Heritage gardens

The 15 ha park and garden are well maintained, with modern strolling trails, information stands and directions.  Some of the 100 fruit trees in the garden date back to the first half of the 20th century and include some 15 historical types, mostly apple trees, including very rare types.

Since late 18th century, the Blankenfelde Estate is surrounded by a large forest park (12 ha). The landscape park of 4 ha, with gravel paths has been renovated. The owners are proud of the old and new plantings of elder. There are young fruit and berry plantations. The harvest is processed into tasty juices, syrups, wine.

The arboretum is in the former home of a forest ranger.  The orchard, which covers 0.3 ha, was established in 1933 -1950.  Most impressive are the noble ‘Akero’ and 'Signe Tillisch' apple trees, the Good Grey pear trees, and the Durbe Summer pear trees, which produce large and juicy fruits.  There are rare types of apple trees, as well as decorative bushes, including lilacs, and old roses with interesting names.  There are also fruit roses from which jam is produced.  Around the garden is an old stand of trees, including a noble oak tree.  You can view the collection of herbs and vegetables.

Established 1960. Number of species: ~100 species of trees and shrubs, including 25 local species, as well as 16 species of rhododendrons. Unique plants - Latvia’s oldest magnolia (50 y.o.), a Smoke Tree (Cotinus coggygria) that is 45 years old, a Gingko Tree (Ginkgo biloba), and others.

There are two gardens in the territory, one planted by the poet's father and another by his sister.  There are old types of apple and pear trees, as well as decorative plants that are typical of gardens in Central Lithuania.  The poet was particularly fond of nasturtiums

The farms from Aukštaitija and Žemaitija offer a look at ancient and traditional types of apple trees, with tastings of apples available.  The gardens that surround the museum feature typical plants that are traditional in the region.  In the largest parts of the gardens, vegetables, medicinal plants and decorative plants grow alongside one another.  An "Aroma Garden" in the village of Aukštaitija offers a look at medicinal pants and herbs that are grown on Lithuanian farms, along with a chance to learn all about their medicinal properties.

The park (c 1830) covers 18 ha and has preserved its web of pathways.  At the front of the house is a large nut tree, and behind the building are old trees, including oak trees and several types of mulberry trees, one of them originating in North America.  A hybrid apple tree is near the paved road.  There is also a collection of flowers, vegetables and fruits, including an ancient type of rhubarb.

The Rundāle place garden is remarkable as a fully completed project by the architect Rastrelli. The laying out the Rundāle Palace Garden took place by 1740 alongside the construction of the palace. The original planning was preserved to enable renovation in 1975. The Baroque garden in Rundāle Palace Park with its ornamental parterre, the Green Theatre, the labyrinth and 19 bosquets occupies 10 hectares. In front of the garden, there is a rose garden covering an area of 1 hectare and presenting a collection of ca 2230 historical and modern rose cultivars.

The grounds of Rundāle Palace ensemble amount to 85 hectares, of which 3.4 hectares is a forest park. It is also planned to create orchards to both sides of the palace with a collection of historical cultivars of trees and shrubs. The West side orchard is being developed under an EU Interreg project.   Today, the palace building complex enjoys an invaluable advantage of being situated in an untouched rural landscape.

There is also a modern museum with interactive elements and guide services.  The school garden was presumably planted in the 1950s, and it has some 40 types of traditional apple trees, as well as an older type of tree.  The Juzefova Park was planted around the estate in the 18th century and late 19th century.  The estate is gone, but the park has more than 100 types of old and beautiful trees, including oak trees, linden trees, coniferous trees and two cedar pines.  Nearby is a wild pear tree, as well as many wild hazelnut trees.  The park often hosts weddings, and one tradition is to plant trees during the ceremony.

The owner grows various medicinal plants and herbs for teas and other purposes.  You can buy biological sprouts, herbal teas and mixtures of teas, and the owner will be happy to take you on a tour.  Alongside the house is an exhibition of plants which people who arrive during the growing season can taste and smell, looking at various rare and endangered local plants and decorative plants.  The owner will tell you all about aromatic and food plants and how to use them.

Ivanausko was a well known environmental researcher and professor, and the garden is one of the wealthiest sources of genetic resources for apple trees.  One of the types in the garden was developed by Ivanausko himself, and there are other types of apple and pear trees, as well.  The park features a collection of 250-300 types of trees and bushes, including 59 types of coniferous trees.  The apple garden also has one of the most ancient trees in the world -- a biennial gingko tree.

The orchard was restored after World War II, presumably to preserve the authenticity of the park.  The orchard has various types of ancient apple trees.

You will find a range of perennial flowers here and enjoy a decorative pond with water plants.  The botanical garden has a large collection of protected plants, herbs and medicinal plants.  Obelevičus often guides tours through the park.

Višķi boasts one of the best collections of traditional apple trees, many of which are found alongside people's homes.  There are five types of nut trees in the park, including Juglans regia and Juglans stenocarpa.  There are three types of hazelnut trees, three types of hawthorn, five type of rowans, as well as exotic trees such as mulberry, gingko, catalpa and cedar pine trees.

The buildings are surrounded by landscaped planting in the area of 10 hectares.  Behind the mansion to the South is a planned Baroque garden with historical varieties of apple trees that were characteristic for the Kurzeme region in the 19th century.  To the West, there is an English landscape park (1.8 ha) that was planted in early 19th century. It was turned eclectic at the end of the 19th century. The park arrangements in the style of Romanticism included open areas, small architectural constructions, decorative bushes, contrasts of light and shadow, small ponds. The park is being reconstructed. Here groups of majestic ash trees can be seen along with lilac, honeysuckle and laurel bushes that have beautiful and aromatic blossoms in the spring to create a special atmosphere.  The estate and its gardens are a cultural monument of national importance therefore only historical cultivars belonging to the particular time and style are preserved and used here.
Tours are available in exchange for donations, but please contact the venue in advance.  A walk through the garden and park will take an hour or two, and the manager will tell you about the history of this estate and other nearby ones, the principles of historical gardens in Europe and the way in which these were brought to bear in designing the Tāšu Estate's garden and park. 

The garden of the old farm is typical, with traditional flowers, medicinal plants and herbs in the style of the 19th century.  The 100-year-old apple tree has been grafted to produce four types of apples.  The only one that remains is the Antonovka apple.

The farm grows medicinal plants and herbs not just for food, but also to combat diseases and pests, including basil, marigold, lemon balm, peppermint, oregano, coriander, thyme, etc.  The farm offers various seminars and educational activities.

There are two apple trees that are historically liked to Zukauskas-Vienuolis, and one of them is very rare and only found in the oldest orchards.  Outside the museum is an authentic flowerbed that recalls the era of author, as well as an exhibition of medicinal plants. 

The Pope Estate and its park (1840) are among the best-preserved estates in the area.  Since 1940, it has housed a school and other institutions.  Most of the trees in the park are common, but there are a few rare ones, including five Crimean oak trees.  The largest copper beech in Latvia is in the yard, as is a large bed of traditional phloxes that are red and white.  During the Soviet occupation, Pope was proud of a large apple and pear orchard which covered 3.6 ha of land and featured a large variety of fruit trees that were collected by a gardener called Grīnvalds.  Today the garden is privately owned and is not available to visitors.  The managers of the garden have established a stock company which harvests fruits to be delivered to schools in Latvia.  An unexpected find involved ten large sweet cherry trees near the next door Rojnieki homestead.  Four of the trees are very old and were large 70 years ago.  The trees are covered with moss, but still produce high-quality fruit

The orchard represents various periods in Latvian history.  The most interesting period of time to visit is when the fruit is being harvested, enjoying the route "The Route of Apple Tastes."  The route begins at a local tree farm, where owner Alfrēds Mendriķis will tell you all about apples from the planting of seeds to the harvesting of apples.  He will offer a tour of the orchard, the warehouses and the processing facilities.  Children will enjoy apple juice, while adults can drink apple wine.  The owner will talk about the secrets of growing apple trees, as well as stories about the lives of winemakers.  After the tour of the orchard and the home, museum employees will invite you to a traditional Lettigalian table, where you will enjoy apple dishes and beverages, including apple pies, puddings, roast apples and apple juice.  You will love the taste of apples by drinking apple juice and wine and tasting delicious and aromatic apple cakes, puddings or roast apples.  The route continues through the homestead where Rainis spent his childhood.  The apple orchard dates back to that period, and the site still has many apple trees

The local museum has a collection that features the heritage of Klevers, and some of the garden in the town centre (some 25 trees) is open to the public.  The garden at Kalna Street 4 in particular offers a great look at an old countryside farm garden (planted in 1933, 3.5 ha) with many traditional and several rare varieties.  Durbes Veltes is a small company which offers products that are made from local fruits, vegetables and mushrooms.

Im Garten des Hofes, dessen Fläche 13,9 ha beträgt, sind Apfelbäume alter Sorten erhalten (etwa 30 Bäume) und Rote Johannisbeeren. Im Garten steht zudem ein echter Holzapfel und der 8,5 m hohe Jumari-Wacholder. Im Hof werden Kulturheidelbeeren angebaut, Die Wirte können interessant über ihren Hof erzählen und bewirten Gäste mit Leckereien aus eigener Erzeugung.

The farm is 100 years old and has approximately 113 apple trees, 18 pear trees and eight sweet cherry trees.  The lady of the house also grows herbs such as oregano and peppermint, as well as decorative flowers such as roses, peonies and dahlias.  Contact the venue in advance to organise various educational activities.

More than 250 types of plants grow in the garden.  An ethnographic garden has been planted to typify such gardens in the coastal area of Lithuania, with various flowers that are characteristic of the region.  The garden has 14 different types of plants, including herbs.  The venue offers educational programmes and room for picnics.

The largest outdoor collection of some 700 grape plants was established by Ēvalds Pūpols, who offers tours and talks about grape growing traditions in Latvia and at his vineyard.  You can purchase berries and plants.

The apple trees in the garden were planted during the interwar period in Lithuania.  There are also ancient plum trees, as well as a wealth of medicinal plants.  The owners offer training sessions focused on grasses, medicinal plants and their utility.

The garden has flowers which the author loved, as well as various types of ancient apple trees.  The garden has a particularly large range of decorative plants, mostly perennial and popular wild plants.

The owner grows various medicinal plants, flowers, herbs and teas.  She also grows carrots, onions, garlic, etc.  The assortment of medicinal plants and herbs is extensive, and the owners offer education about them.  Traditions include pre-wedding parties, as well as an educational programme called "Granny's Teas."