In 1901 Professor Arturo Hruska, a dentist and well-known naturalist, arrived in Gardone and immediately noticed the special climate of the area. Between 1910 and 1971 he planted a botanical garden that extended for a little more than 1.5 hectares. In it he had more than 500 species of plants from every continent and different climates: magnolias, Tibetan primroses, reeds of every size, iris and ferns, including the osmunda regalis . There is a huge variety of succulent and subtropical plants. Many aquatic plants float in small ponds with fountains and waterfalls typical of Japanese landscaping. There is also a lush forest of bamboo trees. Alpine flowers grow amidst the rocks, crevasses and small ravines. The garden, which has been owned since 1988 by the Andre Heller Foundation (the famous Austrian multimedia artist), is open from March to October, from 09:00 a.m. until 07:00 p.m..