Flowering auriculas in the Primula garden. Photo Ane S. Guldahl.

The gardens contain almost 2000 species of plants from different parts of the world. Most of them are in the systematic section, organised in the way botanists interpret the relationship between different groups of species. “The System” is shaped like a maze with 50 sections, each containing one plant family or a few closely related families. The arrangement of sections and the openings linking them reflect the generally accepted relationships between the different groups of plants. About 1200 species are displayed in this large part of the gardens.

The Arboretum, situated by the pond in the northern part of the gardens, is a collection of 80 common forest tree species found in the Northern Hemisphere. The pond in the middle of the Arboretum corresponds to the Arctic Ocean. A walk around this pond will therefore be like a walk in the woods, moving across the different continents in the Northern Hemisphere, starting, for example, in Europe, then crossing North America from east to west, reaching Japan, continuing through Siberia, and finally ending up back in Europe. The tree species planted close to the pond form the arctic tree line. More southern species are found the further you go from the pond.

The Primrose Garden is a colourful section situated between the Arboretum and the main buildings on the Estate. There are 425 species of primroses (Primula) in the world, and several of these can be seen in the Primrose Garden at Ringve. In addition to the species, a very large number of cultivars, or cultivated variants, exist. Visitors can experience the great variation that can be found within a single genus, ranging from small, cushion-like alpine species to meter-high candelabra primroses.

The Renaissance Garden is a historical herb garden opened in 1994 to mark the 300-year anniversary of the first Norwegian book of gardening. The book was called ”Horticultura” and was written by Christian Gartner, the first city gardener of Trondheim. The strictly symmetrical Renaissance Garden is divided into quarters, and contains vegetables, medicinal plants, herbs and ornamental plants. The selection of plants here follows that described in ”Horticultura”, focusing on plants that were used in this part of the country more then 300 years ago.

The Historical Garden, situated south of the main buildings at Ringve, is a reconstruction of what this garden may have looked like in the early 1900s. Adopted from England, this style of garden was inspired by nature itself, shown by its many romantic elements, such as winding gravel paths between the trees and large tree crowns. Large deciduous trees, like beech, lime, elm, common horse chestnut and sycamore, dominate the garden at Ringve. The largest tree in the garden is the majestic 200-year old “Ringve beech”. In spring, bulb flowers cover the ground. In summer, the ground vegetation is allowed to grow freely to keep the natural impression. The grass is only cut in late summer.

Surrounding the museum buildings are beautiful flower beds containing colourful annuals and perennials. The gardeners at Ringve Botanical Gardens are responsible for selecting the plants and for the composition of the beds, which vary from year to year.

The Friends of Ringve Botanical Gardens
Ringve Botanical Gardens has a Society of Friends, supporting the garden both financially and in practical ways. In return, the Friends can order seeds from the garden and use the library. The society also organises meetings that take up topics relevant to the gardens, and days when plants may be exchanged.

Do you want to know more about the Friends? Contact Ringve Botanical Gardens, phone +4773592269 / +4773592278.

Ringve Museum
Ringve Museum is Norway's national museum of music and musical instruments, and has objects from all over the world. The interiors from the 1880s in the Great House provide a backdrop for guided tours with musical demonstrations in summer, and the new exhibition, "The Museum in the Barn" can be visited throughout the year. In addition to the instrument collection, the museum has collections of printed music and photographs, a sound archive, a conservation workshop and a shop.

Practical information

• Ringve Botanical Gardens are open every day throughout the year
• Free entrance
• Guided tours can be arranged on request
• Parking in Olav Engelbrektssons allé (see map)
• Can be reached from the centre of Trondheim by buses no. 3 and 4 (both marked Lade). Get off at the Ringve Museum stop, or at Fagerheim allé.
• Ringve Museum has a café (Tordenskiold kro), toilets, a museum shop with some botanical literature, postcards of the gardens and other products.

Ringve Botanical Gardens are run by the Museum of Natural History and Archaeology, NTNU. The Museum also has two other botanical gardens: Svinvik’s Arboretum at Todalen in Nordmøre, and Kongsvoll Alpine Garden on Dovrefjell. A visit to these is recommended.

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