O sztuce i praktyce komponowania form kwiatowych w ogrodzie puławskim
About the art and practice of composing flower forms in the Puławy garden

Summary/Abstract: The rich, spontaneously growing vegetation of the Puławy garden, “born of nature”, served to create an atmosphere of moodiness, emotionality and mystery, conducive to the release of specific feelings and memories. Plants with decorative flowers placed in almost every corner of the complex became a vehicle for emotional emotions. Izabela Czartoryska née Flemming (1745–1835) in her correspondence, guided by the flowering season of specific species, asked her relatives to come to Puławy to contemplate spring, summer and autumn gardens. Guests passing by the plant compositions could admire their colors, smell and structure, engaging all their senses. Particularly rare species of trees, shrubs and perennials became the subject of interest. Navigating the medium of a flower garden required not only botanical knowledge, but also personal and emotional commitment. Czartoryska herself played the role of a guide in correctly reading the content of the composition, explaining the meaning of each flower bed.As part of the research, the issue of the Duchess’s activities in the field of garden art were presented, serving to maintain her image as a Gardener-Artist. Various floral forms present in the compositional arrangement of the landscape garden in Puławy were discussed, such as: flower meadows, flower beds, flower theaters, groups of perennials and symbolic arrangements combining plant compositions, monuments and commemorative stones. The main corner of the Puławy park, where Czartoryska spent her time on “garden entertainment”, was Mały Ogródek (The Little Garden), adjacent to the palace. The intimate garden interior became a place for the duchess’s first experiments in growing and caring for flowers, under the supervision of a professional gardener. The history of its creation and its compositional arrangement are discussed on the basis of archival sources.In addition to the extremely impressive collection of plants in the ornamental garden, the Czartoryski family boasted a rich collection of exotic plants cultivated in six orangeries. The expensive collection, confirming the high status of the owners, was exhibited in the garden in the spring and summer season. Based on handwritten, printed and iconographic sources, a list of greenhouse plants cultivated by Puławy gardeners and methods of displaying them is presented.As demonstrated, the abundance of plants decorating meadows, flower beds and smaller flower arrangements should be treated as an expression of Izabela Czartoryska’s botanical interests. The colorful compositions simultaneously radiated the ideas of enlightened rationalism and education, as well as sentimental sensitivity and emotionality.

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