Last week, I started a new chapter in my life - the one of being a ‘Kleingärtner’ in Vienna.

You may ask what a Kleingärtner is and if you directly translate the German word, you would come up with allotment gardener or garden plot holder. But in a city such as Vienna, being a Kleingärtner comes with its own history and culture.

In Vienna, the first Kleingärten emerged at around 1909 as a way of getting people outside and allowing them to grow their own crops in the middle of the city. On plots of about 200 to 600 square metres they started to plant fruit trees and vegetable patches which later helped to feed the war-torn population in World Wars I and II.

While this tradition is continuing up to this day, most Kleingärten have transformed into private properties with detached houses being built on them. I grew up in one of those as well. After moving out of my parents' home, I got interested in returning to these roots about 10 years ago - that’s how long I had to wait to be offered my own plot, which I can call my own since last week.

This is a big step for me having waited for so long. I’m particularly looking forward to restoring the 24 square metres hut on the plot to function as a summer retreat and to get planting crops as well as flowers.

I’ll post updates on the renovation process as well as the landscaping. If you have any advice/resources on setting up the perfect vegetable patch, let me know! 🌱