Botanical Garden

Plaque and map of the Botanical Garden.

November 2006. A very hot day. A visit of just over an hour walking through the Botanical Garden. Everything green and peaceful; there aren't many flowers, except at the base of a few artwork sculptures scattered throughout the park. Admission is free.

Despite being a midweek day, it was quite crowded. Some people reading, others jogging, others lying on the grass, some mothers with their children—perhaps after school or right before heading in, from what I could tell—as well as many people going to the Botanical Garden to have lunch, a few tourists, three kids practicing juggling with balls, and a "cat feeder."

I took a lot of photos; the garden lends itself well to photography, with everyone from casual visitors to professionals taking pictures. Young girls turning fifteen go to take photos in their party dresses, commercial models go with professional photographers and assistants holding light reflectors, and occasional strollers also don't miss the opportunity—the paths, fountains, and sculptures invite you to take photos.

For the first time, I saw the cactus section near the butterfly courtyard. I didn’t know it existed, but there it was: small, but with several varieties grouped together.

"Cactus, you pricked my finger, and yet I still love you." (A popular saying I once read on a blog by someone whose hobby was growing cacti.)

The artworks—mostly sculptures, statues, or torsos—are, in my opinion, quite neglected, mostly due to dirt and accumulating cobwebs. The paths aren't the best either; some parts are in pretty bad shape. However, you can tell that every now and then they clean up and rearrange things. There is a significant number of them; you can find them listed with a description of each at the following link: http://www.buenosaires.gob.ar/jardinbotanico/obrasdearte

The main house in the center—or at least the largest building—was repaired and is now in very good condition; that is where cultural exhibitions and displays take place.
I’ve never been inside the greenhouses—there are two or three—but I was observing them from the outside. In one of them are the carnivorous plants, though they aren't large plants and are grouped together on a shelf along the side of one of the greenhouses. Despite the common and generic name by which they are known—"carnivorous plants"—they give the impression of being extremely delicate plants. They are all small and set in soil, but placed inside a kind of shallow water tray.

Something I don't understand is the presence of the cats. In some areas, the smell of cats is unbearable for those of us who notice it—surely someone who has cats at home is used to it—to which we can add some of the paths filled with cat droppings. It seems like there is an overpopulation of cats; I’d guess none of them are vaccinated, and knowing that they can transmit diseases, those cats aren't properly cared for. Furthermore, there are always "cat feeders"—people whose hobby is going and bringing food to the cats. You see them quite often, likely local neighbors. What do they gain from this? Why don't they take full care of them? Why don't they focus on vaccinating them and cleaning up the botanical garden? No, these "cat feeders" only care about bringing them food and nothing else. I don't know how the cats got there—whether they arrived on their own, if someone left them, or if introducing cats was part of the original plan when the Garden was laid out, which I doubt.

The following are two sculptures located in different parts of the Botanical Garden, both sharing the characteristic of being named Flora—I imagine they represent Flora itself.

An interesting piece is Saturnalia, a sculptural group created by Ernesto Biondi. It depicts figures from ancient Rome in an orgiastic scene honoring Saturn. It was censored and buried during the military dictatorship years.

Another spot inside the Botanical Garden is the Roman Garden, right next to the French Garden. There is a reproduction of the Capitoline Wolf; the original artwork is in Italy.