Erfurt (dpa/th) - A lot of sun and a lack of rain have added to the plants in Erfurt's Egapark this summer. There was significantly more dry damage to trees, the park informed on Thursday. For example, two large hornbeams, each 60 years old, could not be preserved. "Despite the many waterings, many plants have sunburn," it said. This applies even to heat-tolerant plants. "Even the soil is at its limits." Due to the drought and heat, some plants withered much faster and even shortened their flowering time.
In the case of automatically irrigated areas, the intervals were shortened, 140 young trees were equipped with tree bags for irrigation. For potted plants that don't like it so wet, such as palm trees and African lilies, the rainwater that is used for watering is slowly but surely running out. The climatic conditions therefore posed a real challenge for the garden teams. "Our water truck drives up to six times a day to fill up the 1800-liter barrel. Everyone clearly feels the extra effort." Caring for the beds and plants is currently a secondary priority.
Nevertheless, by the end of August, 402,061 guests had visited the 36-hectare Egapark. Around 18,000 season tickets were sold. Traditional Egapark events were also positively received in the year after the Federal Horticultural Show. The Festival of Lights was mentioned as a highlight.
In the coming weeks, visitors can enjoy the blooming dahlias. The annual large pumpkin exhibition in the park also begins on Saturday. Then more than 50,000 pumpkins can be admired in all corners of the site. This year figures were built around the theme of Rome. Asterix and Obelix can also be seen.
