Daejeon designates 'Saitgil' as its 13th private garden

Daejeon designated Saitgil as its 13th private garden Monday, transforming an aging house in the city's historic downtown into a public green space.

The city has been working to discover privately owned gardens that reflect their owners' personal tastes and stories, expanding opportunities for residents to enjoy garden culture in their daily lives.

Since 2022, Daejeon has steadily identified and registered private gardens across its districts — including Haneulgang (Daedeok-gu), Sonamupoong-gyeong (Seo-gu), Walden (Jung-gu), Gonghyuil (Seo-gu), Geucheoe (Yuseong-gu), Pungnyu Soje (Dong-gu), Coffee House (Jung-gu), Daejeon Shinsegae (Yuseong-gu), Buen Camino (Jung-gu), Sieunu (Seo-gu), Coffee-ga (Yuseong-gu) and Moru (Daedeok-gu) — bringing the total to 12 sites before Monday's addition.

The newly designated Saitgil was created by tearing down walls and organically connecting indoor and outdoor spaces to unify what had been scattered areas into a single garden. Highlights include 31 stepping stones, a water feature centered on a pond, and a bamboo grove path planted with black bamboo, together creating a calm and distinctive landscape.

The garden is designed so that new scenery unfolds as spaces open and close along the visitor's path, building curiosity and anticipation at each turn. A "garden stay" lodging option has also been introduced, offering guests an experience that goes beyond sightseeing to allow a more leisurely, overnight immersion in the garden.

Meanwhile, the city continues to provide hands-on support to maintain and improve the quality of its existing private gardens. This year, it supplied about 5,000 seasonal seedlings — including pansy, viola, coleus and chrysanthemum — grown at Hanbat Arboretum, distributing 200 plants per garden in two rounds, one in spring and one in autumn, to enhance the seasonal character of each site and give visitors more to see.

The city plans to continue developing citizen-centered garden culture through a range of education, cultural and experiential programs, with the aim of establishing gardens as a sustainable local cultural asset that extends beyond private space.

"A garden is more than just a green space — it is a lifestyle culture that enhances happiness and quality of life," said Park Young-cheol, director of Daejeon's Climate, Environment and Green Space Bureau. "We will build a garden city that everyone creates together, with citizens' hands and participation at its heart."