The Danish Cure All: MEDICINE GARDEN

Paeonia lactiflora
Chinese Peony
The genus is supposed to be named after the physician Paeos who cured Pluto and other golds of their wounds received during the Trojan War.

It is used as a medicinal herb in traditional Chinese medicine.  The root is used to reduce fever and pain and on wounds to stop bleeding and prevent infection.


According to Global Herbal:
anti-allergic
anti-convulsant
anti-inflammatory
anti-spasmodic
promotes digestion and increases appetite
cognition enhancer
immune enhancing
skeletal muscle relexant

When you are a gardener, you are used to looking underneath things to find other things.  You need to be tenacious to find the Medicine Garden in Tranekaer, Denmark.  It's hidden behind the sugar beet factory, not far from the Souvenir "Museum" and  Tranekaer Castle looms above it.

The garden was began in 2010.  It is a project in conjunction with the CEBI (The Center for Bio-Resources and Innovation).  The first of the 9 system of the body gardens  is The Respiratory Garden.  The garden occuplies 8 hectares and currently has 60 different plants. In 2012, PRFO expect to increase the number to 250. 

PRFO (Plant Research Langeland) will also use the garden to grow experimental plantings, for example energy grasses that can be used for heat, and artichokes, whose roots can be used for fuel.

The CEBI  have their work cut out for themselves.  Their mission is to create "new opportunities for business, research institutions, private investors, farmers and consumers" using plants to solve the environmental challenges facing "society in general."  That is a pretty big mission for a small group of volunteers on the island of Langeland. 

I prefer the words written by Mads Jorgensen:

"There have been planted so many plants and it looks good."

"The garden is built on a slope.  There are many fine curved flower beds and paths with castle ruins.  But we have a prolbem with the landscaped flower beds and paths merge.  This happens especially when it rains heavily.  There fore, we have purchased 330 metal band to be up around the flower beds to retain soil.  Gardening Group has installed the first.  We got us a good surpirse because it looks actually really nice.  Metal edges make it that you get to see the subtle curves in the garden.

This is a major task, as have the group can not handle alone.  Therefore, we need to come and help us."

(this is a bad google translation)

I wanted to help.  I wanted to have the time to help.  If you find yourself in Tranekaer, on the island of Langeland, in Southern Denmark contact:  bjarnempetersen@gmail.com. 

or the following websites:
www.prfo.dk
(Plant Resource Langeland)
www.cebi.dk

Additional information about PRFO:

"PRFO has received grants from Nordrhein-Westfalen, LAG Langeland, Outdoor Council and several foundations, but most funds were matched by demand for fiancing of 25-50 percent. The big challenge is thus to provide the remainig money.  PRFO can gain some income by making attempts to collaborators.  Another option is to draw people's shares.  The association currently has 70 members."
Bjarne Moller Peterson