Dobele is often called ‘the capital of lilacs’. At the end of May, more than 200 different lilac varieties and lilac hybrids bloom and captivate with their wonderful aroma in this large lilac garden with a total area of over 4 ha. The Dobele lilac garden is one of the largest of its kind in the world.
The garden of the Institute of Horticulture and the Lilac Garden are situated on the outskirts of Dobele. The garden was historically created on the basis of the garden of the horticulturist and selective breeding expert Pēteris Upītis. The Horticultural Museum is a division of the Institute of Horticulture. The museum encourages everyone to learn more about the brilliant and versatile personality of P. Upītis (1896-1976) and to get a clearer picture of the beginnings of professional horticultural activities in Dobele and the legacy of this outstanding selective breeding expert.
The science garden of the institute currently conducts modern selective breeding and agrotechnical research and maintains the most valuable samples of the gene pool of fruit plants and ornamental plants separated by P. Upītis. Each spring, when the garden of the institute and the Lilac Garden are in full bloom, the visitors are welcome to take in the magic of the blooming fruit trees and lilacs, surrounded by sweetly intoxicating aromas. We invite you to visit the garden also during the fruit and berry season, when the sweet cherries and plums are ripening in the warm sun, and in the autumn, when apples and pears are harvested.
