Unique pavilion for water lilies in Liberec is almost finished

Liberec - The construction of a unique pavilion for water lilies in the Botanical Garden in Liberec is nearing completion. The pavilion, costing nearly 12 million crowns, will be structurally finished by the end of next week. Visitors could first see it by the end of June. Miroslav Studnička, the garden's director, said this today.
According to him, this is just an estimate for now; the technologies inside must first be verified. "It is a prototype, and there are many factors that we do not know. Only then can we put the super rare plants inside. We also have to wait a few days for them to develop and adjust to the environment," explained the director.
The water lily pavilion, built by the city with the help of European funding, will complement a greenhouse complex designed by architect Pavel Vaněček, built from 1995 to 2000. The arrangement of the complex resembles a grouping of plant cells and represents 13 different botanical themes. The Botanical Garden will move primarily the three largest species of water lilies, including the rare Victoria regia, to the new pavilion. However, this year visitors will see the Victoria only in its old location in full beauty. "We will plant seedlings here, young plants. If the Victoria is observable, then it will be in September," mentioned Studnička. Nevertheless, there will still be plenty to see in the pavilion. "We will decorate it with other plants; there will be tropical water lilies of unimaginable colors and with large flowers," he outlined.
It will already be attractive for visitors that the water lily pond level will be at their waist height. The greenhouse will also allow for evening tours, as the giant Victoria regia blooms only at night. Studnička expects that the little-known euryale ferox, originating from Asia, will also be among the admired exhibits. "No other botanical garden in the Czech Republic cultivates it. Its leaves have a diameter of 160 centimeters, which means it rivals the Victoria in size and has beautifully patterned leaves," described Studnička.
The oldest botanical garden in the Czech Republic, opened in 1895, attracts around 50,000 visitors every year. This year, interest is about ten percent higher, and interest is likely to increase even more after the pavilion opens. The Botanical Garden owns over 8,000 exotic plants and boasts several unique specimens, including the five oldest camellias in Europe and the largest cross-section of a fossilized trunk ever found in the Czech Republic.