The International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) Rewilding Garden was officially opened at the AIPH approved A1 International Horticultural Exhibition, Expo 2019 Beijing on Monday 29th April, the same day the expo opened to the public. The AIPH garden has been designed by UK and Singapore based landscape architects Grant Associates and provides visitors with a real experience of the AIPH ‘Green City’ concept.
The AIPH garden opening event included speeches from Madame Jiang Zehui, President of the China Flower Association (AIPH’s member in China), Mr Yu Jianlong, Deputy Commissioner General of Expo 2019 Beijing, Mr Wang Chuncheng, Deputy Director General of Expo 2019 Beijing, Mr Ali Unsal, Vice Mayor of Kahramanmaras and Mr Bernard Oosterom, President of AIPH. Aligned to the expo’s theme ‘Live Green Live Better’, the 1500m² AIPH garden promotes the benefits of integrating nature into cities and urban areas. Mr. Oosterom said: ‘The AIPH Rewilding Garden is a beautiful and practical demonstration of AIPH’s ‘Green City’ concept and has been designed using sustainable landscape strategies in support of the expos ‘Live Green, Live Better’ theme”.
The garden design concept is based on five core values: H2O; food for all; breathe; green not grey and reconnect. These core values are embodied within the garden’s main areas; Welcome Garden, Urban Forest, Rain Garden, Rewilding Meadow and the AIPH Flower Pavilion.
The AIPH Rewilding Garden provides a deeply immersive and reconnecting experience for visitors as they journey through an array of flourishing plants and trees. Within the 8m diameter Flower Pavilion, the AIPH ‘Green City’ concept is conveyed further using emotionally evocative artwork and a short, mesmerizing film on the garden’s core values and a history of AIPH approved international horticultural expos. The garden was constructed by Green Gardens Group, China and is sponsored by Expo 2024 Lodz, Poland and Pera Event.
Over 100 countries and organisations are participating in Expo 2019 Beijing, displaying horticultural innovations, inspiration and excellence focused on the development of greener and healthier urban living environments. At the expo’s opening ceremony, the Chinese President Xi Jinping reaffirmed China’s commitment to green and ecological development and his support for the expo. Expo 2019 Beijing is the largest event of its kind ever held and is expected to receive 16 million visitors over its six-month duration. It is widely anticipated that the event will have a significant positive impact on the development of a greener future in China and around the world. Expo 2019 Beijing is an AIPH A1 approved international horticultural exhibition and supported by the Chinese government, the Beijing Municipal Government, the BIE and the China Flower Association (CFA).
The AIPH Rewilding Garden leaflet, further information and images are available at: http://aiph.org/aiph_event/
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