Contemporary Ukrainian Garden

The book Contemporary Ukrainian Garden is a captivating story about the new Ukrainian garden, landscape design, gardening culture, and, above all, the country’s enthusiasts in this field—their talent, dedication, and hard work. The book features 25 contributors—landscape designers and gardeners—presenting 32 garden projects from various regions of Ukraine: Kyiv and the Kyiv region, the Sumy region, Lutsk, Vinnytsia, Dnipro, Kremenchuk, and others.

Our book showcases a wide variety of projects—from natural gardens that blend seamlessly with Ukraine’s picturesque landscapes to authentic flower meadows. It features everything from a large-scale park in an Eastern style to a small experimental space filled with annual flowers. A unique project in Dnipro deserves special attention: where a landfill once stood, an original hillside garden with a pottery workshop has been created. Gardener Viktoriia Kononenko shared the story of creating a rose farm in the Konotop area, which not only boasts a unique collection of roses but also explores the culinary potential of these flowers. Serhii Makhno created a true open-air art gallery in his Shkrub’s Garden. One of the editorial team’s favorites is Yevhen Pliusnin’s project: a family vegetable garden transformed into a modern space with new meanings.

In preparing this publication, the author, editors, and designers worked together to highlight the distinctive features of the New Ukrainian Garden, which today is shaping a distinctive yet fashionable image and confidently entering the global cultural context. This is a garden that begins with an appreciation for nature and the ability to learn from it; it extends the existing landscape rather than contradicting it. In such a space, rigid geometric forms are abandoned in favor of fluid and natural ones. Perfectly maintained lawns and static mixed borders with conifers are being replaced by dynamic plantings that change throughout the season. Ornamental grasses are gaining popularity, creating movement and depth. Local plants lend authenticity and allow designers to form sustainable biocenoses. Gardens, like their owners, are becoming increasingly independent and self-sufficient—they are designed to reduce the need for watering, fertilizers, and constant maintenance. Practical value is not disappearing—fruit trees and vegetable gardens remain relevant, but are taking on new forms and aesthetic expression.

It is worth noting the outstanding work of the photographers who are currently advancing the field of landscape photography in Ukraine, particularly Maria Savoskula, who is the author of most of the photographs featured in the book.

You can learn more about The New Ukrainian Garden in this captivating, beautifully designed publication!