Mainau: The Flower Island

By

Paula Szilard


Should you find yourself in southern Germany anywhere near Lake Constance, you owe it to yourself to visit this small island famous for its incredible flower gardens, butterfly house and conservatory---and be sure to bring your camera!


This tiny island at the foot of the Alps has an area of only about 45 hectares, or 671,000 square meters, but is nonetheless the 3rd largest island in Lake Constance.  A mere 185 residents call it home, but over a million and a half people visit each year.


The island’s mild climate makes it possible to grow some Mediterranean and subtropical plants there. The tropicals, of course require protection in the winter months.


The climate of the island is said to be roughly equivalent to a USDA Zone 8b, with minimum temperatures from 15-20 F, something like Austin, Texas.  The lake captures and stores heat in the summer and keeps the climate moderate.  Often winter temperatures are above freezing, but there is occasional snow and very rarely the lake ices over.  Since the year 875 Lake Constance has frozen solid about 33 times, roughly every 70 years.


In addition to the baroque palace built in 1739 and other historical buildings there is an arboretum with rare trees planted in 1856 by Grand Duke Frederick I of Baden.   The island served as the Duke’s botanical garden and summer residence.  It includes sequoias and metasequoias started from seeds sent from California.

    


Frederick’s successor, Frederick II died without an heir and willed the estate to his sister Victoria, who had just married Crown Prince Gustav of Sweden.  Thus the island became a possession of the Swedish crown.  Victoria’s son inherited the estate upon her death, but he had no use for it and allowed the palace to deteriorate.  His son Prince Lennart Bernadotte took an interest in it, purchased the property from him after World War II and opened it to the public, turning it into the famed flower island we know today.  He referred to the island as a “flower boat.’ His daughter, Countess Bettina, now manages the estate and has expanded upon the work of her parents. The island now is a convention center for small groups in addition to being a tourist attraction.


Each year Bettina and her staff grow 245,000 tulips, 23,000 narcissus, 5000 hyacinths and 11,500 dahlias.  They maintain 12,000 rose plants (over 500 varieties), bamboo, bananas as well as orange and lemon trees.


  


In the spring, there is an orchid show featuring 3,000 plants.  The Palmenhaus conservatory protects palms, citrus and other tropicals and subtropicals in the winter.  An enormous butterfly house measuring over 9000 square ft houses the largest collection of butterflies in Germany, not to mention a huge number of tropical plants.

   


It’s a photographer’s paradise and you don’t even have to work that hard to get great shots.  Everything is so close together.  Bring your camera, an extra battery and lots of extra memory cards!


Their English-language website is: www.mainau.de/home.html

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