“Garden by Garden”: from green areas to urban gardens in Split

Igor Belamarić (Parks and Plantations), landscape architect and ULG member, spoke of the origin of the Potlund oasis of Mediterranean plants, in the theme park "For all time", and introduced participants to the idea of a park where biodiversity and local wild plants are cultivated and preserved. He also illustrated all the challenges he had to face to set up the park, the struggle to preserve existing plants and trees and the need to change the simplified approach to landscaping based on the division of plants into "useful plants” and “weeds”.

The program continued in the Skalice primary school garden where Ivan Mateljan and Feniks Julija Antunovic, representatives of Permaculture Dalmacija and ULG members, presented the process of creating this unique space in Split and the different education programs that take place on a regular basis such as gardening and carpentry workshops as part of occupational therapy open to all interested citizens. Concepts such as garden beds, compost piles, arrangement of shrubs and trees, "hotel" for insects and outdoor classrooms were also illustrated to the participants.

However, the most important aspect highlighted throughout the event was the "life" of the garden thanks to the active role of the community through activities involving students, teachers, residents of the neighborhood and all other users of the garden space.

The outdoor classroom (part of the project design and used for the first time for this occasion), was the setting for the lecture "Urban gardens and their future in Split" by Maring Kanajet,  president of Permakultura Dalmacija and also ULG member. Mr Kanajet spoke of the role and the benefits of urban gardens and introduced the RU:RBAN project, explaining that it is precisely during RU:RBAN that the city will establish a pilot project of an urban garden and will lay the foundations for all future urban gardens in Split.

The event was also the opportunity to inaugurate the benches, the garden furniture and the dry stone walls made during garden activities and to demonstrate how an urban garden can be the ideal space for lectures, outdoor film screenings and any outdoor activity in general.

News on this event (in local language) can be found at the following link: https://www.jutarnji.hr/planet/pilot-projekt-urbanog-vrta-udarit-ce-temelj-za-sve-buduce-splitske-urbane-vrtove-15212404?fbclid=IwAR0cS-n29RikbYYH5oEASVzuP35Qj3vn7_OXY9q2uYHSNasWAZaQSxOCSQI