We can show patriotism in our own backyard by more than just raising the flag. There are other environmental factors that suggest that a family that values its national identity lives in this courtyard. Garden Style, a conference on environmental design, will provide many insights into this topic and today we interviewed the speakers ahead of the conference.
GLOBAL TRENDS AND LITHUAN IDENTITY
Global environmental design trends revolve around nature, renewable resources, ecology. At the conference, landscape architect Sandra Kanapeckaitė will tell why this trend of naturalistic style has taken hold in the world and what its prospects are in Lithuania. Compared to the environment that has been created in Lithuania for several decades, naturalistic design may look messy, too lush, natural, chaotic, too few large and bright flowers, too much freedom is left. However, the specialist says that the aspect of naturalness has become particularly important today, because when we create we have to think not only about instant beauty, but also about the time we dedicate, about the impact on the environment, because we ourselves are part of it.
The naturalistic environment is inseparable from native plants. Therefore, in the yard of a family that values national identity, bonsai trees modeled in Japanese style, but elements of a Lithuanian lawn, may appear. Botanist Vilma Gudynienė has studied many natural plant habitats in various parts of Lithuania, it will be interesting to learn about specific plants that can be used in your garden.
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A small garden: we have been planning it since autumnHOW TO MOVE ON THE CONSTRUCTION SITE
The natural environment is not only meadows: in the shade you can simulate a mysterious grove, and in a sunny place – a sea dune with swaying grasses and small flowers. There are the fields of Provence scented with lavender, the Italian streets with vines, the traditional Bavarian courtyards, the English parks with roses: it’s time to understand it we have a unique Lithuanian naturethis is also noteworthy. Do you like birches? Remember the bluish spring slopes with fireflies? Have you ever walked along the wooden paths of Čepkelės raist? Have you come across a flower clearing in the middle of the forest? And if you are wondering if it can be used in a modern plot with a modern house, the answer is yes. At the Garden Style conference you will see many examples of how a modern environment with concrete, wood, metal and glass can be complemented with thriving plants.
Dutch garden designer Carrie Preston says that each of us has a different sense of order and a different limit to the freedom and naturalness we can allow ourselves in our garden. Therefore, it is not necessary for everyone to attack the cultivation of flowering wild meadows, because such an idea simply does not suit everyone. However, everyone can draw inspiration from nature, it’s just that inspiration can be implemented in different ways.
One of the most famous Lithuanian architects, Dr. Petras Grecevičius, who created the «White Culture Park» in China, claims that many good things can be learned from the art of creating Chinese and Japanese gardens. Just don’t copy blindly. Orientals are guided by their wisdom, culture and traditions, and we must know ours too. After all, it is not for nothing that the signs of white culture used in the creation of the park were appreciated by numerous visitors and world-famous professionals. It’s time to adapt traditional elementshowever stylized, in the gardens that are being created today.
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Soil compactor: what is it? We are testing an alternative to plastic nurseriesWHAT IS CHARACTERISTIC OF THE LITHUAN ENVIRONMENT
Inspiration can be drawn not only from examples of creating the environment of your own country or a foreign country, but also from completely different spheres. When thinking about your garden idea, keep this in mind childhood, fairy tales and music. Many amazing environmental design projects are based on some kind of emotional idea. The Italian Vittorio Peretto draws inspiration from works of art, especially music. Classical music dictates one mood, a lullaby another, and a sung folktale yet another. At the conference he will tell how he turns his inspiration into real gardens recognized all over the world and what interesting things we Lithuanians have that we can use to create our own unique courtyard.
We can also find ideas in history
It’s unfortunate that we don’t have many great examples of ethnographic gardens. In country homes, rock gardens and decorative conifers became popular, and it seems this is the typical image of a country house. Looking at the current village, it is hard to determine what is genuinely Lithuanian heritage and what has come from other places. Historians have examined many songs and stories to find out which plants are really traditional and how farms were created. At the conference, landscape designer Vaida Vaitkutė-Eidimtienė will discuss the traditional village of the past and how that knowledge can assist us today. Not only is rue a plant found in Lithuanian gardens, but it can also be included in modern soil.
Gardening is another aspect of Lithuanian national identity. We should take pride in it! At international conferences, Lithuanian landscape experts share how to grow both ornamental and edible plants. Conversely, we need to make the trendy growing of edible plants more visually appealing and attractive.
Lithuanian identity – this is something that can be shown in the yard of a Lithuanian. By changing our views, being aware of trends, and at the same time reflecting on what we excel at, we can gradually nurture our national self-awareness. At the «Garden Style» conference we will take the first step this Saturday.
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