Yrttitarhat Suomessa

Abstract

Suomen kansallisen kasvigeenivaraohjelman puitteissa tehtiin vuosina 2004-2005 mauste- ja rohdosyrttien inventaario. Tavoitteena oli saada tietoa yrttikokoelmien määrästä, sijainnista, ylläpitäjistä, laajuudesta, lajisisällöstä ja kulttuuriperinnöllisestä arvosta. Viimeisten viidentoista vuoden aikana maassamme on ollut 45 yrttikokoelmaa, joista viisi oli yliopistojen, seitsemän maatalousoppilaitosten ja kolme muiden oppilaitosten ylläpitämiä. Museoiden pihoilla oli kuusi kokoelmaa, kuntien ja kansalaisjärjestöjen perustamia oli 11 kokoelmaa ja yksityisessä omistuksessa oli 11 kokoelmaa. Suurin osa yrttitarhoista on perustettu Turun yliopiston kasvitieteellisen puutarhan niin sanotun kalmilaisen puutarhamallin mukaisesti, opetus-, tutkimus- ja neuvontakäyttöön, edistämään yritysten matkailua yrttien koristeellisuuden avulla tai raaka-ainetuotantoa varten. Myös paikallisten kulttuuriperinteiden vaaliminen ja vanhojen yrttikantojen keruu ja ylläpito oli havaittavissa. Nykyisissä yrttitarhoissa kasvatetaan kaikkia niitä kasveja, joita suositeltiin 300 vuotta sitten. Kahdenkymmenen suurimman yrttikokoelman suosituimpien ja tutuimpien yrttilajien määrä oli yhteensä 43 lajia. Näistä vain kaksi lajia, yrtti-iiso ja auringonhattu, oli ulkomaista alkuperää ja nekin "kotiutuivat" nykyisen yrtti-innostuksen aikana. Lipstikkaa, koiruohoa, mäkimeiramia ja iisoppia löytyi 80 %:sta tarkastelluista tarhoista. 75 %:ssa kasvoi kuminaa ja timjamia, 65 %:ssa humalaa, väinönputkea, piparjuurta, saksankirveliä, venäläistä rakuunaa ja salviaa. Joka toisessa tarhassa kasvatettiin poimulehteä, maustekirveliä, mäkikuismaa, basilikaa sekä viher- ja kähäräminttua. Nämä lajit ovat suosituimpia suomalaisten keskuudessa nykyisinkin ja muodostavat suomalaisen yrttiperinteen (Finnish herbal heritage) pohjan. Yrttitietoisuus muuttuu ja rikastuu. Nykyiset yrttitarhat toimivat entisten kartano- ja pappilapuutarhojen tapaan uusien yrttikasvien kokeilukenttänä. Muutamissa kokoelmissa kerätään ja ylläpidetään vanhoja suomalaisia perenna- ja maustekasvikantoja. Yrttitarhat ovat tärkeitä modernissa yhteiskunnassa, sillä niissä puutarhaperinteemme säilyy seuraaville sukupolville. Niissä voi myös itse kokea vuosisadan takaisen ilmapiirin sekä nähdä, maistaa ja haistaa vanhoja kasveja. Näin elämys ja vaikutus moninkertaistuu.

During the last 25 years interest in the use and cultivation of culinary herbs and medicinal plants has increased in the different sectors of Finnish society. While at the beginning of the 1980s the most popular monthly and weekly magazines had articles concerning herbs only in every third number, during 2001 every number had at least one article on the use or cultivation of herbs. During the last 15 years about 56 articles have been published in gardening magazines on the history of herbs in Finland and during the last decade numerous herb collections, herb gardens and show gardens have been created all around the country. Within the framework of the Finnish National Plant Genetic Resources Programme for Agriculture and Forestry an inventory of medicinal and aromatic plants was made during 2004-2005. The inventory survey covered all public and private herb gardens in all parts of Finland and data were collected on the site, size and the body responsible for their upkeep as well on the plant species included and some observations on the main developmental trends. As a results of the inventory work, during the last 15 years about 45 different herb gardens and collections have been found, of which five belong to university botanical gardens, two to research institutes, seven to agricultural colleges and three to other educational institutes. Six herb gardens were maintained in connection with local museums and municipalities, and public organizations maintained eleven herb gardens. In addition, we found eleven private herb gardens. The size of the herb gardens varied between 30 and 800 m² and in many cases the herb garden was a part of a larger garden complex. The model for the newly created herb gardens was mainly the historical botanical garden of the University of Turku, founded by Professor Pehr Kalm in the 18th century. The main features of the so-called "Kalm garden model", popularly known as a "parish garden", are the four sectors of vegetables, fruits, flowers and herbs. The plants were grown in small quadrate plots, separated by stones, bricks or woods and the garden atmosphere was in many cases monastic, Baroque or English style. The function of the herb garden depends on the aims of those who maintain it: education, teaching, demonstration, research, decorative function or recreation, in private gardens it may be personal pleasure, tourism or the supply of herb raw material for their own products or kitchen. In several cases it was clearly observed to be part of the care of local history, keeping the local identity and cultural heritage. There were a few collections in which old local herb species and important genetic resources have been collected and conserved. The university collections had the largest number of herb species (63-131). Small-sized collections included 8-36 species, middle-sized collections 55-82. There were also some public collections with 110-120 species. Comparing the species spectrum with the historical references from the 17th to 19th centuries, the present herb gardens grow all those herb species which had some importance in former times. The number of the most popular old Finnish herbs was 43, including only two species naturalised in Finland from abroad during the last decade (Echinacea purpurea and Agastache foeniculum). In 80 % of the gardens we found Levisticum officinale, Artemisia absinthium, Origanum vulgare ssp. vulgare and Hyssopus officinalis, while 75 % of the gardens grew Carum carvi and Thymus vulgaris, and 65 % had Humulus lupulus, Angelica archangelica, Armoracia rusticana, Myrrhis odorata, Artemisia dracunculus "Inodora" and Salvia officinalis. In every second garden we found Alchelmilla sp., Antriscus cerefolium, Hypericum perforatum, Ocimum basilicum, Mentha spicata and M. spicata var. crispa. These are the best known and most appreciated species in both old and modern Finnish society and it is these species that form the basis of the Finnish herbal heritage. At the same time we observed another important trend: the herbal heritage keeps changing and is becoming richer! The plant spectrum in the herb gardens was full of new and exotic herb species obtained from domestic and foreign seed companies or through the Internet. Enthusiastic herb growers try, grow, taste and use the novelties and in the course of time it will become clear, how well they suit the cooler and shorter Finnish summer and the taste of Finnish consumers. The present herb gardens function like the botanical gardens and progressive manor-house gardens 300 years ago. We also observed that the seeds used in the gardens are predominantly of foreign origin. For this reason the visits to those gardens which focused on the collection and conservation of the old, well acclimatized Finnish herb strains, were particularly important. This activity must be continued and expanded in the near future. Finally, it may be concluded that the role of the renaissance of herb garden traditions in modern society is significant. The founders, creators and maintainers of the gardens perform an important cultural and historical service. The herb gardens condense basic information about our ancestors, their lives, health-care, food and gardening skills, etc. and the visitors gain a personal impression and knowledge of them, which is important for their own identity and education.