Mediterranean Landscapes
I’ve always wanted to go to Barcelona and September 2017 is when I finally got to see the beautiful sites of this fantastic city. Exciting places, amazing architecture, views, landscapes, and beaches. I know I can’t go somewhere without visiting a Park or Botanical Garden. A long weekend is not enough time to see everything so I have to prioritize. I’m off to Jardí Botànic de Barcelona.
I felt excited, took the metro to Olympic Park Area, the weather was perfect, not too hot and a cool breeze, just the right temperature. I had the appropriate comfortable shoes on to do a substantial amount of walking, plenty of water and off I went.
Jardí Botànic de Barcelona is one of the largest parks in the city of Barcelona, it is 14 hectares, and is situated between Castell de Montjuïc and the Olympic Park. At the tip of the botanical gardens, there is an amazing panoramic view of the city. This area was once an old landfill site on the hill of Montjuïc.
Landscape Architect
The Landscape was designed by Bet Figueras, a landscape architect who designs projects for parks, gardens, urban spaces and landscape treatment from her professional studio in Barcelona. Since 1982, she has collaborated on different projects with important figures from the national and international artistic and architectural scene. She was educated at the Universities of Berkeley (California) and Edinburgh, and a member of the Landscape Institute and of the Spanish Association of Landscape Gardeners. Bet Figueras combines her professional projects with her teaching work at the Technical School of Architecture of Barcelona, where she has given classes in Landscape Architecture since 1983.
The Gardens
The gardens are divided into different zones representing different countries which have a similar environment and climate as Spain. The plants are grouped according to their region, plants and trees are drought tolerant and each plant is labeled with its latin name and states if it is an endangered species. All vegetation are grown in a nursery on site and planted in the garden, helping with preservation and protection of the Mediterranean plant species. The gardens specializes in plants and communities from the areas of the world with Mediterranean climates which are Australia, Chile, California, South Africa and there is also a special devoted area for the Canary Islands.
Impressions
I was impressed by its layout and choice of materials such as concrete and corten steel, a perfect combination for this category of gardens. An accessible site for all, portable water in all sections, everything blended perfectly with the surrounding landscape and views. The fusion of vegetation which created a union of plant species of the Mediterranean style. If you’re a park lover or a botanical enthusiast I recommend you go. A nice space to escape from the hustle and bustle of city life, to relax and take in the scenery. Well worth a visit!!!!
