The National Centre of Garden Culture

A magnificent French park and a technicolor natural pride of the town of Kroměříž. We are talking about a sight enlisted in the list of the UNESCO world heritage – about the Flower Garden. The garden represents a unique type of a baroque garden from the 17th century, the only of its kind within Europe. Its renovation thus was an enormous challenge which needed to be approached and treated with sensitivety and with respect to the uniqueness of the sight.

The garden is comprised of two symmetrical units called Květnice and Štěpnice, and other independent places of the garden such as so called Aviary, Rabbit Hill, Honorary Yard, the Dutch Garden and the Orange Garden with freely standing orange trees in wooden barrels.

The restoration had been started literally from the grounds: from the distributions and the underground retention water reservoirs which ensure the total irrigation of the garden with rainwater. Instead of the unsuitable greenhouse, a fully automated production greenhouse was built, which serves for pre-cultivation of plants for the entire seasonal decoration of the Flower as well as the Chateau Garden, the Archibishop`s Chateau and the town.

In the area of the technical facility, we reconstructed the area for the employees and the garding-husbandry with dressing rooms, storage rooms and the new boiler room. Thanks to this, the conditions of work of the gardeners and the seasonal workers were improved. Moreover, the place for a new educational centre was formed.

Renovation of water ponds was a significant phase of the Flower Garden reconstruction. Modifications were made to the Trout Pond and the pool encompassing the Aviary, new Neptun Fountain was created in the Dutch Garden. All of these works were conducted based on the archeological research and findings. The entire garden was connected into the natural water source from the part of town called Terezov.

Rabbit Hill – now a popular children attraction – had to be completely renovated as it was not preserved in its original form. Its existence, however, was confirmed by architectural findings of the foundations which enabled its restoration in its original size on the historical place. The restored statue of Diana, the goddess of the hunt was placed to the top of the hill. Many animal lovers will be pleased by the renewal of the rabbit dens, even though without the original soil washing.

Great changes were made even to the Aviary: we reconstructed the facades with stucco decoration and the stones from the surroundings were used to brick up a new pool with a baroque shape. In the nearby place called Štěpnice hornbean hedges and walls underwent a rejuvenation by fierce pruning as well as by new trees outplanting. In the Dutch Garden, we combined the planted flowerbeds with bulbs, perennials, hornbean walls, citrus trees with grass and reinforced threshing surfaces.

The reconstruction touched also the Honorary Yard. We repaired the roofs including the renewal of the glass ceiling, we replace the steel windows and restored the wooden windows and doors. After sensitive dispositional changes of the layout, new spaces of the Educational-methodical centre were formed as well as the attic serving as a conference room.

In the course of the repairs, we paid attention to the overall character of the typical architecture of the garden. In all restoration works we used the historical photographs, surviving plans as well as the engravings by Justus van den Nypoorta dating to the end of the 17th century. Thanks to the restoration, the Flower Garden won back its original appearance and the stylish elegance which thousands of visitors annually come to admire from afar.

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