The project "Spicy Dreams in the Garden" for internally displaced persons is ongoing at the Botanical Garden of Karazin University

In May, the Botanical Garden of Karazin University launched the social and educational project “Spicy Dreams in the Garden.” The project aims to engage internally displaced persons in visiting the garden, improve their emotional well-being, and support the restoration of their social life in a new city.

The project is targeted at visitors aged 30–50 years, including those with children and elderly relatives. As part of the initiative, an exhibition area is being set up where everyone interested can not only see but also participate in planting aromatic herbs, feel their texture and fragrance, observe their flowers, and learn more about their care. Informative signs with the names of the plants and explanations of their properties will also be installed.

Special attention is given by the garden staff to developing an interpretive guided tour program that includes information on the use of aromatic herbs in everyday life — in cooking, for making teas, protecting plants from pests and diseases, improving soil quality, and more.

Visitors will learn how to grow certain herbs even in urban conditions — on windowsills or near homes. Participation in the project is especially beneficial for people with disabilities, including those with visual impairments, as it allows experiencing the world through tactile and olfactory sensations.

Kharkiv, as a frontline city subjected daily to hostile shelling, has provided refuge to over 200,000 internally displaced persons, many of whom have lost their homes, jobs, and familiar ways of life. Such initiatives are especially comforting for people who enjoy working with the land, gardening, and managing their own household, as the feeling of unity with nature can emotionally heal amid stressful conditions.

Tetyana Orlova, head of the Department of Flowering and Ornamental Plants, said on the project’s first day: “We are very happy that both children and parents really enjoyed this event. We managed to distract them a little from the present, and some children planted seeds for the first time. It was very positive because it is always pleasant to interact with children, and we hope to see many city residents visiting us for tours and admiring this area. We thank our colleagues from the Earth Institute and the United States of America, whose support made this project possible.”

Visitor Liubov shared her impressions: “I really liked it. This is my first time here with my child, even though I have lived in Kharkiv for almost 20 years, but I have never been here before. And I guess it disappoints me that only now, during an unstable situation, we came here instead of coming every year before. We will definitely come again.”

Thanks to the project, visitors can not only deepen their knowledge about aromatic herbs but also make new acquaintances, receive positive emotions, and feel involved in a shared cause. The Botanical Garden of Karazin University strives to improve the psychological well-being of its guests while promoting careful care for nature and its preservation within the urban environment.