Summer flowers and cozy seating areas add color at Lahti’s market square

This summer, both new and familiar elements are creating a welcoming atmosphere at Lahti’s market square. The square’s recreational area once again features the Lahti stage, swings, benches, and plantings. New this year is a dance floor, which residents have been hoping for.  

The lounge area is bordered by flower towers featuring four different varieties of hanging geraniums. Each flower tower holds about 90 plants. In addition to hanging geraniums, the hanging baskets also feature surfinias and ornamental sweet potatoes. Events will be held on the Lahti stage throughout July and August. 

The seating area at Arkitori features plant-based furniture designed and built by design students from LAB University of Applied Sciences. The set of plant-based furniture consists of ten separate wooden seating elements, each containing planting boxes. You can sit and relax on each part of the furniture.

The plants in the elements include, among others, liverworts, moss, tar flowers, and sedges, which peek out from between the wooden elements of the seating area. Taller woody plants can also be found among the furniture. 

In addition, a striking wooden seating group designed by Amadeu Vives and built by Lahden Ympäristöpaja has been installed in the center of the square this year. The seating area consists of benches and planters. Benches are placed on each side of the group, providing a shadier spot to sit in the otherwise sunny square. The plantings consist of perennials and summer flowers. 

Thousands of seasonal plants planted throughout the city

Annual plants have been planted throughout the city, as is done every year. Thousands of plants have been planted in total. Over the years, some of the seasonal plants have been replaced with perennials, for example, in the flower beds at Pikku-Vesijärvenpuisto, Kirkkopuisto (in front of Fellmannia), and Eliel Saarinen Park. 

In downtown Lahti, summer flowers can also be found in Kaupungintalonpuisto, Paasikivenpuisto, and in many flower pots throughout the downtown area. Summer flower plantings can also be found at Rakokivi Market Square and Mukkula Manor. The City of Lahti’s local contractors are responsible for maintaining the plantings.