Wild Rose Valley
This is not just any rose garden – here wild roses take centre stage. The wild is a recurring theme in Astrid Lindgren’s stories, especially when it comes to nature, but also in strong personalities. Pippi, Ronja, Karlsson on the Roof, Rasmus and Oskar the vagabond – all these story characters teach us about the beauty of the free and untamed. Wild Rose Valley is a tribute to the wild around and within us.
What is a wild rose?
Wild roses often appear in Astrid Lindgren’s stories. She uses the word to describe the rose bushes in the meadows around Näs, which grow strongly and form hedges, and flower briefly with a delightful scent. Historically, wild rose was often used as another name for dog rose. It is a name for a rose that grows wild and has not been cultivated. In botany, wild rose is synonymous with the species Rosa canina.
“I can still see and smell and remember the blessedness of that wild rose bush in the ox pasture that first showed me what beauty was.”
From ‘Samuel August från Sevedstorp och Hanna i Hult’ by Astrid Lindgren
Welcoming the city!
When Astrid Lindgren was a child, Näs farm was in the countryside, just on the outskirts of Vimmerby. Over the past hundred years it has grown steadily, creeping closer, and now it embraces the whole of Näs with its blocks of flats and houses. When we decided to add a backdrop to Wild Rose Valley, a painting as a background mural, we chose to make it something of a counterpoint to the wild rose – an urban environment. The mural was designed and installed by Kollektivet Livet and Salong Betong.
Read more about the gardens
Apellunden
Appellunden is a play on colour, shape and the splendour of apple orchards.
Plommonlunden
This room speaks for itself with its greenery and has its own important story to share.
The second chapter
Here you can wander through the meadows to the Leaf Hall, stop in the Forest Grove or Moss Garden and then continue on to the pastures.