The 13th Garden Festival and the 42nd Reunion of the Flower Friends of Latvia will take place at Rundāle Palace Garden on 29 June 2019. It has now become a tradition to set the last Saturday in June as the date for this event – it coincides with the roses being in beautiful full bloom.
Each year the Festival focuses on a theme relevant to Rundāle Palace. In the past roses, tulips and other bulbous flowers, as well as tree plant collections and historical orangeries, parterres, fountain, Green Theatre, hunts and entertainment in the 18th century have all been the centre of attention. This year’s theme – ‘Arbours in a Baroque Garden’.
In the 18th century large and beautiful gardens were established next to stately homes and manor houses. The dominant style was Baroque with regular forms – garden territory was enclosed with a high fence and divided into regular areas or boskets with a grid of pathways. Each Baroque garden needed a parterre with flower beds and arbour passages or pergolas, as well a labyrinth and swings, pavilions or arbours. A special performance on the large stage will enlighten audiences about different types of arbours in a Baroque garden.
This year the Garden Festival at Rundāle Palace will be visited by the Flower Friends of Latvia – and especially for them, as well as anyone else interested, there will be guided tours of the palace’s garden led by the Museum’s gardeners. Meanwhile materials about the renovation of Rundāle Palace park will be on display in the study room of Gardener’s House – these materials will provide information about plant lists and planting plans, as well as presentations on preceding Garden Festival themes, for example – winter-hardy plants, tree plants, roses, parterre design, historical orangeries and other interesting subjects.
The 18th century atmosphere will be awakened by a historical reconstruction group from Poland – the Society of the Garrison of the Jasna Góra Fortress. Inside the apple-tree orchard on the eastern side visitors will be able to witness a mid-18th century army base and a Grand Duke’s Court. An infantrymen training march, hairdresser’s show, dance and game shows will take place as part of the historical reconstruction.
Families are especially welcome to join the Festival. There will be a funfair for children in the centre of garden and creative workshops and games in one of the boskets, whilst the Green Theatre will invite young viewers to watch ‘The Princess and the Pea’ and join in on games.
Visiting the garden and joining in with the Festival’s activities will offer unforgettable impressions about the beauty of the French Garden at Rundāle Palace amid the enchanted display of roses in full bloom. A detailed programme of activities is available on the website under the heading Garden Festival https://rundale.net/en/the-park/the-garden-festival/
To save your time and avoid lengthy queuing, please, make use of teh possibility to purchase e-ticket!