Przelewice Dendrological Garden and a beautiful Japanese garden

Przelewice - Dendrological Garden

A diamond, but little known

Let me start with a surprising fact. Imagine that one of the rarest on earth, listed in the Red Book of Plants of China, and native to China is a tree species: Chinese david (commonly known as the "handkerchief tree") grows in ... Poland.
Yes! In Poland! In a small village to be exact Przelewice, in the Pyrzyce district ... er, where?
He, he ... I was shocked myself, and I live next door.
It didn't take long, I got in the car and drove. After less than an hour I was there and since that first visit (a few years ago) I have been coming back here regularly.
The Dendrological Garden in Przelewice (because we are talking about it here) is a diamond lying in a deep village. It is one of the most valuable and beautiful plant breeding plants in Poland, which few know about.

Japanese Garden in Przelewice

In Przelewice, or where?

Przelewice is located in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, more or less halfway between Szczecin and Gorzów Wielkopolski.
The location of Przelewice on the map can be seen in the picture below.

The location of Przelewice on the map of Poland

Generally, it can be assumed that, apart from the inhabitants of the Zachodniopomorskie Province and the neighboring provinces, everyone else is far away here. Well, the place is so beautiful that it is worth remembering about it and, if not especially, visiting it on another occasion when passing through.

Curiosity
You will find another interesting arboretum near Szczecin: Dendrological Garden in Glinna. You will read about him in a separate entry - [click].

How did this happen?

Przelewice is so small and so far out of the way that I cannot imagine that everyone who comes here would not ask themselves the question: why such a garden here? Where did it come from?
It all started in 1814 year, when a later member of the Prussian Council of State, A.by Heinrich von Borgstede commissioned the construction of a palace and park here. Quite quickly, a few years later, in 1821, he got rid of the property. The buyer was a prince August of Prussiawho bought the palace for a specific purpose. The palace was to provide financial security for his seven illegitimate children (!!!) with Augusta Arend. Unfortunately, none of his children ever lived in the palace. Over the next hundred years, the owners of the palace changed. They made their modifications, but the park lived its own life for most of that time, without much human interference.

Dendrological Garden in Przelewice

Significant changes took place only in 1922, when the property was purchased by a Prussian entrepreneur Conrad von Borsig. Borsig was passionate about dendrology and a member of the German Dendrology Society. He settled in the palace permanently and rebuilt the entire area of ​​the park (about 20 ha), turning it into an experimental garden where he could pursue his dendrological passion. He imported and planted alien plant species according to a previously prepared, detailed design and plan. East of the palace, he established a Japanese rock garden. He modified the shape of the park's terrain, creating shallow valleys and small hills.
He lived in the palace until 1945, personally taking care of the garden. At the beginning of 1945, he was shot in front of his house by Soviet soldiers, and his notes were destroyed. Grave Conrad von Borsig located in the garden.

Plaque and tombstone of Conrad von Borsig

After the war, the property became the property of the Polish state and gradually fell into more and more neglect, initially administered by the Provincial National Council, and later by the State Agricultural Farm. At that time, the lack of care treatments led to large losses in the plant collection in the park. Part of the park area was excluded from it and intended for residential buildings, pastures and allotments. In the vicinity of the mausoleum, even a block (!!!) with offices and apartments was built.
In 1992, a long-awaited change came. The PGR was liquidated, and a year later the garden was taken over by the Przelewice Commune. From then on, the Garden slowly became more and more beautiful. The palace was also renovated, which was completed in 2006. The palace houses a hotel, restaurant, banquet rooms and special events.

The latest news from Przelewice - liquidation of the Garden

According to the official website of the Dendrological Garden, due to the lack of financial resources, the Przelewice Commune was no longer able to maintain the Garden. By the resolution of the Przelewice Commune Council of September 4, 2020, appearing under the official name "Dendrological Garden, Self-Governmental Budget Plant" will be liquidated on November 30, 2020.
The liquidation was reportedly necessary in order to formally be able to transfer the property for management to someone else. Who will it be? I do not know yet. It is hoped that it will be a good choice.

Dendrological Garden in Przelewice
Dendrological Garden in Przelewice
Dendrological Garden in Przelewice

When is the best time to go to Przelewice?

Spring and fall are amazing here. Probably only in winter nothing blooms here. Summer is delightful too, but my favorite is fall (from mid-October until the leaves fall). The Japanese garden crashes the system in fall. It is impossible to describe the colors and variety of plants that look the most beautiful then. No photos can capture this impression when you stand among all these crazy plants, dyed with an infinite number of colors. It is difficult to comprehend it, it is difficult to eat to your heart's content, so you would like to enjoy them in advance.
I've been here many times, but every year I look for more opportunities to soak up these amazing live scenery again. I recommend to everyone!

I took this photo in early October. Most of the plants are not yet colored. Single pieces are just starting to color.
Dendrological Garden in Przelewice ... and that was the case at the end of October
Przelewice - Dendrological Garden

Dendrological Garden in Przelewice - map

Below is a map of the garden in Przelewice. I have marked a few characteristic points on it. I think that in practice you will not need it, and a glance at it should be enough, because it is really worth going around the whole garden.

Dendrological Garden in Przelewice - map
The numbers on the map correspond to the numbers in the descriptions below.
the map background comes from openstreetmap.org
1. Palace

Renovated in 2006, with beautiful interiors, accommodation rooms and a restaurant. In summer, tables are placed on the terrace. Coffee tastes great here.

Palace in Przelewice
2. Japanese Garden

A slightly unusual, over 80-year-old Japanese garden is shocking with the exoticism of plants that take on incredible colors in autumn (mainly due to palm maples). The peculiarity of the garden is that for decades, plants have grown almost without human care. In this way, you can see a dwarf spruce, whose crown begins at a height of 1,5 m (for a dwarf variety, it's pretty good, right?), Or the Chinese Davidia mentioned at the beginning of the entry, or a Japanese "cookie tree" with sweet-smelling leaves.
In spring, the charm of the Japanese garden is mainly due to: decorative cherries, magnolias, stewartia, pierises and azaleas.

Japanese Garden in Przelewice
One of the trees in the Japanese Garden

The Japanese garden turns into amazing colors in autumn. The most vivid period is the end of October.
Below I am attaching a short video presenting the colors of this date exactly (last week of October in 2020).

3. Mausoleum

The mausoleum is the ruins of the von Prillwitz family mausoleum built by prince Augustus of Prussia. In spring you can admire snowdrops, snowstorms and squirrels.

Ruins of the mausoleum of the von Prillwitz family
4. Central pond

The pond was dug only after the war. You can see that some work has been done to prevent it from looking artificial: its shapes have been rounded and a small island has been built up. The place by the pond is one of my favorite places to sit down and relax. On a sunny autumn day, human batteries recharge really fast.

Central pond in the Garden in Przelewice
Central pond in the Garden in Przelewice
5. The Rock Garden and the Hill

In the rock garden you can admire ornamental grasses, perennials, ferns, dwarf pines, spruces and firs and several varieties of junipers.

Rock garden in the Garden in Przelewice
6. Trzy Stawy and Aleja Kalinowa

The area of ​​Trzy Stawów is primarily a collection of water and marsh plants. Special bridges were built on the surface of the ponds, allowing the observation of plants deep in the water (we were lying on them for a long time). Near the first and at the same time the smallest pond grows an old plane tree that remembers the times of the palace construction.

Platforms on one of the three ponds
The road towards Trzy Stawów
7. Central meadow

Of course, it abounds in countless surrounding plantings and creates a beautiful, green carpet ... Maybe coffee at such a table?

Central meadow in the Garden in Przelewice
8. Distillery

The history of alcohol production here dates back to 1912. Interestingly (but not too surprisingly), the production of spirit was carried out here even in the times when the farm was the host of the property. A bit more surprising is that it is said to be produced here to this day. If that's the case, it's probably not in this building.

The building of the distillery in Przelewice
Information board on the distillery building

Useful GPS coordinates

Parking at the Dendrological Garden in Przelewice, GPS coordinates:
53°06’22.4″N 15°04’42.0″E
53.106230, 15.078331 - click and route

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5 comments on "Przelewice Dendrological Garden and a beautiful Japanese garden"

  • o
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    Thank you for such a detailed description, I am interested in visiting this amazing place and I intend to visit it soon. Regards

    Reply
  • o
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    I'm going there right now. Thank you for the interesting and useful information.

    Reply
  • o
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    Great respect for Przelewice, it is a pity that it is the way it is, and everyone can see how it is.

    Reply

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