Gunnebo House and Gardens in Gothenburg, Sweden, is one of the finest 1700s establishments in northern Europe. It was built as a summer villa for the wealthy merchant John Hall and his family.
Today, Gunnebo is a living cultural environment with guided tours and events, coffee house and restaurant, a shop and a farm.
This summer Gunnebo was prepared for Gothenburg Green World, and visitors could experience the reconstructed orangery as an exciting part of Gunnebo’s exhibition program.
The decoration and fujrnishing of the house, and landscaping was originally designed by the city architect in Gothenburg, Carl Wilhelm Carlberg. It has two stars in the Michelin Green Guide. The area us a cultural heritage since 2003 and the whole park has been organically certified since 2006. It is organically managed, with emphasize on the historical garden crafts. The head gardener is Joakim Seiler.
The orangery, which is located in the southern formal garden, was used to over-winter exotic species in the eighteenth century, everything from tulip trees to citrus and laurel. The building will be completed in 2018 and will then be used for the same purpose by Gunnebo’s gardeners.
“The orangery will be a fantastic addition to the gardens, both aesthetically and to enable over-wintering of non-hardy plants,” explains Joakim Seiler. “The orangery will give us unique opportunities to resume the cultivation of exotic plants, which were an important and prestigious part of the gardening activities in many historic gardens.”
In its day, the orangery building was also a first-class attraction for visiting guests, who were treated to a variety of festive occasions. At the northern end of the building the city architect created a spectacular artificial grotto with stalactite formations on the walls and mirrored glass in the roof. The grotto alone demanded extensive expertise from the craftsmen who are recreating it – including specialist masonry skills. The carpenters and craftsmen who are working on the orangery project are collaborating with various educational institutions to preserve knowledge of traditional craft skills.
“In preparation for Gothenburg Green World, and in consultation with the estate manager and architect at Gunnebo House, I produced an orangery planter,” adds head gardener Joakim Seiler. The orangery planter, which is inspired by a planter designed by Carlsberg, the city architect, is made using traditional methods at one of Sweden’s three remaining barrel-making companies. Gunnebo will have an orangery parterre, consisting of attractive planters and citrus plants set out in front of the orangery.
For the ninth year in a row Gunnebo welcomes visitors to the harvest market “Food from the soil”.
Right in the lush kitchen garden, around twenty producers and retailers of organic food and sustainable textiles set out their goods for sale next weekend, 3 and 4 September. Gunnebo’s kitchen and bakery moves out into the yard in front of the coffee house and restaurant to make cooking public. Gunnebo’s chef Patrik Sewerin and this year’s guest of inspiration Markus Junkala will talk about flavors and saving and storing this year’s harvest.
The Gunnebo shop, café and bar are open daily all year around.
The Renaissance Castle in Gothenburg, compiled by Admin.