An alpine garden, a rock garden, and a waterfall will appear in the Botanical Garden of Vitebsk State University

October 15, Vitebsk / Sergey Kochetov - BELTA /. An alpine garden, a rock garden, a waterfall, and fountains will appear in the Botanical Garden after reconstruction, which has been started by the staff of this educational and scientific unit of Vitebsk State University. The Director of the Botanical Garden, Yuri Vysotsky, informed a BELTA correspondent about this. The 4-hectare Botanical Garden is located in the central part of Vitebsk and descends in several terraces to the floodplain of the Vitba River, along the bank of which a city recreation area is being created. The location of the garden makes it possible to make it an integral part of the green zone being created, a kind of link between the city center and the river embankment, and will also allow for the expansion of the educational functions of the VSU unit. Currently, a draft design for the garden's reconstruction is being developed, and funding issues are being studied. It is planned that a branched network of paths and trails will be created in the garden for a more complete acquaintance with the "contents" of the garden, and elements of park improvement (fountains, a decorative waterfall, a mini-pond, etc.) will appear. In addition to familiarizing visitors with scientific collections, they will have the opportunity to expand their knowledge of the basic styles of landscape architecture thanks to the samples created in the garden. In addition, excursion programs are being developed, which will include an introduction to the basics of landscape design and modern floriculture, the arrangement of flower beds, paths, and lawns. "The Botanical Garden should become a model of landscaping in the city, after visiting which residents will be able not only to broaden their understanding of plants but also to apply the acquired knowledge on landscaping techniques and landscape design, for example, at their summer cottage or near their house in the yard," noted Yuri Vysotsky. The Botanical Garden of Vitebsk State University dates back to 1919. Today, it houses the second largest collection of living plants in Belarus, numbering over 2.5 thousand species, including protected and rare representatives of the flora of Belarus and other geographical regions. Garden specialists are working on the introduction and acclimatization of plants new to the northern climatic zone for their subsequent use in various activities. -0-