Garten In Berlin Spandau

[Regelian]

This garden is in Spandau, Berlin, and belongs for Mrs. Lüdke.  It was a fascinating experience.  Laid out in what resembles the English garden, with its rooms, it is the result of being able to aquire the gardens left and right from her original parcel in a garden community (schrebergarten).   I got many ideas from her work.  If my camera hadn't died, I would have taken a lot more shots!

[Regelian]

And, now, the last three.  By the way, most of the plants are self-propogated over the years.  She had plently of small potted examples to take home!

[Paddy Tobin]

Jamie,

A very nice garden. Many thanks for posting your photographs.

Can you explain "Garden Community"?

Paddy

[Luc Gilgemyn]

A very nice garden indeed Jamie !!
Looking quite natural too !
Thanks so much for showing ! 

[Regelian]

Jamie,

A very nice garden. Many thanks for posting your photographs.

Can you explain "Garden Community"?

Paddy

Paddy,

this is similar to allotments in Britain and Ireland.  It was originally set-up for people without gardening possibilities, so they could produce some of their own vegetables.  Most of these gardens are governed by a club, generally with ridiculous rules about what one may and may not plant (many German clubs are run by control freaks, unfortunately!).  In Spandau, there are no such rules and one may create what one wishes, thus this amazing garden has been able to grow and flourish is the purist of senses. In Cologne, such a garden would be impossible.

Wish you all could have been there.  It was a real treat.

[Paddy Tobin]

Thanks, Jamie.

It certainly is a different development from the allotments here which are almost completely given over to vegetables. It is an interesting way for these gardens to develop.

Paddy

[Hristo]

Fascinating Jamie, what a super garden and an interesting historical/social insight!
I assume at some point in the future this could all be returned to veggies?

[Hans J]

Here is a bit of information to "Schrebergarten"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allotment_(gardening)#Germany

[arillady]

I was fascinated by these gardens when I was travelling by train between Paris and Sangerhausen in 2002.
I thought at the time that many people lived in apartments blocks in Germany and this was a way to garden - there were many backing onto railways - there was also one just up the road from the main office of the Europa Rosarium - it was called a kleingarten. It was also fascinating the way that many plants were grown on graves in the Sangerhausen friedhof (cemetery). Vistitors to the cemetery also had access to brooms, rakes and watering cans with which to care for the plants on the graves. I found my time in Europe uttely fascinating and so very different to Australia

[Paul T]

Amazing, Jamie.  Some beautiful plants in there.  I love the Echinacea with the butterfly on it.... such a wonderful contrast.  Looks like a wonderful garden to visit, with all it's little hidden gems.  Thanks so much for showing us.

[David Nicholson]

Lovely set of pics Jamie, thanks for posting them.

[Maggi Young]

Wish you all could have been there.  It was a real treat.

Jamie, thanks to you we have at least been able to have this flavour of a  lush and stunning garden.....and the Hemerocallis garden, also.... many thanks for sharing this with us. 

[Paddy Tobin]

Hans,

Many thanks for the link. It is a system which was common here in Ireland when I was a child but then fell into disuse - people feeling affluent and not making the change from growing fruit and vegetable, out of necessity, to ornamental gardening as is in the garden shown by Jamie.

It is an excellent development, keeping the allotment ethos alive and putting it to the use most suited to today's allotment users.

Paddy

[cohan]

This garden is in Spandau, Berlin, and belongs for Mrs. Lüdke.  It was a fascinating experience.  Laid out in what resembles the English garden, with its rooms, it is the result of being able to aquire the gardens left and right from her original parcel in a garden community (schrebergarten).   I got many ideas from her work.  If my camera hadn't died, I would have taken a lot more shots!

wow! you would never guess the garden's humble origins! she must be very proud of her work..
there are community gardens in toronto (probably other large canadian cities also) but the individual plots seem much smaller...of course the intention is mainly for vegetable gardens, though some people do plant flowers..it may be an 'old' idea, but one which is gaining new popularity as people want to be more 'green', know where their food is coming from, and save money! and while community gardens are charming (i like the visual effect of the different tiny plots side by side) of course, having an end result such as this garden is one in a million--or less!

[Lesley Cox]

Perhaps the one genuine reason that I would like to be 30 or 40 years younger, is that I would want to do something in NZ along the lines of the UK and now, I see, European system of allottment gardening. In Dunedin and around almost every town or city there is ample land which could be turned to this purpose and there are so many families or individuals who would like the chance to grow vegetables, fruits and flowers for their own use, especially in these recession times. It would just take a small bunch of people, a willing city council and some dedicated gardeners to start something of huge benefit to many communities. I've mentioned it a few times in what should have been receptive ears, but met with blank stares, for the most part.

In some parts of the far north, community gardens have been the means of turning to a productive life, groups of young criminals or others from highly disadvantaged backgrounds and there have been some lovely results. Why doesn't the whole world know and understand that gardening in its many forms keeps humanity strong and healthy in both body and mind?