The Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle are among the most visited botanical parks in Europe: more than 80 themed sections spread across steeply sloping terrain on the outskirts of Merano, in a landscape and cultural setting of the highest order. The very same rugged morphology that makes this place so extraordinary also poses significant technical challenges: the reinforced-earth slopes located beneath the park’s aviary required a structural intervention capable of ensuring slope stability without altering the aesthetics of the surrounding environment.
Poliflor designed and carried out the stabilisation and revegetation of these slopes as part of a four-stage intervention plan, launched in 2022 and scheduled for completion in 2027. The work was carried out in close collaboration with the park’s technical staff, who were directly responsible for selecting the plant species.
Substrate preparation using hydroseeding
The existing reinforcement structure — a mesh anchored to the reinforced earth — showed widespread discontinuities and voids across its surface. Before applying the vegetation system, Poliflor carried out a preparatory phase: the holes in the mesh were filled with rock wool (Grodan), after which the entire surface was treated by hydroseeding, spraying under pressure a mix of organic tackifier and fibrous mulch that sealed the remaining voids and gave the wall a continuous, even surface.
The purpose of this preparatory phase was not merely aesthetic: a consistent, permeable surface allows plant roots to pass through the mesh and reach the reinforced earth below, integrating the greenery with the load-bearing structure in depth rather than only on the surface.
System used: Inclina® Armata
On the prepared surface, Poliflor installed the Inclina® Armata system, which is anchored to the existing load-bearing structure by means of steel bars and Gripple anchors and makes use of Poliflor’s Flexiverde mat technology, specifically adapted for slope applications. Gripple technology — used for tensioning and anchoring under dynamic loads — ensures adjustable, long-lasting fixing even on extreme gradients.
The system allows vegetation to take root directly in the substrate, creating over time a stable green cover that actively contributes to holding the slope through the interweaving of the root system with the load-bearing structure.
The technical challenge
Working on slopes almost 20 metres high with near-vertical inclinations, on an existing reinforced-earth structure and inside a botanical park open to visitors, called for a combination of agronomic, structural and work-at-height expertise.
In the first stage (2022), the work was carried out using telescopic boom lifts, the only method initially authorised by the park. From the following stages onwards, collaboration with the gardens’ management made it possible to switch to rope access, which then became the operating method for all subsequent work, offering greater flexibility on near-vertical surfaces and less impact on areas open to the public.
Project data
| Location | Merano (BZ) — South Tyrol, Italy |
| Year | Multi-year plan 2022–2027 (4 stages) |
| Total area | approx. 2,170 m² |
| System | Inclina® Armata |
| Heights | Up to 20 m |
| Gradients | Variable, up to max. 85° |
