The back-of-house areas of our garden are extensive and closed to the public. It is precisely in these areas that our valuable plant collections (approximately one-third of the total) are housed, plants for planting are propagated, and research is conducted on individual collections. However, this does not mean that visitors will not see some of these plants; many of them are temporarily displayed in showcases or garden exhibits.
The Garden’s Back-of-House Facilities in Numbers
A team of experienced gardeners and specialists is responsible for caring for thousands of plants. Each of them specializes in a different group of plants—from tropical plants, through orchids and succulents, to alpine species. Their daily work involves not only watering and repotting, but also monitoring the plants’ health and maintaining precise records. Thanks to their expertise, they are able to keep these diverse and often very demanding collections alive. Behind the scenes, there is a bustling and lively work atmosphere that, while hidden from visitors, forms the cornerstone of the entire garden’s operation.
Collection Greenhouses
Collection greenhouses house plant collections and are the main focus of the botanical garden’s collection-building activities. These greenhouses contain carefully maintained collections used for research and preservation for future generations. The greenhouses are not open to the public.
Propagation Greenhouse
The propagation greenhouse is used to grow young plants, which are protected and carefully tended here from germination through to transplanting into the collection or exhibition areas. This greenhouse lays the foundation for the further expansion and renewal of the botanical garden’s collections.
Outdoor Areas
The facilities also include outdoor areas for gene bank collections, outdoor perennials, shrubs, and trees. There are also flower beds for growing plants for decoration and exhibitions.
The current back-of-house facilities were completed in December 2003. Their main purpose was to house plants from the old display greenhouses, which began to be demolished in 2004. These facilities were used to store mature trees and shrubs and to propagate plants for the new display greenhouses. After 2007, the greenhouses in the back-of-house area began to fulfill the functions described above.
Over time, however, the support facilities began to become outdated both technologically and in terms of space, and they no longer meet the needs of a modern botanical garden. In 2023, an architectural study of the botanical garden’s support facilities was prepared; it was presented to the public in the spring of 2024, and a design competition for the new facilities was launched at the same time. The plan is to replace them with a single, larger complex that will be more energy-efficient and allow for better plant care thanks to its division into climate zones.
