In the very centre of Riga, in one of the narrow, closed courtyards, where not only the sounds of the Theatre Bar concerts can be heard, but also the Russian ballads sung by our neighbour Nina (name changed) in the evening hours, an interesting collaboration between neighbours could be observed. Linda Green, a landscape architect who lives in one of the flats, was inspired by the neighbours' bed linen and had an irresistible urge to realise the idea of an air garden hanging on ropes, and contrary to the assumption that "the shoemaker has no shoes", she succeeded. By agreeing with neighbours to install a common structure, the size of the garden was extended. Metalworker Kristaps Eglītis was called in and transformed the existing pre-war pulley for drying laundry, adding a movable fastener and ensuring the flexibility of the tensioned steel rope. The choice of strawberries was determined by a stand of small strawberries at ground level in the courtyard, in full shade and self-seeding, with access only for the building's caretaker. If strawberries are at the bottom, they should be at the top and fill the courtyard with a vertical dialogue of strawberries. As a result, galvanised tin buckets with strawberry plants of the hanging variety are attached to a steel cable, which can be moved to access them for harvesting and watering. The only question that is not yet clear is whether the strawberries will also be tempting to the families of gulls nesting on the roof a few metres above.
