I had in early May 2004 a wonderful garden packed journey to Sweden and Denmark. Everything went as planned. I drove some 3400 km (2100 miles), visited 17 gardens and/or nurseries during 6 days and took some 400 photos mainly on rhododendrons and magnolias. The people I met were all very friendly and I almost understood that funny Danish language.  I mostly spoke Swedish and sometimes switched to English.

I'll give here a summary of places that I visited.

1. Bergius Botanical Garden (Bergianska Trädgården), 5 km north of Stockholm, Sweden.
   Beautiful settings and a small rhododendron garden that includes some nice looking plants from Bengt Kihlman (Rhododendron x vanhoeffeni, a natural hybrid from R. subarcticum x R. lapponicum). They flowered during my visit and I got some good pictures of the plants.
   Picture Gallery: Album: Bergianska Trädgården
   Web site: Bergianska Trädgården
    
2. Lennart Söderberg & Ann-Marie Åsheden, Uppsala, Sweden.
   The writers of a new book on hardy Magnolias for Sweden. I got that magnificent book from them. Their garden was quite new, a lot of plants, different interesting magnolias on a hill. The garden is sure worth visiting when magnolias are flowering.
   Picture Gallery: Album: Lennart Söderberg & Ann-Marie Åsheden
   Web site: Book: Magnolia, ISBN 9100577855
    
3. Uppsala University Botanical Garden (Uppsala Botaniska Trädgård), Uppsala, Sweden.
   A very formal garden, some flowering magnolias, but not many rhododendrons. Bengt Kihlman's old rhododendron plant beds had not been taken care of. Sad sight.
   Picture Gallery: Album: Uppsala Botaniska Trädgård
   Web site: Uppsala Botaniska Trädgård
    
4. Bengt and Irma Kihlman, Uppsala, Sweden.
   I got a very warm welcome from Bengt and Irma Kihlman. We had long, good discussions on hybridization of Ledums, looked at Bengt's crossings and took a walk in a beautifully set up garden. The plants were thriving extremely well on peat blocks. This was a visit that I do not easily forget.
   Picture Gallery: Album: Bengt and Irma Kihlman
    
5. Karlstad City Garden (Karlstad Stadsträdgården), Sweden.
   The City Garden has been totally rebuilt and I was impressed on the systematically set up plant areas. Anders Blomqvist gave me a guided tour around the garden. There were several flowering magnolias, distinct areas for hardy rhododendron species, hybrids and azaleas.
   Picture Gallery: Album: Karlstad Stadsträdgården
   Web site: Karlstad Stadsträdgården
    
6. Anders Blomqvist, Hammarö, Karlstad, Sweden.
   Anders wanted to show me his own garden and of course I had nothing against it. The garden was small, but packed with a lot of interesting plants, some rhododendrons (for example a nice R. macabeanum x brachycarpum var. tigerstedtii), but above all magnificently flowering magnolias.
   Picture Gallery: Album: Anders Blomqvist
    
7. Gullmarsfjorden Nursery (Gullmarsfjordens Plantskola), 100 km north of Gothenburg, Sweden.
   A place to visit when you want very special magnolias and other hard to find plants with affordable prices. I did buy several magnolias (named ones and F2-crosses), a good selection of Minnesota azaleas and summer flowering azaleas ('Lollipop', 'Pink and Sweet', 'Popsicle', 'Weston's Innocence'). Tommy Ahnby was in Norway, but I got good service from his wife Vivi. I started to negotiate the possibility of importing plants to the members of our Dendrological Society.
   Picture Gallery: Album: Gullmarsfjordens Plantskola
    
8. Gothenburg Botanical Garden (Göteborg Botaniska Trädgård), Sweden.
   This is almost heaven for a rhododendron lover! Four hours was not enough to walk among the rhododendrons.
   Picture Gallery: Album: Göteborg Botaniska Trädgård
   Web site: Gothenburg Botanical Garden
    
9. Sofiero Castle and Garden, Helsingborg, Sweden.
   A very beautiful setting of rhododendron species and hybrids around the Castle valley.
   Picture Gallery: Album: Sofiero Slott och Slottsträdgård
   Web site: Sofiero Castle and Garden
    
10. Jens Birck, Copenhagen, Denmark.
    I got a very warm welcome. The small garden was packed with an amazing number of interesting, beautiful rhododendrons. I got good advice on propagation and also pollen from several plants to be used in my crossings.
    Picture Gallery: Album: Jens Birck
     
11. Kærnehuset Nursery and Garden (Kærnehusets Staudegartneri), Fredensborg, near Helsingør, Denmark.
    The garden has in nice surroundings a large collection of rhododendrons from Svend Hansen and Jens Birck. Jens was a good guide on our walk through the park. This was one of the highlights of my journey even if it rained on that day.
    Picture Gallery: Album: Kærnehusets Staudegartneri
     
12. Copenhagen Botanic Garden (Botanisk Have - Københavns Universitet), Denmark.
    The old rhododendron collection is pretty small, but there is now a new area of just planted rhododendrons. Within some years this is going to be place to be visited.
    Picture Gallery: Album: Københavns Botanisk Have
    Web site: Copenhagen Botanic Garden
     
13. Hans Eiberg, Smørum, Copenhagen, Denmark.
    Beautiful garden with some special rhododendrons. I got from Hans a Danish publication that includes his writing on the relationship of different rhododendron species based on DNA analysis. Very interesting article that needs some thought when trying to interpret the Danish text.
    Picture Gallery: Album: Hans Eiberg
     
14. Svend Aage Askjær, Hvidbjerg Planteskole, Spøttrup, Jylland, Denmark.
    One of the most beautiful rhododendron gardens that I have seen. Grounded some 30 years ago, now full of nice looking species and hybrids in forest surroundings. This is a must for future visits! I also bought some plants from Svend.
    Picture Gallery: Album: Svend Aage Askjær, Hvidbjerg Planteskole
    Web site: Hvidbjerg Planteskole
     
15. Claus Erik Jørgensen, Rhododendron Haven, Tørring, Jylland, Denmark.
    A large selection of rhododendrons, both species and hybrids. The species plants are grafted and grown at the site. There were two large display gardens, one for hybrids and one for species. Unfortunately, the plants had no labels. I started to negotiate the possibility of importing plants to the members of our Rhododendron Club.
    Picture Gallery: Album: Claus Erik Jørgensen, Rhododendron Haven
    Web site: Rhododendron Haven
     
16. Jørgen Halse, Fjeldsted, Fyn, Denmark. (Past president 1998-2000 of Rhododendronforeningen).
    At first sight a small garden, but behind corners there were real surprises. A huge selection of fine species, not so many hybrids. Sure, a garden worth visiting.
    Picture Gallery: Album: Jørgen Halse
     
17. Kaarel Voitk, Tyresö, Stockholm, Sweden.
    Old rhododendrons around the house, also some of his own hybrids. Kaarel's main garden is on Hiiumaa, an island belonging to the Estonian archipelago. That is on my list of places to visit when I'll next time go to Estonia.
    Picture Gallery: Album: Kaarel Voitk

This was a journey that I don't easily forget. I want to express my great thanks to all of you who made my journey a success.