m also looking forward to the pop-up parks on Avenyn that will clearly link the garden society with Kungsparken,” she says, casting a quick glance towards the entrance by Bältesspännarparken, as more and more people who have a free afternoon wander in.
Since the admission charge was scrapped in 2012 the number of visitors to the Garden Society of Gothenburg has tripled to around 1.3 million each year. Some of them visit the park almost daily and, just like Malin, take delight in watching the plants as they develop, in autumn and in spring.

Ecological park

Since the start of the new millennium ecological awareness has had a growing influence on work in parks and gardens.

“It began with us eliminating any unnecessary toxins from the Rosarium, and since then this way of thinking has spread across the park. In the Palm House, for example, we no longer use any chemicals at all, and instead we allow predators to do the job.”

The place of roses in the Garden Society of Gothenburg cannot be overestimated. The much-loved rose garden is widely regarded as one of the finest in Europe.

There is the rose park with its historic roses, the rose oval with its more contemporary species, and of course the exciting partnership with the Swedish Rose Society, the results of which spread across the rose arches. Each year the Garden Society of Gothenburg celebrates its roses with a rose festival, which takes place this year on 2 July. The queen of flowers will be celebrated with a mix of displays, seminars and talks.

The flower beds, roses and the Palm House are all good and well. But even a first gardener occasionally needs to find a moment for contemplation.

“Then I cycle out to Saltholmen and take a ferry out to the archipelago. Possibly to Brännö and then out to Galterön. Being there on a late Sunday afternoon in August and seeing the copper-coloured heather is just fantastic,” says Malin, who only has a small plot of her own at home. But it’s enough to rake a little. Just like Agge used to do.

Text: Lars Hjertberg

Helen Ekvall

Helen Ekvall joined Gothenburg Botanical Garden in a teaching role in 2011.

During 2016 and Gothenburg Green World, work will begin on creating the Children’s Botanical Garden, by redeveloping the existing playground.

“We have wanted to do something with this area for a long time and Gothenburg Green World is a good opportunity. Anders Stålhand recently joined us as head gardener and he has an integrated vision for the garden. We want to create a coherent space in which the school garden and the new learn-and-play area can develop in the long term. The work will begin on 29 May when Gothenburg Botanical Garden will invite children and parents to help with the task of designing the Children’s Botanical Garden,” says Helen.

It will be an area for teaching and play, an important part of which will be an evolutionary trail illustrating the development of plants. “The Children’s Botanical Garden should be an area for children, young people and activities,” says Helen. She is also very pleased with the new school building that will be completed in March 2016. It is situated in the heart of Gothenburg Botanical Garden and will have classrooms indoors and outdoors.

Helen Ekvall grew up on Dartmoor in England and has had a passion for nature since childhood. She is a biologist by training and previously worked in a teaching role at the Natural History Museum in Gothenburg. In much the same way as she used plants in her outdoor teaching activities there, she also brings animals into her lessons at Gothenburg Botanical Garden.

“I am passionate about outdoor education, which is a form of teaching that stimulates and aids children’s development. They learn with their whole body and all their senses through concrete experiences outdoors. The children and I discover and explore together during the lessons. The most important thing is to make it a good experience for the children, so that they become curious about nature and want to come back, or just get outdoors.”

Children have been able to try out things for themselves since 2012 at Gothenburg Botanical Garden, where Helen and her colleague, Kennert Danielsson, grow plants in pallet collars with school classes.

“We wanted the children to do things here that they would not normally be able to do in the park, to have an area where they could try being gardeners themselves.” Helen explains that many children do not recognise the commonest vegetables, which she has noticed herself during their harvesting classes.

“Research shows that children eat healthier and are more willing to try new things if they grow food themselves.”

The purpose of the school garden is to inspire teachers and pupils alike, and to give teachers tips on how to add growing into their lesson plans. The pupils also follow the process right from the seed-sowing stage, so they get a better insight into nature’s cycles and where our food comes from. Over the past year, activities in the school garden have focused on pupils from special schools and areas with a high immigrant population.

“We got in touch with the schools in Angered in the first year, simply because they did not visit us, but now they do,” says Helen, then hurries off to the next class in the greenhouses, where pupils will be painting with watercolours today.

Facts:

The teachers at Gothenburg Botanical Garden give lessons to 10,000 students each year from the age of four right up to adults.
They also provide further training for teachers and work closely with the Swedish for Immigrants (SFI) service.

Kjell Bergman

Kjell Bergman

On Friday 30 May 1986, King Carl XVI Gustaf came to the Garden Society of Gothenburg (Trädgårdsföreningen) to reopen the park’s newly renovated Palm House. But ever since then, gardener Kjell Bergman has been the undisputed king of the glass house that seems to grow in popularity year after year.

“During Easter weekend our display of irises attracted 5,300 visitors to the Palm House over four days. That’s really good,” says Kjell Bergman with a careful smile, although it is apparent that he gets real pleasure from seeing so many people enjoy the palace that has been his responsibility for 30 years.

“It’s a very beautiful building. I’ve always felt that. Some people say that it is two experiences in one: the glass house and the plants. And as an added bonus you can see outside, so you remain in contact with the park.”

This autumn Kjell will be 64, but he has no special plans to take things easy.
“The way I feel now I will be happy to carry on for a few years more. I enjoy my work so much, and of course I can organise my day the way I want. Not everyone has that freedom,” says Kjell, who cycles to work from his home in Krokslätt at half past six each morning.

Mostly rhododendrons at home

And if anyone happens to wonder what a gardener’s own garden looks like, the answer is that he has been fighting a one-sided battle with the local elk, deer, hares and forest snails for many years.

“I used to have lots of perennials, but now it’s mostly rhododendrons.”
As a teenager at home in Västerås he originally planned to become a construction engineer, but realised early on that it was not the right choice. He gave up studying to be a draughtsman and took a gardening course, followed by a specialist course in horticulture in Norrköping. And when it turned out that the love of his life – who he met on holiday in Greece – lived in Gothenburg, Kjell packed up his things and soon had a fiancée, house and job in Sweden’s second city.
“That was in 1978, and I began working as a gardener out in the park. But it was a permanent job right from the start and now I’ve been here the longest of anyone.”

Some people visit almost daily

In an industry where many people are seasonal workers, or are tempted to move on to tackle exciting new garden projects, Kjell has found his challenges within the glazed walls of the Palm House.
“It’s a living environment after all. Some things thrive very well here,” says Kjell in a way that makes you wonder whether he is talking about himself or the plants.

But it’s clear that both plants and visitors thrive with this gardener. Some of the regulars make almost daily visits to the Palm House and watch its seasonal changes with great interest. Some know Kjell by name, while others work up the courage to ask cautious questions about a plant or a tree.

“It would feel strange not to help out if someone asks. It’s part of the job – part of the service you might say.”

Do you talk to the plants as well?

“No, although people have of course researched it. It doesn’t work…”
When pressed on the question of favourites, Kjell admits that he does have an eye for the camellias, but is also drawn to a cheeky tree with shoots that remind one of a punk’s Mohican hairstyle.
“It’s called Sansevieria, comes from Africa and is related to mother-in-law’s tongue. I’m very fond of it.”

The exotic and atmospheric setting of the Palm House has made it popular with fashion photographers since it opened in 1878. It has provided the perfect backdrop for films and TV shows, and many people have sought comfort and joy here.
“There have been funeral ceremonies and many weddings. My eldest daughter, Sofia, was married here in 2009. It was a really nice day in late September,” recalls Kjell, who is pleased to say that many young people seem to appreciate the special atmosphere of the Palm House.
“I like it when I see people bring their coffee and just sit here. As more and more visitors come it has become quieter here in some way. It’s part of the feel of the place – it makes you lower your voice a little.”

Lena Benjegård

Lena Benjegård has worked as a gardener in Gothenburg Botanical Garden’s Green Rehab unit since early 2006. Green Rehab is run on behalf of Region Västra Götaland and designed to help employees who are suffering from stress-related ill health. In addition to a gardener, the team includes a biologist who is also the unit manager, an occupational therapist, two physiotherapists and a psychotherapist. The garden and green surroundings are an important part of the healing process, and participants spend at least 50 per cent of their time outdoors. The unit receives around 55 people each year. At the end of their time in Green Rehab more than 90 per cent of them return to studies or to work.

‟A rehab garden is a place where participants get the opportunity to try out different methods and tools for healing and developing long-term coping skills,” explains Lena.

She took the decision to become a gardener after many years as an actor with free theatre groups. She describes having the feeling that she needed to get out of dark spaces, and the choice to become a gardener simply felt right to her. Before Lena came to Green Rehab she trained at Rudolf Steinerseminariet park and Da Capo in Mariestad, where she gained a good grounding in the artistic aspects of gardening. She came to Gothenburg Botanical Garden in the year 2000 as a seasonal employee because she wanted to widen her knowledge of plants.

‟It was when I started working as a rehab gardener that I was really able to combine my interest in people with my work as a gardener. But it did take a couple of years to get used to focusing on people instead of plants. We often say that we grow people in Green Rehab,” adds Lena.

We often say that we grow people in Green Rehab

She believes that the conversations that develop while doing mundane tasks with participants, such as weeding, are the most rewarding aspect, but it can be a challenge to slow your pace and lower your standards for how a garden should look.

‟It’s good to learn to enjoy a garden even when it’s not finished. Gardening is the activity we do that is most like regular work. It allows us to practice taking breaks and stopping before a job is finished,” says Lena

Lena understands that someone who is stressed only sees what ought to be done, rather than seeing the beauty in what already exists, even if it is just a weed. It takes some patience to work as a rehab gardener and you have to adapt to the pace of the participants.

‟I do sometimes miss being a normal gardener and being able to work at my own pace, but it’s incredibly rewarding to see people heal and grow. The aspects we try to focus on most with participants are fascination and inspiration. For example when we sow seeds we look at them closely using a magnifying glass, examine every detail and talk all the time about why we do what we do.  This helps them forget their worries for a while,” explains Lena.

She says it took her a couple of years to realise that it was not her job to solve the participants’ problems. The role of Green Rehab is instead to give them the tools they need to solve their own problems.

‟I try to communicate a sense of joy and vitality, and see the healthy side of people. The garden is part of that,” concludes Lena.

Stephan Hammar Plans modern interpretation for a traditional park

Stephan Hammar, happy at work on a cart of Helichrysum petiolare “Silver”, removed from the 2015 summer beds to make way for next year’s planting.

Stephan Hammar is one of a team of five gardeners at the Garden Society of Gothenburg (Trädgårdsföreningen). His specialist area is the beds of spring and summer flowers that the society creates each year. The bulbs for the spring beds are already in place and preparations for this year’s summer flower beds are well underway.

From hospitality to gardening

Stephan began his career in the hotel and restaurant trade, where he worked as a chef and a receptionist for several years. He enjoys meeting people, but felt he needed to do something that gave more lasting results.

“It’s nice working in the hospitality industry, but I missed having something to go back to. When I plant a tree in the Garden Society of Gothenburg (Trädgårdsföreningen) I get to see the results for years to come, which me gives a different level of satisfaction,” he explains.

Stephan has always had an interest in growing things. As a child he grew red peppers on the kitchen windowsill and his bedroom was soon filled with plant pots. But it was not until he reached his thirties that he decided to turn his hobby into a career. After completing his training at Säbyholm College he visited the rose festival at the Garden Society of Gothenburg (Trädgårdsföreningen). He applied for a seasonal job in the park, which led to a permanent position and where he is today. But Stephan is still working on enjoying the lasting results of his work, since most of his duties have a very long time frame.

“Just like the fashion industry, you have to be at the cutting edge, keep an eye on trends and plan for the long term. By the time this year’s summer plants are in the soil we are already busy planning for next year. If there is one area I see as a challenge it is to live in the present more and enjoy the here and now, while keeping one foot in the horticultural history of the park.”

This year’s summer flower beds will reflect influences that are unfamiliar in the traditional English-style park. This summer the Garden Society of Gothenburg is inviting in gardeners who helped shape the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London.

“We have asked James Hitchmough* and Phil Askew* to design some of the park’s formal beds in 2016. They both helped to design the planting at Queen Elisabeth Olympic Park, which was completed in time for the Olympic Games in London. The interpretations of the Olympic Park that they create here will represent a modern, urban city park. One of the ways they will achieve this is by using plants that we normally do not see in our flower beds,” explains Stephan.

Testing fresh ideas

The Garden Society of Gothenburg’s own gardeners will also create some glorious summer flower beds in the park during Gothenburg Green World. These are being planned by Stephan and his colleagues. They too will be pushing the boundaries and trying out fresh ideas. Stephan describes it as colourful, exotic and mischievous, including a variant of grass-like papyrus that has ruffled seed heads with cat tails of plum-coloured flowers.

“Working on this is both a pleasure and a challenge. At the same time it is a big responsibility and a little intimidating to work with a couple of Europe’s top garden designers; it’s a real privilege to be given this opportunity,” says Stephan.

Besides looking forward to seeing their plans for the flower beds become a reality, Stephan is pleased to see the Palm House getting some special attention during Gothenburg Green World.

“The Palm House is a very beautiful building with unique content, and next year we will be giving it some extra special appeal with a combination of interior features, content, exhibitions and information,” says Stephan.

The pleasure Stephan gets from his work is obvious.

“I’m so enormously proud to be able to work in this fantastic park, and the biggest reward is all the feedback we get from our visitors,” he says.

*James Hitchmough often uses natural, ecologically based planting schemes, which closely match the Garden Society of Gothenburg’s own ecological approach. He is also a professor, researcher and lecturer in horticultural ecology at the University of Sheffield. Phil Askew is a landscape architect, gardener and urban planner.

GERBEN TJEERDSMA

Gerben Tjeerdsma

Gerben Tjeerdsma came to Råda Manor park and gardens in 2015 as a gardener, after many years working at the Botanical Garden and Universeum Science Centre in Gothenburg. But his interest in gardening began much earlier, in a little village in the northern Netherlands.

Gerben grew up in Friesland, in a small village called Gytsjerk. When he was young he kept sheep and other animals, and at the age of 13 he began working in the village plant nursery at weekends. He developed a keen interest in plants and nature during this time.

“I took a course on landscape management at the International Highschool for Land and Water Management, in Velp, in the Netherlands, and ended up on a farm in Norway on a work experience placement.”

At the end of the placement he and a friend stayed in Norway to continue their studies at an adult education college outside Trondheim.

“While I was there I met a girl from Lindome. That was that, and I never returned to Holland,” laughs Gerben.

After getting by in Sweden by selling beeswax at markets, offering carpentry services and selling leather jackets, in 1991 he got a full-time job at Gothenburg Botanical Garden.

“I began as an apprentice, rebuilding the European section of the topiary garden. At the botanical garden I learned about a whole side of the profession that I’d not worked with before, although I had a good grounding.”

In 2008 he left Gothenburg Botanical Garden. He worked for a while at Universeum Science Centre, where he was responsible for the plants in the Rainforest and Water’s Way, before deciding in 2015 to commit wholeheartedly to his own company, Gerbianska Trädgården. His company is contracted by the Municipality of Härryda to manage the park at Råda Manor.

“In my 17 years at the botanical garden and seven years at Universeum I managed to do most things, and I felt it was time to move on. The opportunity to develop Råda Manor park and gardens was a dream of mine.”

He now lives with the lady he met in Lindome and their 22-year-old daughter, in the gardener’s house at Råda Manor. His passion for his craft is stronger than ever.

“Something new happens every day, so no two days are alike. It’s fantastic being able to work with all your senses; you feel the soil and you smell the fragrances. It’s a craft that you are constantly developing,” says Gerben.

He works with two seasonal employees in Råda Manor park and gardens. Plans for the park in 2016 include a 200-square-metre concept garden, created by the famous German landscape architect Cassian Schmidt. Students from the horticultural services course at August Kobbs College will also be creating two carpet bedding displays.

“I’m looking forward to lots of people coming here to see the garden at its best. We just have to hope the weather is good,” says Gerben.

Mats Havström

Mats Havström

Mats Havström is one of three botanists at Gothenburg Botanical Garden and for the past year has also been head of the collections and research department. He explains what distinguishes a botanical garden from an ordinary park.

“We have collections of plants that have been identified and named. They are often collected by the garden’s own staff. They are used for research, conservation work and as stock for plant breeding, but also for teaching purposes and public education. Gothenburg Botanical Garden has around 16,000 different plant species,” says Mats, who goes on to explain:

“Gothenburg Botanical Garden is now one of a handful of institutions that takes a long-term approach to plant cultivation and preservation, and the refining of plant material. There is a real wealth of knowledge here about plants and how to cultivate them.”

So what does a botanist do in a botanical garden?

“We provide a lot of advice, to the public and to authorities, and we contribute to a variety of conservation projects. Part of our work also involves going on collecting trips to various parts of the world to find new plants. We are responsible for the international seed exchange that takes place between botanical gardens around the world, the purpose of which is to distribute plants so they can be preserved for the future. On a daily basis we look after the collections and decide what to grow and why. Botanical gardens also work to preserve and name wild plants in their natural habitats,” says Mats.

All the plants in a botanical garden have their own ID signs. Why is that?

“Knowing what each plant is, what it is called and where it comes from, is the very basis of our collections. The sign also lets you see where it was collected and often by whom,” says Mats.

He explains that numerous family trips into the mountains when he was young sparked his interest in nature and then led him to study for a PhD in botany at the University of Gothenburg. Over the last few years he has been working on creating an area at Gothenburg Botanical Garden that will become a Walk in the Wild during Gothenburg Green World.

“When I started here I knew I wanted to work in the part of the valley known as Smithska Dalen. The first time I came to Gothenburg Botanical Garden, in the 1980s, the first place I visited was Håberget, and I was fascinated by the magical views, so I wanted to make it accessible again and at the same time draw attention to the wonderful environment that leads there through Smithska Dalen,” says Mats, who feels that this is a quintessential image of Gothenburg.

“The environment that exists in this part of the botanical garden is very special, with all the contrasts between the valley walls and oak forest, the moss and ferns and bare rocks,” says Mats.

“Smithska Dalen in Gothenburg Botanical Garden has always been a mix of wild and cultivated areas, where many new species have been planted. For a long time it has been an open-air nursery for species of rhododendron brought back from various plant expeditions. But now it has been restored by our tremendous gardeners,” says Mats.
“In combination with the Bamboo Grove it will create a fantastic woodland that puts plants in focus. The aim is to recreate the feeling of being in a temperate rainforest, but with Swedish moss and ferns. We are also building a lookout platform where you can get a sense of sitting up among the trees,” says Mats, who is also working on plans for a suspension bridge across the main path.

“The reason behind this and our work in Smithska Dalen and Håberget is that we want our visitors to discover all the amazing things that lie beyond the main path. To encourage people to take a walk in the wild we have improved the paths, built beautiful stone steps and created an app that takes you on a guided walk through the area,” says Mats.

Walk in the Wild will open on 2 July, when visitors will also be able to enjoy pieces of art created by international artists that will be incorporated in the garden.

Eva Rosén

Eva Rosén

Eva Rosén is a gardener at Tjolöholm Castle. She has worked there since 2008. Tjolöholm Castle has three full-time gardeners, plus a further one or two in the summer.

Eva has a strong desire to be involved in improving the gardens and definitely does not want to stagnate.

“That’s probably my strength, pushing the process forward and passing on the insight that even small steps mean progress. I also love working outdoors, being in among everything green. A long time ago I read a book called Jord under naglarna och frid i själen (Soil under your fingernails and peace in your soul). I think the title says it all. That book made me want to become a gardener.”

The park at Tjolöholm Castle was laid out in the early 20th century by the architect Lars Israel Wahlman, who was heavily influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement. The castle is committed to developing the garden in his spirit.

“Our borders should look as if nature has created them, and we have come a good way towards that goal.”

Gothenburg Green World is an excellent opportunity to get feedback from a whole range of visitors, and meeting the public is another aspect that motivates Eva.

“It will be great fun to show off our work to even more international visitors, and of course professionals as well. I’m also looking forward to seeing what all the other participating parks are doing. I should really set aside some time so that I actually get to visit them all!”

Marika Irvine

Marika Irvine

Marika Irvine has been working as a gardener at Gothenburg Botanical Garden since 2004, but her career started long before then. She is probably best known for her work, together with her husband at the time, Simon Irvine, in creating the garden at Gunnebo House and Gardens, which is widely renowned today. But her original plan was to be a farmer.

“When I was young I spent a lot of time at my grandparent’s neighbour’s farm, and in 1982 I began studying global food supply at Biskops Arnö folk high school, with the intention of becoming a dairy farmer, but my passion for growing vegetables took over. When I later worked as a trainee at Rudolf Steinerseminariet park I had a lot of contact with Rosendals Trädgård, the palace gardens in Stockholm. In the 1980s the only people who were working with gardening in the English spirit were the Anthroposophists. Otherwise gardening work had a relatively low status at that time,” says Marika.

It was there that she first understood the gardener’s role as the link between a garden and its visitors, and the valuable social service that gardeners provide in a public park.

“For me, gardens fulfil a humanist and social need,” she explains. Marika also says that she has always been responsible and careful, and enjoys caring for things, giving everything what it needs, plants and animals as well as people.

It was these traits that led her to work in one garden after the other without having any formal horticultural training. She explains that it was Lars Krantz at Rosendals Trädgård and Arne Klingborg at Rudolf Steinerseminariet cultural centre, who over the years encouraged her to take on exciting new assignments.

“Arne told me that at the start of their career all gardeners should work in a botanical garden to experience its diversity. It took me 20 years, but now I’m here,” says Marika. But before she came to Gothenburg Botanical Garden she worked on two exciting projects: the gardens at Läckö Castle and Gunnebo House and Gardens.

“I was given the task of setting out the garden at Läckö Castle. I had met Simon during an assignment in England, we were a couple and he also became involved in the process. We had a shared vision of what we wanted to achieve that built on my ideas of combining utility with pleasure. Instead of seeing vegetables as plants that were unattractive but essential and flower beds as something beautiful, we wanted to use vegetables as ornamental plants,” relates Marika.

From Läckö Castle she moved to Gunnebo, with a brief interlude for two children and a period working in the gardens at Hällekis Manor.

“At Gunnebo, Simon and I started from scratch, and it’s so rewarding today, 25 years later, to see that this is one of the most popular gardens in Sweden,” says Marika.

When she ended up in Gothenburg again after a brief spell in Skåne she applied for a job at Gothenburg Botanical Garden, and was given a task she knew least about – looking after alpines. But it was not a problem for her.

“Regardless of what we do the most important thing is to look after what you have been put in charge of and do what needs to be done. The difference between what I had done before and what I do now is that I now look after plants as individuals, rather than just a tray of plants or row of the same thing.”

She explains that she is now responsible for the propagation department at Gothenburg Botanical Garden, which means treating each plant as an individual with its own specific needs.

“It demands constant attention, keeping your eyes open to the smallest detail and never taking anything for granted,” says Marika, adding that Henrik Zetterlund, the horticultural curator at Gothenburg Botanical Garden who set up the department, gives her responsibility but is always there to offer support. She is also surrounded by a team of colleagues with years of experience and expertise in the area.

Being in charge of propagation means that Marika also works with Gothenburg Botanical Garden’s large and unique collection of bulbs and tubers, and its collection of Dionysia, cushion-forming alpines that are difficult to cultivate. During Gothenburg Green World, Gothenburg Botanical Garden will exhibit its unique collections of crocuses and grape hyacinths.

“We will be displaying flowering specimens from the collections that are not normally accessible to the public. They are incredibly beautiful and pure in appearance,” says Marika. She also leads the work in the botanical garden’s renowned Topiary Garden. Visitors from countries where gardening is especially popular, such as the UK, USA and Germany, are particularly impressed.

We will be displaying flowering specimens from the collections that are not normally accessible to the public

“They are fascinated by the way we use the natural topography and natural stone to give an uncontrived impression. They are impressed in general by the way we merge horticulture with the wild,” says Marika, who sees the restoration of Smithska Dalen and the path up to Håberget as reinforcing the special appeal of Gothenburg Botanical Garden in blurring the boundaries between the wild and the tame.

Marika has also taken part in trips to gather specimens. In 2011 she went to the Caucasus, a botanical hotspot where many of our most popular garden plants come from, including aconite, forking larkspur and peony. There is now a special department in the Topiary Garden featuring the plants that were brought home from this expedition.

“Many visitors wonder where the plants in the botanic garden come from and are fascinated when they learn that we still make collecting trips. But it is precisely because of these journeys and our seed exchange with other botanical gardens that we have been able to build up the Botanical Garden in Gothenburg,” concludes Marika.