We have probably all seen the veggies and greens grown on earth. But have you ever heard of gardens that are installed vertically? Check the vertical garden in our Swedish restaurant.
What does vertical gardening mean?
A vertical garden is a closed ecosystem that allows you to have fresh greenery all year round and takes up very little space. Even if you have only a small area, the vertical garden lets you grow up to ten times more greens than you could in a regular garden bed. Another difference is that such a garden does not need soil at all, as mineral-saturated water trays are used instead.
Smart and sustainable greens
The Swedish restaurant's garden is not only vertical but also smart. The growing process is fully automated: with the help of special software, we can monitor the growth cycle of all greens, control humidity and temperature remotely, and the lighting perfectly reproduces natural sunlight.However, we mostly love it for another reason. The vertical garden makes growing even more sustainable: without any chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and with 95 percent less water than in traditional gardening. Even more, by growing greens ourselves, we can reduce both logistics costs and our carbon footprint.
Pea shoots
Before the pods of peas ripen, you can already enjoy their mild-tasting, crunchy and juicy shoots. Just order fried vegetable and burrata snack at the Swedish restaurant.
Lettuce mix
Is there anything tastier than a fresh juicy lettuce? Yes, there is – a lettuce mix. We grow different types of lettuce and leaves that end up in many of our Swedish restaurant dishes.Coral lettuce
Lollo Rosso and Lollo Biondo are more than just some good-looking lettuce. Their curly leaves are tender and nutty in taste, with a slight mustard bitterness, therefore they're perfect in dishes like a green salad with curd cheese and hemp seeds.Basil
It is a fragrant spice, a great addition to salads, and an important ingredient of Mediterranean cuisine. We really like fresh basil, so you will find it on Swedish restaurant's menu as well.
Mint
Fresh mint is highly fragrant. It can be used to flavour almost everything from meat dishes to salads to desserts. Without mint, our meringue dessert called Pavlova would not be as delicious as it is.
Curious to see?
You can see all the greens we grow at the IKEA Vilnius store. The vertical garden is located on the 2nd floor, near the Swedish restaurant. And if you are hungry for more than just seeing, check the restaurant menu. There are plenty of dishes with our fresh greens.Looking forward to seeing you!