Ever walked through a beautiful park and felt like something was missing? What if a garden could do more than just look pretty? Our project, INTERACTIVE GARDENS, is reimagining public green spaces across the Baltic Sea Region, turning them into dynamic places that listen to their visitors and actively contribute to our well-being. Discover how we are making our gardens smarter and healthier for everyone.

The Challenge: More Than Just a Pretty View

Public gardens are treasures in our cities and towns, but often their full potential remains untapped. They are beautiful, but passive. We believe gardens can play a much more active role in improving our health, fostering community, and providing educational experiences. But how do you create a garden that truly responds to the diverse needs of its community—from kids to seniors, from students to patients? This is the challenge we decided to tackle.

Our Solution: Gardens That Listen and Engage

Our international team is bringing this vision to life by creating a diverse range of garden prototypes, each serving as a living laboratory where new ideas can blossom. Across the region, our partners are hard at work. In Latvia’s Zemgale region, new interactive elements are being planned, from a thematic garden "Sēlija zaļo" in Jēkabpils to installing outdoor musical instruments and solar charging stations in Aizkraukle. Our partners at the Institute of Horticulture are testing creative ways for visitors to give feedback using QR codes and even by voting with natural materials. Meanwhile, in Finland, partners are preparing pilot activities designed for diverse community groups, including seniors and people with special needs, ensuring our gardens are inclusive and accessible to all.

At the same time, we are exploring the digital frontier. A virtual reality (VR) tool is being developed that will allow anyone to design and experience their dream garden, helping us plan and co-create the public spaces of the future.

The Vision: A Network of Healthier, Happier Green Spaces

Our ultimate goal is bigger than just one or two gardens. We are creating a blueprint—a set of tools and best practices—that any town, school, hospital, or community can use to make their own green spaces more responsive and beneficial. We envision a future with a network of interactive gardens across the Baltic Sea Region, each one a unique resource for improving the quality of life for its people. It's about creating spaces that don't just grow plants, but also grow well-being.

As project partner Inese Ebele, Director of the Institute of Horticulture, beautifully summarizes:

“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. This project helps garden owners to more successfully invite people to stay longer and get what they need to improve their quality of life.”

In the end, the story is simple yet powerful: growing smarter, more inclusive, and more responsive gardens that serve people, policy, and the planet.