Merilen Mentaal (Estonia)

Garden and Landscape Designer

Merilen Mentaal is a designer whose creative strength is driven by intuition and a profound connection to nature. A 2006 graduate of the prestigious Oxford College of Garden Design (UK), she has been an accredited member of the Society of Garden Designers since 2012.

Merilen’s expertise is deeply rooted in practice: 20 years of owning a plant nursery provided her with a solid botanical foundation, while her daily commitment to design and planting keeps her vision sharp. Her creativity extends into photography and writing; she has authored several books on garden design and roses and is a regular contributor to gardening media.

At the “Garden Style” conference, Merilen will share her insights: Gardens can contain so much nature, beauty and rewinding energy in one small space. It is like a concentrate of what world could offer you if wisely executed. Gardens are not only about good structure and plants but the underlying current of potential energy, something we haven’t fully realized or don’t take advantage of. Feasting all our senses, the sight, sound, smell, touch, taste and feel is something that a well-designed garden should deliver. What to consider and how to do it is something the presentation will discuss.

The presentation will be translated into Lithuanian.

Matthias Meilland (France) 

The 6th Generation Rose Breeder

Did you know that the roses you admire in the world’s most beautiful gardens often share one name – Meilland? Our speaker, Matthias Meilland, represents the 6th generation of a family that has been dedicated to rose breeding since 1850. Their legacy is woven into history, from the iconic ‘Peace’ rose, presented to the founders of the United Nations, to securing the first-ever plant patent in Europe.

Today, Matthias continues his ancestors’ work, evaluating up to 200,000 new hybrids annually. In creating future garden legends like ‘Papa Meilland’, ‘Bonica’, and ‘Pierre de Ronsard’, the focus goes beyond beauty and fragrance to ensure exceptional plant vitality.

The ultimate goal for Matthias and the Meilland family is to create roses that thrive in any environment – from the frost of Canada to the heat of Morocco – ensuring prolific blooms and disease resistance in every garden.

At the “Garden Style” conference, Matthias will showcase the very latest, cutting-edge rose varieties that are just beginning to define garden trends. He will reveal how modern breeding creates the plants of the future: those characterized not only by enchanting beauty but also by extraordinary resilience to diseases and a changing climate.

The presentation will be translated into Lithuanian.

Kateřina Zahradníková (Czech Republic)

Landscape Architect and Planting Designer

Kateřina Zahradníková holds a Master’s degree in Garden and Landscape Architecture from Mendel University in Brno. During her studies, she expanded her academic experience at Politecnico di Milano and later completed a Master’s program at the Faculty of Architecture at Sapienza University in Rome in field of Landscape Architecture.

She lived in Italy for nearly 18 years, where she developed her design approach within a culturally and historically rich landscape context.

Today, she works internationally, with projects primarily in the Czech Republic and Italy, as well as in other European countries. Her portfolio includes private gardens, parks, public spaces, green roofs, and commercial spaces. Across all scales, her work is guided by ecological sensitivity and a deep understanding of plant systems. She focuses on creating spaces that balance people and nature, integrating naturalistic planting strategies to strengthen biodiversity within contemporary landscapes.

Arjan Boekel (The Netherlands)

Landscape Designer

Arjan Boekel represents the contemporary Dutch school of landscape design, where plants are treated not merely as decoration, but as essential living elements used to shape atmosphere and experience. His work is characterized by a masterful balance between structure and lush, naturalistic planting, with a focus on creating places where people feel comfortable and deeply connected to nature. His philosophy is rooted in the idea that plants are dynamic building blocks that directly define the garden’s character and the way we feel within it.

At the “Garden Style” conference, Arjan Boekel will present the principles of designing in layers—combining trees, shrubs, and perennials to create rich, visually captivating environments. He places a strong emphasis on planting for the future, focusing on drought resilience and adapting to special conditions such as infiltration zones or roof gardens. Drawing from his extensive practice at Boekel Tuinen, Arjan will share insights on building integrated planting systems instead of traditional planting plans, ensuring long-term sustainability and biodiversity throughout the seasons.

Tadas Eidukevičius (Lietuva)

Michelin and Green Star Chef, Co-founder of DEMO Restaurant

Tadas Eidukevičius is a culinary visionary whose restaurant, DEMO, earned both a prestigious Michelin star and the Green Star for sustainable gastronomy. In his kitchen, aesthetic plate design meets strict ecological responsibility. Tadas works closely with Lithuanian farmers to bring the diversity of gardens and the wild into the realm of haute cuisine.

At the conference, the chef will present on the culinary application of edible flowers and invasive plants. This will be more than just a theoretical lecture—Tadas will share practical methods and recipes that allow us to view unwanted garden plants as valuable resources. You will discover how solutions fostering biodiversity can transform into aesthetic and surprising flavors in your own kitchen.

Šarūnas Kasmauskas (Lietuva)

Founder of the Japanese Garden

Šarūnas Kasmauskas has walked an extraordinary path. With a medical degree and experience in military medicine, he now introduces himself as a Japanese garden visionary and gardener. As Šarūnas says, this is a gift of life, bestowed upon him by his masters from Japan and through years of dedicated work creating one of the largest Japanese gardens in Europe, located in the Kretinga district.

In his presentation, Šarūnas Kasmauskas will share practical insights into what truly defines the ideal picnic spot. The main focus here is the view—a scenery to feast one’s eyes upon during a moment of rest. Šarūnas will reveal how to create such a view yourself: when it is worth masterfully framing it, when to open it up completely, and which specific design principles to use so the surroundings evoke a sense of calm. Drawing on Japanese aesthetics and his years of practice, Šarūnas will demonstrate how to manage garden spaces so that the vistas unfolding from certain vantage points become the central axis of the garden, inviting one to stop and savor the moment here and now.

Host of the conference

Lina Liubertaitė

Blogger, founder of Modern Landscaping Courses “Geltonas karutis”, author of the book “Garden Detective. Kakė Makė”, host of the TV show “Čia mano sodas” (LRT).

More speakers to be announced shortly.

Tickets go on sale – April 30th at 10:00 AM!

Early birds get the best price!

Prices increase on May 3rd at 11:59 PM.

In 2026, the “Garden Style” conference will celebrate its 11th year.

In 2025, the event welcomed as many as 800 guests, so we have no doubt that 2026 will attract an even larger crowd and offer plenty of new surprises. It is no coincidence that this conference is considered the most important gathering for landscaping professionals and enthusiasts in the region—it truly stands out for its scale, energy, and inspiring atmosphere.

Dress code: Picnic!

We invite landscape architects, designers, nurseries, and garden supply representatives to partner with us.

Please contact us using the contact details below.