Hamburg can look back on a long tradition of garden shows. Important garden shows were held as far back as 1869, 1897, 1914 and 1935. David Curtis jets over to look at the 2013 offering
For the war-damaged city of Hamburg, the IGA 1953 provided an opportunity to restore public green spaces in addition to setting up the main exhibition site (more than 3000 hectares of inner-city space). This included, for example, the Ohlsdorf cemetery, the Hamburg Stadtpark (city park), the Hammer Park and the Volkspark Altona.
A large number of playgrounds were restored, as were schoolyards and sports grounds. Even the stadium in Altona was reconstructed. The IGA 1953 was generally perceived to be a breakthrough, an escape from the isolated state Germany had been in since the Second World War.
An international garden show is being held in Hamburg for the first time in four decades: with the motto “Around the world in 80 gardens”, the show invites visitors to a round the world journey through landscape art, plant diversity and the climate zones.
Open until 13th October 2013, 80 it’s the big tourist event on Europe’s largest inhabited river island Hamburg-Wilhelmsburg.
There are 80 imaginative gardens, designed by renowned national and international landscape architects with many different themes.
Each of the seven worlds will present itself, according to the season, with an individual, theme-related look comprising of spring, summer and autumn flowers, shrubs, bulbous plants, dahlias and woodland plants .
In summer, the World of Water will compete for the favour of the guests with fresh shades of yellow, the World of Water will be immersed in a sea of blue blossoms, the World of Ports will glow – like the colourful terminal containers – in bright colours, visible from afar while the World of Religions will present itself in festive white.
The garden and landscaping trade compete for awards for the most beautiful flowers and plants. Horticultural competitions are the icing on the cake for all the participating horticulturalists and landscape gardeners, plant nurseries and plant cultivators.
All landscape and architecturally-planned sites and buildings have been constructed in a resource-friendly way.
www.igs-hamburg.de