Thematic and Study plots

Kisdiófa Community Garden

Summary

In the “Kisdiófa” community garden, the gardening community provides 2-2 raised beds for applicants selected by tender for one year periods for

District schools and kindergartens for educational purposes
Thematic projects related to sustainable, climate-adaptive lifestyles, the results of which can be shared with the community or have direct social impacts (e.g. growing of painting plants, creating art installations based on the very raised bed, organising garden therapy courses for homeless people etc.)

1. Organisation hosting the activity

Name

Kisdiófa Community Garden

Legal status

NGO

Year of establishment

2005

Location

H-1077 Budapest, Kis Diófa u. 4.

The Kisdiófa Community Garden was opened in the 7th district of Budapest in 2016 with the support of the Municipality of Erzsébetváros, under the professional guidance and coordination of the Hungarian Contemporary Architecture Centre (KÉK). There are 44 individual/family plots and 4 raised beds for educational and other (art, community etc.) activities have been created. Located in the middle of the so-called “Bulinegyed”, this green “oasis” hosts a variety of community, professional and cultural events.

Commonly cultivated area: herb garden in raised bed, edible flowers, herbs, ornamental plants, garden fishpond

Permacultural and water-saving cultivation techniques are preferred in the garden. Chemicals and pesticides are not allowed to be used. Garden-community are producing compost and home-made compost tea and several times a year replenish and improve the nutrients in the soil and plants.

There is a bee-hotel (insect-shelter), bird feeders and a small garden fishpond for biodiversity. The natural habitat of pollinators is also important to the gardeners, so bee-keeping areas (esp. flower beds) are created in commonly cultivated parts of the garden.

Open Days are held regularly (first Saturdays of months) where interested visitors are highly welcome.

In the “Kisdiófa” community garden, the gardening community provides 2-2 raised beds for applicants selected by tender for one year periods

District schools and kindergartens for educational purposes
Thematic projects related to sustainable, climate-adaptive lifestyles, the results of which can be shared with the community or have direct social impacts (e.g. growing of painting plants, creating art installations based on the very raised bed, organising garden therapy courses for homeless people etc.)

Activities: Community engagement, Education

2. Activity detailed description

Since 2010 the Hungarian Contemporary Architecture Centre (KÉK) has been engaged in the naturalisation and distribution of community gardens. The Foundation worked out for the movement, which has become mostly self-organised by today, the methodology, legal background and models adaptable to the Hungarian environment. It also supported the development of the cause with education, consultancy and creation of a knowledge base with special regard to institutional and individual adaptation to climate change. Our community gardens provide gardening opportunities for almost 800 city residents. Apart from the gardeners working on the plots of our community gardens, every year thousands of people attend the various, (climate) awareness raising workshops, cultural and community developing programmes and events.

Garden communities in Hungary are less open to neighbourhoods. This does not help community gardens to become centres for climate adaptation knowledge sharing and awareness raising. Allocating some plots and raised beds of the community garden for community use will help to make the value of community gardening and gardens evident to the wider community.

Implementation steps

The decision of the garden community on the creation of thematic and/or educational plots, the designation of the plots.
Preparation and publication of a call for proposals through various information channels. It is worth contacting the relevant department of the local municipality, the relevant school district centre, the community centre, cultural institutions and community places that are popular with the local population.
Evaluation of the applications received and publication of the results.
Conclusion of an agreement with the user of the plot (if a community, then with its designated representative.
Introduction of the applicants to the garden community in the context of a community programme, where the plot users explain to the garden community how they will reciprocate the community’s gesture of providing the plot.

3. Gallery

4. Conclusions

Thematic or study plots and raised beds in community gardens provide possibilities to reveal the hidden potential and great values of these special green places to neighbourhood and the wider community. In the process of turning community gardens centres of (both formal and informal) education in the field of climate change adaptation these special plots could have a fundamental role.

Advice / Recommendation

"The conditions of special plots usage must be determined in consultation with the garden community and in accordance with the garden regulations. It would be useful to allow for long-term projects (e.g. for a school children's community for several years), but also to choose project applications for fixed-term plots with variable themes".