[Culturechat] Garden plots

[Vance Roy]

A lot of visitors to CH remark on the small plots of ground frequently 
seen near the outskirts of a town or city with small huts and beautiful 
gardens of flowers and vegetables. There is usually a hut that can be 
quite fancy with a patio, BBQ furnace, a flagpole, chairs, etc. people 
can be seen sitting out or working in the gardens. The nearest one of 
these to me is in Sarnen, so you can see that the town doesn't have to 
be too large to have one.

These "Family Gardens" were the idea of a Swiss doctor in the last 
century. He felt that city people would be healthier if they had places 
to get some fresh air and exercise. From this idea came the family 
garden. There are 375 of these plots in CH. Each is about 40 feet 
square, and they are rented by going to a city official in charge of 
this. There is frequently a waiting list. It costs about 250 CHF a year 
to rent one of these plots. There is no electric power, but water and 
and toilets are available. You can outfit your garden with a hut of 
course, as well as a patio, grill, stoves, and lamps. You are not 
allowed to spend a night in these however. What you grow is your own 
business (unless it is a weed to smoke). The use of certain fertilizers 
and chemicals is controlled though.

The gardens are rarely far from the city, so people can reach them 
easily. There are local clubs that oversee the activities in these 
plots, and parties and work days are held. There is even a magazine sent 
to renters of these places. Some of the garden areas are zoned 
permanently for just that, while others are used on a temporary 
(sometimes years) basis before the land is put to other use.

All in all, if you are an apartment dweller in a big city, these gardens 
can be an attractive way to get some exercise and get back to nature.

Some of this information came by way of "Swiss News", a periodical in 
English about life in CH. You may find these in kiosks.

Vance Roy
gigli.saw@dplanet.ch