The Forest Bath Garden according to Łas Marija: «Not a single visitor leaves with tears»

When you discover that life will change irrevocably

Živilė Monika Lazauskienė: Why did you choose forest bathing as inspiration for the garden you created?

La Marija Bujauskaitė: I started this project working with the charity Muscular Dystrophy UK, meeting their community: the people who work there, the sufferers whose lives have been touched by the condition of muscular dystrophy, their loved ones.

What really struck me was what a community member told me. When he heard the diagnosis, he left the hospital, but there was no place in the parking lot where he could sit and realize how life was about to change. This disease is progressive and there is no treatment that can completely eradicate it.

For me it was very important to try to show how well-designed green spaces outside the hospital can help people who are going through difficult phases in life.

I had heard of Forest Bathing, this phenomenon originated in Japan. It is already known to science that nature helps calm the nervous system, heartbeat and lowers the pulse. I thought it would be fun to combine them to create a woodland swimming garden for the UK muscular dystrophy community.

The forest bathing garden is unique in the exhibition

What Forest Bathing principles did you apply in this garden?

Maria howls: I came up with the idea of ​​using a lot of trees. The garden they have created contains around 50. The 2024 RHS Chelsea Flower Show will likely have the largest number of trees used in the history of these show gardens.

I wanted the garden to be wheelchair accessible, the surface had to be quite smooth. I used clay bricks, stone cladding, all these materials are of natural origin, they could be found in the forest.

All furniture is made of wood. I kept the connection with the forest.

The plants themselves are chosen on the theme of the forest edge. The inspiration is not really a deep forest, but its edge, where there is some sun. Under the birch trees the plants get a little more light, so I could play with more interesting plants.

What kind of feedback have you received from visitors, from the commission?

Üla Maria: The most important feedback for me comes from the Muscular Dystrophy UK community. Throughout the week that people from this community come here, no one leaves in tears. For them it is important that we talk about it, that the word that they are represented is spread.

Whenever I work with private clients, I create a garden just for them. And here I receive a great wave of love from all those whose lives will touch this garden.

Your garden has received the top award of the «RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2024» – «Best in show». What does it mean for you and how will your life change after this event?

Üla Maria: I had no intention of participating in this exhibition, but a friend invited me to this particular organization. We talked to them, they told us their message, their problems.

The most important thing for me from the beginning was to create a garden and represent that community. I think it’s good that we were valued because that was the most important thing for me and we were never aiming for medals. I think the judges felt that we did everything from the heart.

It is an important fact that I am the third woman in a hundred years to receive the «Best in show» award as a solo designer. This representation is also important. We wish there were more women participating and creating, because three percent is very little. This message must also be spread. I want to encourage and inspire female creators.

How long did it take to create the design, what did it look like? How many hands and how many hours did it take to flesh out your project?

Üla Maria: The very first conversations with the Muscular Dystrophy UK community took place two years ago.

After that there was a lot of planning. Drawings and details have to be extremely accurate, because when construction starts here, everything has to be precise every day. We had to know exactly what to do after what to make it work. Once we got here, it took two weeks to build the garden. We worked hard for long hours. The work was hard and tiring, but incredibly rewarding.

We thank Živila Monika Lazauskiene for the interview – the text was prepared by Reda Narmontė based on her interview with Ła Marija. We will talk about gardens that can be used by people with reduced mobility, as well as other topics related to health and landscape design “Garden of SYle» conference on August 24, so if these ideas resonate with you, don’t miss the opportunity to attend our most anticipated event of the year.

Read more:

«Úla Marija was the first to win the Oscar as a landscape actress»

Ła Marija also presented the topic at the «Garden Style» conference in 2022. You can already purchase the recording of her message «Garden with a unique atmosphere». see here.