Anjan Puisto

Anjan Puisto is an arboretum near the town of Mikkeli, Finland, found by artist Anja Laaksonen in 1968. The arboretum is renown for its variance of different features ranging from tree and plant species to statues, paintings, ponds and animals.

History
Anjan Puisto was found by Anja Laaksonen in 1968 in Honkalahti, Mikkeli, when she planted the first tree. According to Anja, what was initially supposed to be a "small yard" "turned out to be a little bigger" as she kept on developing the land: "When you got a piece of land ready, the one next to it looked even more dull. So you had to keep it up." Alongside landscaping and gardening, Anja created works of art by painting and sculpting, well as from natural rocks, tree trunks and rootstocks. The arboretum was closed for visitors in 2020 after Anja passed away.

Description
Anjan Puisto has a size of approximately seven hectares. The arboretum is located in a hilly area on an isthmus between the lakes of Ala-Säynätjärvi and Iso-Palvanen. It features 28 ponds, all self-dug by Anja. The animals of the park include partridges, pheasants, peacocks, chickens, turkeys, and rabbits.

The trees of Anjan Puisto include species such as Pinus peuce, Betula pubescens f. rubra, Picea abies f. pendula, Betula pendula 'Youngii, Picea abies f. aurea, Quercus robur, Salix euxina 'Bullata, Picea mariana, Picea pungens, Phellodendron amurense, and Picea abies 'Sampon pallo'. The plants of the arboretum also include various flowerbeds.