The Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Realm has a special flair. The area with small castles, temples, romantic canals and bridges has also been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000. A number of plants are older – and according to experts also have a beguiling scent.
Oranienbaum (dpa/sa) – whether laurel, palm, orange, tangerine and lemon trees. Around 330 potted plants are in winter quarters in the orangery in Oranienbaum in the Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Realm. Before that, many a small and large specimen had to “go to the hairdresser”, joked gardening expert Sebastian Doil. Because the serious thing is to trim potted plants with precision, tact and knowledge in such a way that they can rest in winter and sprout shapely and healthy in the new garden kingdom season of 2023.
Gardeners don’t sit back and relax in winter, he assured them. Because the plants have to get moisture, for example, must not dry out, not be too wet and not get diseases, explained Doil. The Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Kingdom has a very valuable stock of plants from all over the world. This includes the Mediterranean snowball. “Has an intoxicating scent with the spring bloom,” said Doil. Other plants that are sensitive to cold and frost can also remain in the specially constructed house of the Oranienbaum Orangery before they are gradually brought outside again in the spring.
Some potted plants also tolerate cool nights. “But now that longer frosts have been forecast, the plants in the orangery are much better off than outdoors,” explained Doil. He heads the department for plant care and garden maintenance at the Dessau-Wörlitz Cultural Foundation. It preserves the legacy of the 142 square kilometer Garden Kingdom. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.
The area with its castles, parks, small temples, romantic canals, bridges and several orangeries was created centuries ago. Not just because of the beauty. “The plants are also a symbol of the prince’s open-mindedness,” said Doil, referring to the founder of the park, Leopold III. Friedrich Franz of Anhalt-Dessau (1740-1817). In addition, it was important to impart knowledge to everyone in open parks, regardless of social background. According to experts, the orangery in Oranienbaum is one of the largest of its kind in Europe at more than 170 meters in length.
The small town of Oranienbaum was created in the 17th century specifically for the Dutch Princess Henriette Catharina of Orange-Nassau (1637-1708), on the drawing board based on the Dutch model. The approximately 50 hectare city center with its square market and chessboard-like quarters has been preserved to this day. Oranienbaum Palace with its park and orangery characterizes the baroque urban layout. In 2023 the 350th anniversary of the city will be celebrated, which is advertised as a small piece of Holland in Saxony-Anhalt because of its layout and history – with little orange trees.
