The island of Mainau (Insel Mainau) on Lake Konstanz in Germany is a particular pleasure. I was fortunate enough to visit there at the end of May. The gardens were in the transition from Spring to Summer - so the famous bulb gardens were done and the annuals were not yet in full bloom. Nonetheless it was a spectacular place - astounding in so many ways even in less than satisfactory weather.

At the time I was there, the rose gardens were in full bloom and they were utterly amazing, to say the least. There is both a formal rose garden near the castle and as well as a long rose alley. The formal garden looks out from the castle over Lake Konstanz and is divided into plots of with various varieties of tea, cabbage, and climber roses (and many others I don't know, I'm sure). The rose alley follows the shore and is graced on both sides with shrubs and climbing roses. Many huge specimens graced the grounds including many unusual and amazing types. Of particular note were the Moss Rose and the Green Rose - both long cultivated (several centuries) and completely new to my eyes.

Very cool indeed...

Insel Mainau is located just over the Swiss border. The first traces of habitation on the island date to roughly 3000 BC. The recent history of it's transformation to a garden island is the life work of Prince Lennart of Sweden. On the death of his mother, Queen Viktoria of Sweden, he was given the island. When, in 1932, he renounced his claim to the crown in favor of a marriage to a commoner, he took up residence on Mainau. He and his family then dedicated their lives to turning the island into a garden, eventually opening it to the public. Lennart (by now Count of Wisborg) eventually passed away last spring. A full history of the island, as well as a map and additional information is available at the web site (www.mainau.de).