Autumn in the allotted gardens of Poznan

As part of the Garden season - let's meet on the plots project, in September  2021 two open events were organized with the cooperation with Zasiej Association for allotment gardeners and the local community in Poznań: Neighborly Allotment Gardener Day and Art in the garden – an autumn artistic afternoon. Their aim was to integrate allotment gardeners and local community and show the advantages of making garden space available to a wider public. The topics of these events were jointly developed in previous meetings to meet the needs of our stakeholders.

First event took place in M. Curie-Skłodowska's FAG and involved: drawing open-air with an exhibition of works in the garden – an exercise in mindfulness to nature (workshop for children and adults); collecting seeds together – a walk around the garden in search of seeds for the next season, making original bags for seeds together (family workshop); adjudication of the competition "Exemplary Plot"; "Jar for jar" action – exchange of homemade preserves and collection of original recipes; plebiscite on the name of allotment alleys; collecting stories from allotment gardeners and their neighbors – tell about what the garden and its surroundings used to look like in the past and how the life in the neighborhood allotted – common creation of the garden chronicle.

Second event took place in O. Kopczyński's FAG and was organized with the participation of local kindergarten and schools. It involved: Smurfs on the plot – a theatrical performance by children from Kindergarten No. 48; The Gifts of Autumn – art and nature workshops organized by children and teachers from Primary School No. 77; a poetry and music meeting with the participation of youth from the 37th Therapeutic High School; Gates to the city-garden – natural and artistic field game – discover garden metalwork art and exercise mindfulness of nature; exhibition of works by children from Kindergarten No. 48.

The final result of our meetings will be a catalog of good practices in opening the allotment gardens in cities and a year-round program of animation and integration events for allotment gardeners and local community. Their publication is planned for the beginning of next year.

Gathered experience from the whole process of opening FAGs will allow to scale up this approach in other gardens.

Dominika Dymek, Project Coordination and Urban Regeneration Office, City of Poznań