DAY 1

We start and end the day at an arboretum. In between we’ll visit a nursery and a historic abbey.

Alphems arboretum, Rolkebacken, 521 56 Floby
Gustafsons plantskola, Vartofta-Åsaka Solliden, 521 97 Vartofta
Varnhem, Varnhem, 532 73 Varnhem

Day one begins with a visit to Alphems Arboretum.  Three acres with around three hundred different species of trees and bushes, very impressive. Several of them are rare species which come from all corners of the globe. This place which started with a few American spruce in 1903 has grown into a fantastic arboretum. But something else other than the trees enticed us here. We had heard that the cottage which the dwarfs’ house in Disney’s Snow White was modelled on is in the grounds. And it is! The arboretum’s founder, rural postman Frans Johan Gergerfeldt’s cottage still stands for all to see. It’s not every day you get to admire a cottage with such a distinguished history.

^{The cottage which inspired the dwarfs house in Snow White.}
From Floby we travel on to Gustafson’s Nursery in Vartofta. Amongst other things the large pelargonium display, consisting of 250 unique varieties, has lured us here. The nursery has been around for 80 years and a better example of its kind would be hard to summon up.  Everything garden enthusiasts would want can be found here. We wander around the extensive beds of summer flowers housed in five well filled greenhouses. It’s a peaceful setting, and before we leave Gustafson’s we buy berries and fruit to take home. The Bigarreau cherries are sweet and juicy, the perfect travel snack as we drive on to Varnhem, about 30 minutes by car from here.

^{Large selection in a lovely setting at Gustafson’s nursery.}
Varnhem is the last destination of the day and we have chosen to spend extra time here. It’s a big site containing a lot to see and we don’t want to miss anything. Varnhem is located at the foot of Billingen table mountain and the well-preserved abbey complex is pretty spectacular. In the grounds lie Ryttargården, Varnhem Abbey, the fantastic Herb Garden, the monastery ruins, the monastery museum and Kata Farm. The first thing we come across are the impressive dahlia beds located at the entrance to the complex. In the herb garden, it’s the monks' selection of medicinal plants that pique our interest. The Rosenstigen trail winds around the whole area. We decide to walk this two kilometre trail and, as its name implies, we get to enjoy all kinds of roses along it. There is both a café and a restaurant here, with a tempting selection to sate our hunger. After enjoying a tasty lunch we visit the church, the ruins and Kata farm and learn all about its fascinating history.

As we still have some energy left we decide to finish the day as we started, at an arboretum. Remningstorp’s Arboretum (Valles) is about ten minutes from Varnhem. Sawara cypress, walnut, Chinese Sequoia and many other varieties of tree can be found here. Satisfied, we leave Remningstorp and head to Hjo where we will stay the night. For accommodation go to vastsverige.com.

^{The Pilgrim Path at Varnhem.}

DAY 2

The morning in the wooden town by Lake Vättern, followed by a visit to the jungle.

Hjo stadspark, Stadsparken, 544 30 Hjo
Djungeln i Häggum, Häggum Bossgårdenskvarn, 521 64 Stenstorp

We easily find a place to park by Hjo’s Stadspark, where we’ll spend the morning. The park was laid out in 1877 as the grounds of the town’s health resort. People came here for many years to take the waters. In the middle of the 1930s the spa was closed but the park remains. We wander around this magnificent place which contains around 1500 trees. On the extensive playing fields there are both tennis courts and minigolf. Winding gravel paths stretch around the park and alongside the lake. There’s a fun playground for little ones and an outdoor gym for fitness enthusiasts. Us garden lovers head to the flower beds laid out in German garden style, with masses of roses. But what we find most impressive are actually the imposing wooden villas with beautiful carpentry detail found here. Incredibly well-preserved, they adorn the whole park. We end our day by visiting the German restaurant Biergarten, strategically located in the park next to the cosy hostel. We might stay here for a long time! But wait — we still have one more highlight left today: we are going to the jungle! The drive there takes about 40 minutes.

^{Relaxing garden rooms overlooking  Lake Vättern.}

Once we arrive, we are greeted by a garden of no less than 20,000 square metres, most of which resembles a real jungle. Exotic trees and plants bring Indiana Jones to mind, and anyone with their inner child intact will enjoy it to the fullest. The Jungle in Häggum is a green paradise with great variety. We take a look inside the unusual greenhouse, and the small garden shop tempts us with its selection of exotic plants. Naturally, we follow the exciting path through the jungle, and it becomes clear that both plants and animals thrive here. Fortunately, no tiger crossed our path!

Finally, we step into the old sauna house, where photographic art captures our attention. It is hard to imagine a better or more exciting ending to a garden journey. Satisfied, and with the car boot filled with plants, we head home.

Have a great garden journey!