The first dahlias in Europe were grown in Iłowa in the Lubuskie Voivodeship. The person who contributed to the development of local gardening in the 17th century was Count Friedrich von Promnitz. It was in his reign that the town was granted an urban charter and the unique coat of arms with an image of a dog. Another contributor to the industrial development of gardening was the Winkler family. The dahlias and orchids grown by them were used e.g to decorate German passenger liners before World War II. Iłowa was also made famous by two dahlia exhibitions organised in the 1930s. The 1938 exhibition was visited by as many as over 35,000 people. in 1939 1,000 dahlia varieties and the achievements of the local fruit growers, such as grapes and peaches, were presented here.
The idea of a flower exhibitions was resumed in the 21st century. Every year in May the Manor Park Feast is held, during which interesting varieties of flowers grown in the town’s immediate vicinity are presented. Be our guest!
