Puutarhoja

Puutarhoja is the Finnish word for gardens, and puutarhoja is the plural form. In Finnish, puutarha denotes a cultivated outdoor space for growing plants, and puutarhoja refers to multiple such spaces. The term can describe private gardens, public parks, or institutional collections.

Garden types and uses vary widely. Private home gardens may serve vegetables, herbs, flowers, or a combination. Public parks and ornamental gardens focus on landscape design, seasonal color, and recreation. Botanical gardens and university collections preserve plant diversity and support research, conservation, and education.

Climate and geography shape Finnish gardening. Finland has a relatively short growing season and cold winters, which influence plant selection, garden design, and practices such as greenhouse use, soil preparation, and the use of hardy species.

History and cultural context: gardens have long been part of rural life in Finland, evolving from utilitarian kitchen plots to landscaped estates and, in the 19th and 20th centuries, to public parks and botanic institutions. In recent decades urban gardening has grown, with balcony planters, community plots, and school gardens contributing to local food production, biodiversity, and well-being.

See also: botanic garden, garden design.