Arboretum is an oasis in the center of a megacity

Many people sometimes have a desire to change the usual situation and, turning away from the white-birch birches, turn their eyes to exotic palm trees, cypresses and barberry. However, not all aspirations coincide with the possibility. Sometimes we do not have enough time, sometimes - material means. And then various parks and reserves come to help: it is here that you can relax and enjoy the beauty of not only the plants and trees of the temperate climate, but also their tropical brethren. Arboretum is the place where a great number of flora specimens from all over the world are collected. This is a kind of subtropical jungle in the midst of a noisy and gassy metropolis.

The etymology of the concept

The meaning of the word "arboretum" is rooted in the ancient Greek language. It was from there originally borrowed the term "tree". In the language of the descendants of the gods of Olympus, this word sounds like a "dendron." If you add the ending -ar, you get a "tree collection". At present, the initial etymology of this concept has slightly expanded, and it means the following. The arboretum is a botanical garden or a separate part of it, on the territory of which scientific, or experimental purposes are grown for plants, bushes and trees that are not standard for the climate in question. It is noteworthy that the entire flora is cultivated in the open ground.

It should be noted that from the Latin language we got the synonym of this word - arboretum. The original form for creating this concept was the borrowed analogue - "arbor", which in translation means "tree". Thus, the word arboretum is deciphered as a grove, a park, tree plantations, etc.

Sochi arboretum

Currently, there are many different botanical gardens that boast a huge variety of different plants and shrubs. In Russia, the most grandiose and large is the arboretum located in Sochi. Very often this park is called an emerald treasure trove of subtropics. This oasis of beauty and diverse representatives of the flora is located in the heart of the city. It is an excellent object for educational excursions of residents and guests of Sochi. Forty-nine acres - this is the area that the park occupies. The arboretum has placed on its territory about 2000 different plants, trees and shrubs, home to which are the various corners of the planet.

History of occurrence

The founder of this wonderful subtropical island is the publisher of the Petersburg newspaper, collector and playwright Sergei Khudyakov. A precondition for the creation of the park was a plot of land, which he acquired in 1890. Most of the territory Khudyakov used to build a summer residence. The remaining land was sown with seedlings and various plants. Gradually, white acacia, hornbeam, Japanese quince and many other bushes and trees joined the usual oak trees, pine trees and maples.

Aquarium, cable car and tunnels

To date, the Sochi arboretum is a garden consisting of two tiers. In the lower part of the park there is an aquarium. Its volume is 150 cubic meters. Representatives of the Black Sea live in the aquarium. Depending on the season of the year and weather conditions, the number of fauna species varies from fourteen to twenty-seven.

The upper part of the garden is an oasis on the territory of which about 2,000 plants, shrubs and trees grow. Both tiers are connected by a ropeway and tunnels. The first one was built in 1987 for the convenience of excursions.

Croatian landmark

The Sochi arboretum is one of the largest botanical parks not only in Russia, but in the whole continent. However, this is far from the only garden of this kind located on the territory of Europe.

One of the oldest is the Croatian arboretum. Photos of this delightful park can be seen on many tourist posters and country brochures. This garden is located in a place called Trsteno, near the popular resort town of Dubrovnik. It is worth noting that this arboretum is the oldest and only arboretum on the territory of the modern Mediterranean. It was founded in the Renaissance. The garden is famous for its huge variety of plants. In addition to unusual specimens of flora, tourists have the opportunity to admire the delightful villa, built in the XV century, various fountains and aqueducts. The Croatian arboretum is also the hero of numerous films. Most recently in the park were filmed a new season of the series Game of Thrones.

In the territory of the CIS there are other arboretums. For example, Kishinev, Zheleznogorsk and other arboretums. Of course, they are not as majestic as the previous two analogues. But they have all chances to become bright sights of their cities, because these gardens are still very young.