Visiting a garden or a park is a sensory experience. They awaken all five of our senses, be it sight, taste, smell, hearing or touch. Those interested can verify this during the popular Weekend of Open Parks and Gardens to be held May 31 to June 2.
The main theme of this pan-European event is “Five Senses in the Garden”. “You can experience them in absolutely every garden,” Michaela Kubíková, director of the Národný Trust, the Slovak organisation behind the event, told The Slovak Spectator. “It’s something that speaks a universal language and connects.
” The aim of the Weekend of Open Parks and Gardens is to present the values of our green heritage in an attractive way. It is part of the Europe-wide initiative to open parks and gardens to the public: Rendez-vous aux Jardins. More than 1,000 gardens from over 20 European countries will open their doors from Friday, May 31, to Sunday, June 2 to celebrate the importance of parks and gardens to society.
The theme of the event is chosen internationally each year. It was proposed by the French Ministry of Culture, which is coordinating the event in Europe, noted Kubíková. “We perceive not only the size of the garden with our eyes, but also its colourfulness,” she said.
“We also seek out gardens because of the auditory experience: birds singing, animals talking, the wind rustling or bees buzzing. Who among us would not remember the scents of a garden - roses, lavender, mint or the smell of hellebores. .
