There are a couple of vegetable gardens on Grafenwalde, examples of
the Schrebergärten movement started by Daniel Gottlob Moritz Schreber (15 October 1808 – 10 November 1861) His
publications predominantly dealt with the subject of children's health
and the social consequences of urbanization at the dawn of the
Industrial Revolution. Schreber was the founder of the eponymous
"Schreber movement". In 1864, the first Schrebergärten , was established
by leasing land for the physical exercise of children.
Move forward 150+ years and you're zipping along in an ICE high-speed
train, munching happily away on your bratwurst , just as you're wiping
the last blob of mustard from the corner of your mouth, a lazy glance
out the window, though, comes as a shock. Rather than the well-ordered
suburbs or well-kept factories you have come to expect- miniature houses
tucked in next to the train tracks as far as the eye can see.
It's a sight that greets visitors on the approach to almost every town
in Germany -- the clutter of ladders and rakes leaning against the back
of the structures, neatly ordered flowerbeds, well-tended fruit trees
and picture-perfect picket fences are lined up like regiments of tin
soldiers. The phenomenon is known as a Schrebergärten -- an area outside
the city where the gardening-obsessed Germans can rent out a small plot
and plunge their fingers into the soil.
But while getting back to nature is an instinct many of us indulge in,
the German gardener takes it very seriously indeed. Flawlessly clipped
lawns, neatly sculpted bushes, and flowerbeds entirely free of even the
tiniest weed are the norm with many gardens revealing a feng shui
exactness that would put a Japanese bonsai master to shame. Other
vegetation virtuosos prefer a more playful perfection and opt for a
liberal distribution of garden gnomes and plastic windmills with cheap
replicas of Greek fountains and other water features a must for those
with a bit of cash to burn.
Ordered, trimmed, enclosed, ornamental, each strip has some kind of
glorified shed with floral and vegetable displays. As for people,
they’re only temporary visitors, because however fabulous the
summerhouse/cottage/shed – and some are very fancy –one of the many
hundreds of rules is that a Schrebergärten is strictly non-residential
and rules are there to be obeyed. These enclosures are the garden
equivalent of white bread: nature with the wildness extracted – and with
more fertilizer per square metre than any farmer would dare to use.

I like creating Schrebergärten, mine are largely Busch, Noch and scratch, they include strawberries, green and red cabbage,
cauliflower, green and red lettuce. Over the next couple of weeks, I
would like to share the creation of a Schrebergärten for Pottendorf.
The small garden is part of the farmhouse, the original was at least 14 years old and used on at least two previous layouts. There is some further work needed, the washing line will be given some clothes and there is a bear.
However, there is a rural reality of cultivating vegetables, certainly not the ‘pretty’ cottage garden, a gentle chaos of compost heaps, raised beds, garden frames and general detritus.
The cottage garden
The
layout is home to three small vegetable allotments, a reflection of
what I see from my workbench and each is slightly different both in size
and scope. The
oldest is attached to the farmhouse, the cottage has a more formal
arrangement whilst the station garden is tucked away near the
end of the station.
Currently,
the allotment by the station is the the process of being created, the actual
ground is waiting to be laid in place but first the surrounding area
must be completed with some grass and garden rubbish..
The station garden
Naturally, the allotment must have a shed and it must have an armchair.
The
tatty fence is in place, the furrowed earth inset has developed a slight curve whilst the tomatoes and potatoes are growing
but it still needs a lot more detail.
For information about the cottage click here for more