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Janis Ruksans – gardener, bulb expert, freedom fighter


The Latvian Janis Ruksans is one of our true heroes. A lifetime in horticulture: gardener, magazine editor, plant hunter, nurseryman…. and freedom fighter. The world’s leading expert on bulbs (Crocus is his real love), he talks here about growing up in the shadow of Stalin, his methods of growing bulbs, his explorations to look for new species, how Latvian growers were able to dominate Soviet horticulture, and how in the late 1980s he used his garden journal to speak out for Latvian independence from Russia, leading him to become one of the leaders of the nation’s independence movement. A remarkable interview with a man with a truly infectious enthusiasm.

26.November.2021

 

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