Green Fingers at Jevremovac Botanical Garden, Belgrade.

Jevremovac Botanical Garden, Belgrade.

April 2021.

I have so many botanical garden articles sitting in my drafts waiting to be written up. As incurable addicts of greenery and tranquility, Sladja and I find it hard to pass up such gardens whenever they hover onto our radar.

Belgrade’s botanical garden enjoys a central location in the Serbian capital’s Stari Grad district, delivering an almost instantaneous escape from the nonstop commotion of the city streets. Thus we made sure to pay a visit one sunny afternoon.

It was a Monday and, just as we’d hoped, we found the place pleasingly sleepy as we passed smoothly through the entrance gates and approached the ticket counter.

Entry was just 250 Dinars per person (roughly $2.30) and boy oh boy, we even got a half smile out of the woman who took our money. Joining the path, the first thing we came upon was this understated statue of the park’s founder, the Serbian botanist Josif Pančić.

When he established the park back in 1874 it was in an entirely different site down on the left bank of The River Danube in the neighbourhood of Dorćol. Unfortunately this turned out to be a bad decision as, time and time again, the garden flooded during poor weather.

Jevremovac Botanical Garden, Belgrade.

1888 was a particularly crap year for the garden. First Pančić conceded that his beloved work needed a new site within the city. But sadly he died before a new home could be found. Shortly after his passing a devastating flood occurred, virtually destroying everything the great botanist had planted.

Pančić was a pretty big deal in those days. As such, King Milan I quickly set about reestablishing the garden at today’s location. “For the honour of Pančić”, according to the king. However, when the time came to name the new garden, Milan decided to call it Jevremovac Botanical Garden after his grandfather, who had originally owned the land.

At around 5 hectares the garden certainly isn’t a huge space. But just a glance at the onsite park map showed that there was still plenty to see. So off we went with a spring in our step, keen to get to grips with some of the 1500 + trees, bushes, flowers and plants.

Picking a trail, we made our way through the park, enjoying a cluster of handsome beech and elm trees. There were also some ivy-clad English oaks, though I didn’t know that until I looked up what Quercus robur is.

English Oak.

Soon we came upon another statue. This one stands dedicated to the garden’s longest-serving manager, a dude by the name of Nedeljko Košanin. He was the boss here from 1906 until his death in 1934.

Collaborating with some of the most reputable botanists in the world, Košanin named dozens of new species and produced a newspaper dedicated to the garden’s activities. As a result, historians later referred to his reign as “the Košanin era”.

Nearby, we had a quick look at The Administrative Building where Košanin worked. Guarded by two winged dogs, it occupies a discreet location in a partially shaded leafy nook.

While visitors can’t go inside, we did stroll up to the wooden porch to check out the trays of pansies. Bursting with colour, I couldn’t help but see faces in them, having been reminded of a memorable scene in Disney’s original Alice in Wonderland.

🎵 “You can learn a lot of things from the flowers…” 🎶

Moving on from the building to rejoin the path, we spotted a cat resting under a canopy of tree branches. She had been watching us intently and was happy to receive a few strokes. I guess if you really must be a Belgrade kitty, there are probably far worse positions to be in than Catticus Botanicus.

As we walked nightingales flitted, butterflies fluttered and there was the sound of gently bubbling water as we followed a narrow section of rocky stream. Even the light buzzing of various insects here and there seemed pleasant and unobtrusive.

Other buildings peppered throughout the garden include a library, a herbarium, a lecture hall and a laboratory.

We also saw several nurseries, though these too were off limits to visitors. Still, we spent a few minutes watching these women at work. I have always been jealous of people who have green fingers, but have never actually checked to see if I have any such skills of my own. My maternal grandfather was a highly skilled grower of plants, fruit and veg, so perhaps there is hope.

Jevremovac Botanical Garden, Belgrade.

But all those structures were mere warmups for the garden’s grand, Victorian style greenhouse. Dating back to 1892, a team in Dresden, Germany made the parts before transporting everything to Belgrade for assembling onsite.

Upon completion, experts immediately celebrated the greenhouse as one of the biggest and most impressive in Europe! The structure has two wings connected by a central domed space. We entered through the main doorway of the dome room.

Inside we swiftly dove into the greenhouse’s long, narrow corridors.

There are some absolutely stunning plants displayed throughout the greenhouse. We saw several coffee and banana trees in addition to over thirty species of orchids. And of course the usual delightful array of bonsais and aloe vera.

They also have around 400 breeds of cacti. Pictured below are two distinct kinds side by side. The Monstrose Apple (left) and the wonderfully named Old Man Cactus (Cephalocereus senilis) with its aptly grey beard look.

Inside the Greenhouse.

Similarly impressive is this Euphorbia milii, also known as Crown of Thorns and The Christ Plant. Tall, woody and prickly with green leaves, bright red flowers and a poisonous sap, it is native to Madagascar.

Or how about the fascinating little Echeveria Pulvinata, that goes by the nickname Frosty. Widely found across the Mexican regions of Puebla and Oaxaca, it is distinctive for its spoon-shaped leaves with white hairs. Yes, the white hairs give it a frosted appearance. Its flowers are usually bright red, though I think the one we saw that day was edging towards death. R.I.P.

But when push comes to shove there’s no doubting the garden’s most beautiful section. And the part that invariably most people make a beeline straight for, selfie sticks and camera tripods in hand. It is of course the Japanese Garden.

Even on a day as quiet as this one we found the bridge and its adjacent gazebo occupied by a couple posing for photo… after photo… after photo. Which gave us a little time to circle the garden, enjoying its plants, flowers and idyllic mossy stream.

Jevremovac Botanical Garden, Belgrade.

And we enjoyed the handful of cherry blossom trees. Not yet in full bloom, but coming along nicely.

At last the bridge was free for us to take a few photos of our own. Opened in May 2004, the Japanese Garden was created by two renowned Serbian landscape architects, Vera and Mihailo Grbić. The Japanese government itself funded the project in the form of a “cultural and spirituality” grant. Groovy.  

As botanical gardens go, Belgrade’s definitely isn’t the biggest or the most beautiful we’ve seen these past four years travelling and living around the world. But it is an undeniably pretty city centre sanctuary that’s well worth the few Euros they ask for the privilege of exploring.

Dropping onto a bench in the afternoon sunshine, we talked excitedly about our upcoming summer travels across Serbia. And of our weekend break in the city of Novi Sad in just a week’s time. Sladja didn’t know it, but I had been busy with my plans to propose to her on that trip. Ah the memories, but alas these stories must wait for future posts…

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