On Saturday (06.06.), we visited an arboretum with the members of the Pécs 3 and Pécs 1 groups that made us feel as if we were not in the Carpathian Basin, but somewhere far south in the Mediterranean region—even though we were only 25 km away from Pécs, next to Máriagyűd, on the southern slope of the Villány Hills. The owner of the arboretum, Kálmán Huber, guided us through the young collection, which is only 20 years old. The guided tour was supported by Dr. Zoltán Wilhelm, who needed no introduction to the students, as we have had the pleasure of listening to his lectures on sustainability at the Foundation. The private collection joined the ranks of domestic arboretums 4 years ago, in 2022.
Kálmán shared that he began planting the flora in 2006, with specimens originating from about 50 different countries from all over the world. The more than 500 types of exotics usually arrived from expeditions, the natural habitats of the various species, from collectors, or from well-known and lesser-known nurseries in distant countries. In the 2-hectare garden, the plants were settled into different phytogeographical regions according to their origin, so in several parts of the garden, we can feel as though we are wandering through faraway lands. There is a touch of Australia, North and Central America, the Near and Far East, and naturally, the largest area showcases Mediterranean vegetation. Wherever one looks, there is a multitude of species rarely or never seen at home, such as dozens of cypress species, strawberry trees, yuccas, palms, and countless evergreen plants—including Central Europe’s largest evergreen oak collection with 34 different species—though the garden is also rich in medicinal and aromatic herbs.
We received a meaningful ecological educational lecture from Kálmán, who explained that he strives to showcase spectacular species through which he has the opportunity to “infect” young people with a love for nature. If future generations look at our planet and its wildlife with admiration, we would have less to worry about regarding the future compared to what we see in how humanity lives today. Beside “infecting” the children, the other mission is to provide answers to the challenges posed by climate change and global warming for agriculture and the ornamental horticulture profession. Through the acclimatization experiments conducted in the arboretum, he tries to contribute to the development of domestic garden culture, in which the more than two decades of cooperation with the International Dendrological Foundation is a great help. The garden is not only rich in the ornamental plants of the future, but also features plenty of utility plants and fruit-bearing crops, such as pistachios, pomegranates, kiwis, Chinese dates, and cold-hardy olive varieties, the cultivation of which represents a great potential for our country in the future. The founder of the arboretum firmly states, based on the knowledge acquired so far, that it can be safely said that in the field of our garden culture (this also applies to our agriculture), we are far from exploiting the potential inherent in our climate and other ecological conditions. Typically, species are selected that cannot be found elsewhere in the country, meaning there is no domestic experience regarding their cultivation.
He tries to utilize the knowledge and experience gained in the arboretum in the pioneering work of his company (treemail.hu), introducing species that are unknown in our country.
During the walk and the professional guiding, the youth followed what was said attentively, with discipline, and with interest throughout. They were open and curious towards natural values. The session passed in a pleasant atmosphere, which was made even more enjoyable by a joint, playful task after the tour. During the game that concluded the day, both the children and the adults actively participated, so the program provided an opportunity not only for acquiring knowledge but also for gathering community experiences.
