Carpenter Juris Budris opens 2,634-shrub hydrangea garden in his hometown of Nereta

A new hydrangea garden opened to the public in mid-July in Nereta, a town in Latvia's Selonia region, after three years of work by local resident Juris Budris. The garden contains 2,634 hydrangea shrubs representing 130 varieties, spread across four to five hectares. The grounds feature walking paths paved with fieldstone and several spots designed for visitors to take memorable photographs.

Budris was born in Nereta to a Lithuanian father and a Latvian mother. By training he is a carpenter, and he also runs a logging business and once built a fieldstone processing facility for his own needs. He has been growing hydrangeas for three years now, not to sell plants but purely to create beauty. The idea for the garden emerged as he watched schools, cafes and shops in rural areas close one after another, prompting a wish to breathe new life into his home region.

A big start

The project began in July 2023, when the family toured other people's gardens and Budris became particularly fond of hydrangeas. He immediately bought 105 plants, even though he had no concrete plan for a garden at the time — only a wish to create lasting beauty across the property, from the sauna building to the roadside. He initially planted the shrubs alone, but the clay-heavy, stony soil made the work difficult, so he soon needed to bring in help.

His wife Sigita, with whom he has shared 27 years of life together, handles the bookkeeping for his business ventures, while their daughter Signe helps with the garden's marketing and communications. Budris himself, now 58, avoids publicity and rarely allows himself to be photographed or mentioned on social media.