Connecting Science and Society: An Interview with Inese Ebele on the "Interactive Gardens" Project

To showcase the progress and impact of the “Interactive Gardens” project, we spoke with Inese Ebele, Director of the Institute of Horticulture in Latvia, one of the project’s key partners. In this interview, she shares the unique challenges her institution faces, the immense value of transnational cooperation, and her vision for the future of public gardens as vital resources for knowledge, recreation, and well-being.

From the perspective of the Institute of Horticulture, what is the specific challenge that your institute is addressing within the ‘Interactive Gardens’ project, and what specific solutions or innovative approaches are you working on in your gardens to overcome this challenge?

 “Our daily work at the Institute of Horticulture involves a wide range of scientific research. We not only have modern, well-equipped laboratories, but also beautiful and expansive gardens where we conduct our trials – in Dobele, they cover more than 40 hectares, and at our research centre in Pūre, more than 10 hectares. Therefore, our challenge within this project is to find the best ways to open these research and trial gardens to visitors. We aim to bridge the gap between two distinct audiences: our scientific work, which requires highly precise conditions, and the public, who can discover and learn while walking through the gardens.”

How has the international cooperation with partners from other Baltic Sea Region countries in the ‘Interactive Gardens’ project influenced your institute’s work on these solutions? Are there any specific examples where the exchange of experience has provided new ideas or helped to refine your approach?

 “Yes, it must be said that very diverse partners have come together in this project, and we can truly enrich one another by seeing how different gardens can be. Our partners have everything from therapy gardens to very public green spaces. We also have partners in Scandinavia who have access to technologies for measuring a person’s well-being and emotional response while visiting a garden and participating in activities.

These impulses we receive from our colleagues provide new ideas and inspiration on how to better present our garden to visitors. We are learning from best practice examples in other gardens, gaining ideas for new activities and for the development of specific areas within our own territory.”

What do you see as the greatest benefit for the Institute of Horticulture from participating in this project, and how might the project’s results help develop your garden and its offerings for visitors in the future?

 “Inspired by the rich experience we have gained from both our project partners and our own research, we have formed a clear vision for developing our garden for visitors in three main directions. First, as a knowledge garden, where people can get the latest information on how to care for plants. Second, as a recreational garden, where one can find inspiration and forget daily worries. And third, as a well-being garden, which offers a deeper experience, even comparable to garden therapy.

On a broader scale, I think this project creates a wonderful platform and serves as an impulse for many other public garden owners. In today’s fast-paced and turbulent world, the garden is a fantastic resource that allows us to care for both our physical and mental health. Regardless of whether it’s a park, a manor estate, a hospital, or a school garden, this project has developed many tested solutions. These allow garden owners, including ourselves, to more successfully invite people to stay longer in the garden and get what they need to improve their quality of life.”

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