Frederiksborg Castle near Hillerød is pretty spectacular in many ways, and one of its finest features is its formal gardens, but unpleasant things are stirring below the soil.
Worms have been eating away at the roots of the box hedges that form the large royal monograms in the Baroque gardens.
According to Slots- og Kulturstyrelsen, the body responsible for the upkeep of the castle and grounds, it will cost between 3 and 4 million kroner to solve the problem, reports Frederiksborg Amts Avis.
The four monograms, which were planted in 1996 in connection with the restoration of the old gardens to their original state under Frederik IV in the 1720s, will have to be totally removed and replaced by new plants.
The worm turns
Slots- og Kulturstyrelsen has been wrestling with the problem for around six years and has even tried enlisting the help of experts from abroad, but so far to no avail.
“We’ve tried all manner of remedies and different kinds of soil and fertilisers, but it hasn’t helped,” said gardener John Nørgaard Nielsen from Slots- og Kulturstyrelsen.
When the plants have been removed, the soil has to lie fallow for a year before new plants can be put in to ensure the worms are dead.
If all goes well, the beds should be restored to their former glory by early summer 2021.
