Many people are unaware of just how diverse and valuable the flora in the immediate surroundings of their homes can be. A research team from the Faculty of Horticulture at Mendel University in Brno is therefore developing educational activities in Lednice focused on plant biodiversity and the importance of native species for both the landscape and ornamental horticulture. Selected wild plants have been planted directly in public spaces around the municipality, allowing local residents and visitors to discover them up close.
The experts established four planting beds in the municipality featuring species commonly found in the wild. “Our aim was to introduce local residents, students and visitors to Lednice to the plants growing in the surrounding area and demonstrate how these species can be used in ornamental horticulture,” explained Jarmila Neugebauerová from the Department of Vegetable Sciences and Floriculture at the Faculty of Horticulture, MENDELU. The perennial beds are located near the nursery school, primary school, spa and within the university campus.
The research team is using the beds to observe how wild plants perform when cultivated alongside commonly grown ornamental species. The researchers are focusing on their aesthetic value and monitoring changes in their morphology and colour throughout their development. They are also working on guidelines for establishing and maintaining these planting beds. Each bed will feature an information board and plant labels with QR codes linking to more detailed information. Visitors will, for example, be able to see what each plant looks like when flowering and learn about its other potential uses.
The final selection includes approximately forty species, divided into five groups according to the number of plants and their percentage representation within each bed. Notable species include dark mullein and purple mullein, large-flowered self-heal, tuberous Jerusalem sage, and various species of grasses and cinquefoils. “There are several interesting species whose performance we are genuinely curious to observe. We have also used plants from the Fabaceae family, including clovers and bird’s-foot trefoils. These species are not commonly used because there is still relatively little experience with growing them in planting beds,” the expert explained.
The research compares cultivation methods used for ornamental species with those suitable for plants originating in the wild. The team is therefore continuously evaluating whether the plants should be allowed to finish flowering and self-seed or whether they should be removed after flowering. Some of the selected species could significantly expand the range of commonly cultivated ornamental plants. “It is important to us that we cultivate native plants. We know many remarkable native species with considerable aesthetic value. In addition to understanding their appearance and habitat requirements, creating suitable contrasts is essential – combining different heights, foliage, colours and visual effects throughout the year,” said the researcher.
In addition to the planting beds, a twenty-minute documentary film has been produced for use in teaching and public presentations. The film explores nature not only in the immediate surroundings of Lednice but also in the Slovak part of the White Carpathians. These areas are being monitored for species occurring on both the Czech and Slovak sides of the project. “For example, near Hlohovec, just five kilometres from Lednice, there is the remarkable Kamenice Natural Monument, which has an extraordinary wealth of important Pannonian species. The most abundant population is that of spring pheasant’s-eye, but the area is also home to species that are important for pollinators, including betony, knapweed and sage,” Neugebauerová said.
The film documents the planting beds both after their establishment in autumn and later during the peak growing season. Its creators also sought to compare the appearance of plants in the wild with those growing within the built-up area of the municipality. An important part of the film also presents the floristry work of students who use wild plants in their arrangements. “Throughout their studies, particularly in the Floristic Design programme, students are encouraged to use these plants in their regular floristry practice. Teaching focuses on helping them recognise the plants and assess their colour, form, structure and texture, as well as the overall effect they create within a composition,” Neugebauerová explained.
In cooperation with Slovak colleagues, the Faculty of Horticulture team participated in field assessments of selected sites and in collecting seeds from native plants in the White Carpathians. “The aim was to restore the site by reintroducing cultivated plants back into the landscape. Native species also have the added value of being closely connected with insect life. They provide nectar for adult insects and also serve as host plants for larval development,” the researcher explained. The reintroduction of the plants was preceded by extensive field surveys and the compilation of detailed lists of taxa.
The Faculty of Horticulture at MENDELU and the Municipality of Lednice are cooperating with three other teams to promote biodiversity. The project’s lead partner is the National Agricultural and Food Centre in Piešťany. The other partners are the conservation association BROZ in Bratislava and colleagues from the National Centre for Agricultural and Food Research, a public research institution based in Olomouc.
Contact for further information: Assoc. Prof. Ing. Jarmila Neugebauerová, Ph.D., Department of Vegetable Sciences and Floriculture, Faculty of Horticulture, Mendel University in Brno, jarmila.neugebauerova@mendelu.cz, +420 519 367 233
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The BIOROZ project, “Biodiversity as the Key to a Better Life,” is implemented under the Interreg Slovakia–Czechia 2021–2027 cross-border cooperation programme. Project code: 403201DXQ5. www.sk-cz.eu
Photo 1: Biodiversity presentation
Photo 2: Spring pheasant’s-eye
Photo 3: Carthusian pink
Photo 4: Sword-leaved inula
Photo 5: Nursery school planting bed – May
Photo 6: Faculty of Horticulture planting bed – July
Photo 7: Faculty of Horticulture planting bed – July
