The Experimental Garden with Native Plants of Tenerife
A sustainable space for the study of Canary Island flora from an ornamental point of view at the University of La Laguna
History
The origins
In the 1980s, the renowned professor and researcher Eduardo Barquín and other collaborators beautified the space around the old irrigation pond with numerous endemic species.
At the beginning of the second millennium, what was then known as 'Anchieta Garden' already boasted a lush appearance, with slender Canary Island date palms and shrubs of various species. A double pond with a waterfall and water jets was one of the projects carried out by the occupational workshops that regularly operate on the school's premises.
In 2006, the Padre Anchieta roundabout underwent a renovation. Due to the requirements of the new layout, the garden lost a third of its area, and the rest of the plot was also altered. The area was restored with small, somewhat disjointed interventions, combining native Canarian flora with exotic succulents, bird of paradise flowers, and other commercial species. As a result, the garden gradually lost its original charm and character.
Initial restoration work
It wasn't until 2014 that, at the initiative of the maintenance staff, the garden's restoration began, following sustainability guidelines and reintroducing native species. Exotic plants were removed or transplanted to other gardens within the School, dilapidated infrastructure was dismantled, and earthworks were carried out according to a more integrated design.
In the spring of that same year, the first practical sessions were organized for gardening and landscaping students, during which they replanted and re-established specimens of various native species. Thus, the Garden of Colors was born, featuring a variety of thermophilic species, with other evergreen species planted in the laurel forest area. The experience was repeated the following spring, with new specimens added to different areas of the garden.
A new garden is born
From 2016 onwards, the garden will serve as the backdrop for seminars and workshops on the use of native plants in gardening. Students carry out their practical work there, gradually restoring different areas. In addition to introducing new plants, they work with rustic stone from the property, creating small structures.
In 2017, the first information signs and interpretation panel were installed. The garden will now have its own name: Experimental Garden with Native Plants of Tenerife.
2018 was a significant year as the complete renovation of the plantings in the flowerbeds was undertaken. The first experimental final-year project related to the propagation of a garden species was also initiated.