• Gardens of Estonia
• Harjumaa
• ROOGOJA HORTICULTURE FARM

ROOGOJA HORTICULTURE FARM

Roogoja Horticulture Farm is the most well-known and long lasting horticulture farm in the area. 

The farm was founded and developed by Aili Kivistik and Uno Kivistik whose hard work is carried on by their son Taavi Kivistik. 

In 1960s, the gardening unit of the collective farm named by Johannes Lauristin was established on the fields of Roogoja family farm. This was initiated by Uno Kivistik whose parents used to own the land. Besides his day job, Uno Kivistik was engaged in plant breeding. He conducted numerous hybridisation experiments in apple trees and roses and received many promising hybrids which have given us over 20 new appletree and over 50 rose varieties. 

In 1974, they started to grow different types of Clematis in their home garden. After collecting many different varieties of Clematis from all over Baltics as well as other republics of the former Soviet Union, Uno Kivistik decided to engage in Clematis breeding.  In 1979, Aili and Uno Kivistik made their first Clematis hybridisations in the greenhouse corridors of the collective gardening unit. 

During the period of 1979–1992, they made over 1000 different hybridisation combinations with more than 400 different varieties. They grew and controlled over the period of 6–7 years more than 6000 hybrids from which 250 were chosen as promising ones and 140 of them have been given variety names. Clematis varieties bred at Roogoja Farm are now grown in the gardens all over the world. They are best suited for the Nordic climate. The Clematis collection has around 350 different varieties with several replicates.

The first grapevine was planted in Roogoja Farm in 1950. Today, there are over 200 varieties of grapevines in the collection. The greenhouse grown grapes ripen from August to November. 

VISITORS INFORMATION: The best time to visit the garden is from 20 July to 20 August. The garden can be visited by prior agreement and open garden days. Visiting fee € 4 per adult.