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As spring warms up, the “Garden Art 2024” conference was held for the first time at the International Exhibition Center in Ķīpsala, gathering more than 400 professionals and enthusiasts of the Latvian garden planning and installation industry, who want to design their gardens in a modern and sustainable way, on March 9.
11 lecturers from the Baltics and the United Kingdom shared stories and practical examples of garden art from different perspectives.
Inspired by the long-term experience of neighboring Lithuanians in organizing high-level garden design conferences and international exchange of experiences, the creation of such a large-scale event also in Latvia was cherished by the company GALANTUS for several years. The decision to organize the exhibition matured in August of last year, and the team decided to organize it on their own, managing and implementing the organizational process, designing the hall, stands and creating the overall atmosphere.
It was important for the team to convey their vision of the level of quality in every detail, in line with GALANTUS’ understanding of space creation, high-value experiences and unforgettable emotions.
“Our team created a magical atmosphere that was beyond reality – thanks to the oversized trees and bushes brought into the room, creating the feeling of a garden in the room with thoughtful lighting, ingenious room planning and garden benches where you can sit down and watch what’s going on or talk to a colleague you haven’t seen in a while. I have not felt such a positively electrified atmosphere in a room in Latvia for a long time, where everyone is smiling, chatting and sipping coffee, immersed in this magically enchanted garden. It feels good that our industry has reached the next level where we can enjoy, appreciate, learn and share! I think that every visitor left here a few centimeters above the ground – inspired, with feelings that we can!” Ansis Birznieks, head of GALANTUS and organizer of the conference, expresses his excitement about the conference.
Throughout the day, well-known personalities related to garden design in the industry shared their experiences and advice, including guests from the UK, Estonia, Lithuania and domestic professionals. The topics covered both practical advice on long-lasting perennial plantings, the importance of the kitchen garden in the creative works of the restaurant and the cultivation of a beautiful lawn, as well as inspirational stories about the creation of a Japanese garden, the creation of contemporary stone sculptures, the importance of forest therapy in human life, sustainable management in the development of garden projects and other interesting topics. , comprehensive information.
The organizers express their pleasure that, after listening to the visitors’ feedback, they managed to create a spectrum of topics and speakers so that both parts of the audience got what they expected – both the gardeners got inspiration and the knowledge they need on their way, and the professionals got a strong impulse for the new season and development both at the company level and at the industry level.
The idol of many landscape architects, garden designer and founder of the company “We love plants”, lecturer Nic Howard from England noted at the end of the day: “The conference is perfectly organized, and I am happy to be part of the first garden design conference in Latvia! It is a great pleasure that there are so many interested people, we can share knowledge, experience and inspire each other. I am very honored by the great interest in my lecture, I see that the field of garden design in your country is rapidly developing in the right direction! I admire what the GALANTUS team did to make this happen!”
Maksims Cekots, creator of “Max Cekot Kitchen”, chef and researcher of natural flavors, shared his story of experience and persistent management of the first restaurant in Latvia that received a Michelin star. Excited by the radiant atmosphere at the event, the chef admits: “The conference is fantastic! So many happy people working with gardens, plants, herbs that I also use every day in the restaurant. I really liked the organizational side of the event and would especially highlight the emotional feeling, which is warm and pleasant. This is a great opportunity to meet like-minded people and learn about industry news!”
During the day, visitors to the exhibition could not only gain new knowledge from the lecturers, but also leisurely enjoy delicious meals and familiarize themselves with the products and services at the stands of event supporters.
Baiba Sipeniece-Gavare, the host of television, radio programs and events and owner of her own garden, has also decided to attend the conference, who shares her thoughts and wishes: “The garden is very important to me! It helps me and settles me emotionally. Always looking for knowledge about the garden. All in all, it is a vast amount of knowledge and studies at the Bulduri Technical School will have to be postponed for the next life, but such a conference is a very good way for amateurs like me to expand their horizons and horizons. A garden heals the soul. I really hope that Ansis Birznieks, the GALANTUS team and everyone involved will continue what they have started, and next year there will not be a few hundred people here, but thousands. And this garden movement will grow!”
After the large-scale conference, the next day was spent with two specialized master classes for a much narrower circle of interested people – lecturer Evely Ustav from Estonia taught how to create long-lived and magnificent plantings of perennials and grasses, working in groups, during 4 hours each group realized a selected scenario of growing conditions that the most appropriate plants, and planning them in a specific bed design.
In the master class, lecturer Nic Howard, on the other hand, talked about his approach to garden planning, and the participants, working in teams, created 2 sketches of specific garden projects in a very short time according to the given task. The listeners recognized that it was valuable to work side by side in teams with other local landscape architects, where you have to come to a common denominator and a common vision.
The organizers of the conference are grateful to the lecturers – both domestic and foreign – for sharing their valuable knowledge and personal experience, as well as the courage to follow the path of realizing their dreams, to be happy about what they have achieved and to share it with others.
The conference was organized for professionals and interested parties in the field of gardens, who are passionate about gardening, hoping to implement this event in the long term as an annual gathering of like-minded people and exchange of experience. Its aim is to share an understanding of beauty, fresh ideas and world-class knowledge to inspire a creative start to the new garden season and a successful year.
The conference was organized by GALANTUS, supported by the brands “Husqvarna”, “Let it Bloom”, “FXLuminaire”, “Aizputes betons” and informatively by the radio “Star FM”.
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