“Guerilla Gardening” beautifies neglected urban spaces with plants. In Hamburg, neighbors are jointly beautifying a traffic circle. Important factors include location, suitable plants like sunflowers, and watering together. You should ask the city for permission beforehand. The activity promotes neighborhood connections and the joy of gardening.
Turn grey into green. Beautify your neighborhood by gardening together.
The idea of independently beautifying neglected urban spaces with flowers and plants originated in the 1970s in New York and has experienced a revival in London in recent years. Meanwhile, the so-called “Guerilla Gardening” or “Urban Gardening” has also arrived in Germany.
Also on nebenan.de, some neighbors were already active last spring. For example, a group in Hamburg decided to jointly beautify a wild overgrown traffic circle. The idea came up during a regulars' table meeting and received much approval.
Do you also feel like beautifying your surroundings with spade and shovel? Then Bettina and Bernhard from Hamburg have valuable tips for you:
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Location, location, location:
The location of the area is crucial. Only if there is enough shade and sun on the future bed can the plants survive the summer unharmed. It is also worthwhile to examine the soil before planting and, if necessary, enrich it with some fresh soil. Various options include tree pits, backyard beds, green roofs, facade greening, raised beds, or container plants.
Tip: Inform your city or the urban planning office about your project beforehand and ask whether a permit is required if the area is not on private land. Often, a city also supports beautification plans.
“The gardening project was a great thing. Especially the friendly contact with the neighbors and digging in the soil again gave me a lot of joy. Now I see every morning on my way to work how the plants grow bit by bit.”
Bettina from Eimsbüttel
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Choose the right plants: Particularly resilient plants and fast-growing flowers such as sunflowers, perennials, or hollyhocks are suitable. A neighborhood fruit or vegetable bed, where the harvest is shared among all participants, is also popular.
- Water together: To ensure the plants survive the dry months, Bernhard and a nearby neighbor took over watering and now occasionally check on the plants. If needed, they help out with a fresh bucket of water.
- Share how wonderful it was: Create a post with a short text and pictures to tell your neighbors about your project.