Botik´s garden
The garden in lights
The heart of summery Botik is a wild garden, where it is good to be with nature as well as guests. Few large trees grow on the territory of the Põhjala factory, and therefore the summer Botik garden is an exciting contrast to the rest of the factory landscape in its green, wild lushness. Stepping outside from the dark corridor is a big surprise, and that's probably why the garden quickly got the name ´´secret garden´´.
Summery garden in lights
Botik's garden lived and grew on its own for a long time, without humans. Trees, bushes and smaller plants gradually found their place after the factory was closed, and larger and smaller animals could move undisturbed in their shade. When we started planning the garden last spring, we tried from the beginning to disrupt the existing ecosystem as little as possible. It is definitely not possible to the end and compromises still have to be made. However, we didn't cut down any viable trees while building the paths, and the curious fox is still a frequent visitor.
Wild garden before Botik
When building the garden, we reused as much of the old material found there as possible. The old concrete blocks largely stayed in their places and got a new use as nice garden benches. Old boards and stones became pathways that lead to shady seating areas. The green, weathered park benches, which can be relocated as desired, come from one of Tallinn Hospital's parks.
Concrete blocks that became garden benches
A trail with compromises that cares about the trees
In the middle of the garden rises an old concrete tower, the original function of which we still do not know exactly. We cleaned the structure from rotten wooden grates and decayed Asbestos cement boards. The structure is still strong and offers exciting possibilities for building a multi-level field of being. The floors of the first and second floors are already ready. The fences and the old iron stairs found in the factory will soon be finished, and the new roof will be completed. From the top of the tower, there is a nice view of what is happening in the garden below in the shade of the trees.
View of the tower from Marati street
Last summer, many exciting events took place in the garden. There were a couple of spontaneous garden parties, where you could play table tennis, swing in a hammock and just sip a cold beer. On Sundays, pastry cafes were held, where children could play and dogs could sniff around while waiting in the pastry queue. In good weather, the stand-up comedy shows and the Kopli quiz were also extended outside. A couple of times you could enjoy good music in the dark.
Bakery cafe in Botik´s garden
Garden
The weather in Estonia is very changeable and there is little comfortable time to be outside. In the early spring coolness, the fire provided warmth, which attracted people in a cluster around it. By this summer, we are also planning to build a greenhouse-winter garden, which will protect from the wind and help to extend the garden season. It's nice to be outside at any time of the year, but to be like that you need a nice warm place. This summer is going to be exciting, and we are working hard to ensure that you can spend time in the Botiku garden until autumn and winter.
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