Ojārs and Vija Rubenis Adapt to Forest Rules in Their Coastal Garden in Mērsrags
In Mērsrags, Ojārs and Vija Rubenis have given up fighting natural conditions in their seaside garden and now follow forest laws, creating a garden that thrives on patience and adaptation.
The coastal garden of Ojārs and Vija Rubenis in Mērsrags develops much slower than gardens inland. While peonies are in full bloom in Vidzeme in late June, lilacs are still flowering here. This delay is not accidental—the coastal climate sets its own pace.
Every plant in this garden has been grown with great effort. The Rubenis couple explain that for each plant, they dig a large hole and line it with geotextile to improve the soil. Initially, they tried to fight the moss typical of the area, but over time their perspective changed. Now they have accepted the forest rules and even grown fond of the moss, allowing the garden to evolve naturally.
This approach reflects not only patience but also creative experimentation in adapting to the proximity of the sea. The Rubenis garden serves as an example of coexisting with harsh coastal conditions rather than resisting them.
