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Guided Garden Tour
Come and explore the grandmother’s garden surrounding Apartment accommodation Unelma.
- +358449972458
- Rinnetie 2, Mäntyharju
Garden tour in grandmother's garden
Explore the grandmother’s traditional kitchen garden surrounding Accommodation Unelma, where a variety of root vegetables, berry bushes, fruit trees, and herbs are grown. Available on summer Saturdays in 2026.
During the guided garden tour, you will discover traditional kitchen garden varieties that we preserve for the winter by making juices, jams, and other homemade products. You will also explore the herb garden and hear how we use a variety of useful plants to prepare things such as herbal teas for year-round use. Note: These tours are currently available only in Finnish. If you would like to book a tour in English, please contact Piia.
Price: €15 per person (in Finnish)
Summer Saturdays from 27 June to 29 August 2026
12:00–13:00
(excluding Saturday 1 and 15 August)
Address:
Apartment accommodation Unelma
Rinnetie 2, Mäntyharju
Groups:
+358 44 997 2458, piia@piiamakila.fi
During the tour, you will see for example:
blueberry bushes
sea buckthorn
apple, pear, and cherry trees
chokeberries
rowan tree berries
root vegetables such as potatoes and Jerusalem artichokes
wild strawberries
seasonal kitchen garden varieties
small herb gardens
wild plants such as clover
how we make use of trees growing in the garden and nearby nature
utility Garden
Small joys and seasonal surprises from a Finnish home garden
We begin the tour at the garden seating area, where we are creating a small meadow garden to support pollinators and bees.
From there, we continue to the old vegetable garden, where we grow blueberry bushes and wild strawberries. Even the grapevine planted outdoors manages to produce a small harvest every year.
Along the way, we will see sea buckthorn bushes, spruces, chokeberries, a small herb garden, and a rose garden that welcomes new varieties almost every summer.
kitchen Garden
Seasonal favourites and homegrown harvests
In the kitchen garden, we grow different root vegetables such as potatoes and Jerusalem artichokes.
We use natural crop rotation methods in our garden, and during the summer of 2026 we will also be growing pumpkins and peas.
Near the kitchen garden, you will also find rhubarb, mint, and nettle beds, as well as a traditional comfrey plant that we ourselves have used to help soothe various inflammatory aches and pains.
Herb Garden
Fragrant herbs and simple everyday flavours
In the herb garden, we grow herbs and flowers such as thyme, garlic, parsley, wild violets, and chamomile.
This part of the garden is also home to blooming peonies and a small but resilient apple tree that produces sweet and slightly tart apples.
On the way here, we walk past berry bushes and take another look at the kitchen garden — the kind of traditional home garden that can still be found in many Finnish yards.
And if there is something edible growing and ready to harvest, you are welcome to taste it.
During the tour, you will discover
over 40 useful and edible plants
the wellbeing benefits of different plants
easy ways to use herbs in everyday life
traditional medicinal herbs that you can also grow yourself
a flower meadow created for pollinators and bees
three different vegetable garden areas and natural crop rotation methods
utility Garden
kitchen Garden
small herb gardens
Beauty of the garden
The grandmother’s garden is a lovingly cared-for passion of our family matriarch, bringing joy to us in many different ways. 🌿
Private garden
Perhaps you will also leave with new ideas and inspiration for your own garden — no matter its size. 🌿
Utility garden
During the tour, we can share thoughts and experiences about plants and gardening in like-minded company.
Something to remember
The garden also contains small souvenirs and memories from Piia’s travels around the world.
If you are interested in herbs, you can also join an herb workshop after the garden tour. Price: €15 per person. Note: This workshop is currently available only in Finnish. If you would like to book one in English, please contact Piia.
The herb workshops are organised on summer Saturdays after the garden tour from 13:00 to 14:00.
Private herb workshops can also be arranged for groups and special occasions.
Ryönänhovi garden
If you enjoy gardens, you should also visit Ryönänhovi Garden, which is also located in Mäntyharju. Ryönänhovi has a fascinating history closely connected to Mäntyharju and its historic manor estates.
House tour
Discover the unique architectural details of this historic merchant house built in 1939 and take a glimpse into the private spaces of its residents. This house — and the people who have lived here — hold many stories.
Teetyöpaja
During the herbal tea workshop, you will taste different wild herbs and prepare simple herbal infusions together. The workshop website materials are currently under construction, so if you are interested, please contact Piia.
I also offer a variety of guided nature experiences and outdoor tours.
Experiences all year round.
Mäntyharju is a great destination
Mäntyharju is a unique destination with interesting places to visit all year round. As a local guide, I can help you find the very best spots.