The University of Debrecen is taking visitors back to the world of 17th-century gardens with a special Baroque-style plant labyrinth. Created for the fourth time to mark Hungary’s national holiday on August 20, this year’s ornamental garden celebrates the restored French garden in front of the university’s Main Building and its geometric elegance.
The labyrinths of French garden design were iconic and representative features of aristocratic gardens in the 17th and 18th centuries – one need only think of the world-famous labyrinth at Versailles commissioned by Louis XIV. With their perfectly symmetrical shapes and carefully trimmed hedges, these gardens not only symbolised the meeting of landscape design and art, but also served as settings for meditative walks and aristocratic social games. The University of Debrecen has brought this tradition into the present day.
“We are proud to celebrate the return of the French garden in front of the Main Building with such a spectacular installation during the August 20 holiday period. This traditional plant labyrinth offers relaxation not only to university citizens and the people of Debrecen, but also provides a memorable experience for tourists visiting our city. I hope that a meditative walk in front of the Main Building and the splendour of the park will bring joyful moments to all our visitors,” said Mónika Rőfi, director of the University of Debrecen’s Event Coordination and Alumni Centre.
The impressive visual experience is the result of considerable professional work. The flower beds and landscaping elements have been arranged with geometric precision. In the strictly structured yet light and airy space, the rhythmic alternation of vibrant and pastel-coloured flowers creates a unique visual experience. The carefully shaped plants complement the classical grandeur of the Main Building perfectly.
“When recreating the Baroque garden style, we paid particular attention to symmetry and the rhythm of colours. The harmonious alternation of vibrant and pastel shades, together with the structure provided by the strictly trimmed boxwood and yew trees, gives the labyrinth its clean, distinctive character. We created several separate yet interconnected spaces that invite visitors to explore and enjoy moments of playful tranquillity,” said József Biró, the landscape engineer at UD Praktika Kft. who conceived the installation.
Nearly 3,000 flowering annual and perennial plants, along with 150 specimen plants, make up the garden. Most of them were grown from their own seedlings by UD Praktika Kft. The flower beds have been covered with several tonnes of high-quality mulch to help maintain adequate soil moisture while also ensuring an attractive appearance.
“Growing nearly 3,000 plants from seedlings and planting them with geometric precision was both a huge professional challenge and an honour for us. Our team of ten dedicated gardeners will continue to care for the garden throughout the long holiday weekend, while fresh water is supplied to the plants from a drilled well using a water tanker. Our goal was to ensure that visitors can enjoy the flowers in their most beautiful and healthiest condition throughout the entire exhibition,” said Lajos Koncz, site manager at UD Praktika Kft.
The green labyrinth can be visited free of charge from August 17 to 24 in the park in front of the Main Building. The organisers are inviting visitors of all ages to take part in an exciting discovery game. Several pieces of information have been hidden among the hedges, which participants can use to complete a quiz at the reception desk of the Main Building.
Special plants and flowers featured in the installation, tickets to the University of Debrecen’s Botanical Garden, and tickets to yoUDay will be raffled among the participants. The winners will be notified by email after the draw.
(unideb.hu)
