Trädgården vid von Echstedtska gården En trädgårdshistorisk undersökning med åtgärdsförslag

Sammanfattning: The garden at von Echstedtska gården A historical overview and proposal to restore a historical garden The present essay is a study of von Echstedtska gården, a cultural-historical environment located in the Kila parish, in western Värmland. The manor is owned by Värmland’s museum and is a well-preserved and typical 18th-century manor. Here, among other things, there is a gene bank for 25 varieties of apples from Värmland, a herbary and time-typical structures such as a parterre with stone wall and associated stairs, as well as a long alley leading up to the courtyard entrance. It is a unique place in Värmland and a popular tourist destination in the summertime. The purpose of the work was to investigate how a culturally valuable garden has changed over time and what values remain, and to devise an action plan for the back of the garden. The study is based partly on literature- and archive studies, partly on field inventories, and partly on an interview that, together with cultural-historical and biological values found on the site, has resulted in an action plan. The work’s literature study aims to put von Echstedtska gården in a historical context and has its starting point in the formulated questions. The focus has been on literature about the garden, also archives have been studied, as well as literature on 18th-century gardens and parks. An interview was conducted to establish a connection between the literary study with real life experiences from the manor. The purpose of the field inventory was to supplement the historical material of the literary study with facts about what the garden looks like today. The cultural-historical evaluation that was made clarified the activities that have been going on in the garden at von Echstedtska for generations. An inventory of the biological cultural heritage was made at the site to identify the vegetation and estimate its value. The proposed action has been designed to create a dynamic and vibrant cultural-historical environment, where the visitor plays an equally important role as the garden itself. The garden’s structure and origins have been maintained through times of decay – in many ways thanks to a solid original build by a knowledgeable gardener, but also thanks to the stylistic ideals during the Baroque period and the garden’s role as a status marker in the 18th century. It is mainly the built elements and the old trees that reflect the age of the garden and contribute in creating the experience of a historical place where authenticity is evident. The garden also demonstrates great cultural-historical and biological values with obvious interaction between the two.