Vilnius residents choose city's most beautiful flowerbed

Vilnius residents have selected their favorite city flowerbed, celebrating the diverse floral displays that adorn the Lithuanian capital. Each flowerbed tells a unique story, reflecting aspects of Vilnius's history, architecture, nature, and culture. Vaiva Marozienė, the chief urban gardener for "Vilniaus miesto parkai" (Vilnius City Parks), noted the difficulty in comparing the flowerbeds due to their distinct narratives. One notable display is located at Sofija Kymantaitė-Čiurlionienė Square. This flowerbed features traditional Lithuanian garden flowers such as lilies, rue, irises, peonies, primroses, and roses, chosen to reflect the preferences of Sofija Kymantaitė-Čiurlionienė herself. Marozienė discovered through Kymantaitė-Čiurlionienė's grandson that she cultivated these specific flowers. The color scheme of this flowerbed is inspired by two paintings that hung in her bedroom: "King's Tale" and "Sunset," both deeply personal to her. In contrast, the flowerbed at Konstantinas Sirvydas Square is described as ultramodern and multifaceted, blending traditional and wild elements. This design pays tribute to the 18th-century botanist Stanislovas Bonifacas Jundzilas, who significantly expanded and enriched the Vilnius University Botanical Garden. Jundzilas's work included extensive study of Lithuanian flora and the naming of a rose species in his honor. The flowerbed incorporates popular 19th-century plants alongside contemporary favorites like veronicas, campanulas, potentillas, ornamental onions, lungworts, primroses, and astilbes. Another flowerbed, situated near the Church of St. Raphael the Archangel on Šnipiškės promenade, is a dry garden suited for the hot, sunny conditions and clay soil. It features aromatic and medicinal plants, historically grown by monks in the area, including fescues, yarrows, sages, spurges, and daylilies.