A Strebergarten promises city dwellers happy gardening in the midst of nature. Isn't it actually called an allotment garden? This guide brings light into the darkness. Read here what the term Strebergarten is all about. Practical tips and tricks reveal how you can rent a streberg garden and design it imaginatively.

The Strebergarten is actually called allotment garden

Table of Contents

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  1. the essentials in brief
  2. Nerd garden definition
  3. Rent a garden garden
  4. Strebergarten costs
  5. Designing the Streberge garden in accordance with the rules
  6. frequently asked Questions

    7. the essentials in brief

    • Schrebergarten or Strebergarten is the fenced plot of an allotment for the private cultivation of fruit and vegetables and for use as a place to relax for the whole family.
    • You can't buy a greengrocer's garden, you can rent it as part of a sublease agreement with the allotment garden association.
    • The design of veteran gardens is subject to legal requirements and the statutes of the association's statutes.

    What is a nerd garden? - Definition

    Strebergarten is the tongue-in-cheek synonym for the traditional allotment garden. The historical concept goes back to the eponymous doctor Moritz Schreber and his fellow school director Ernst Hausschild. In the middle of the 19th century, the first allotment plots served as playgrounds for the children of poor factory workers. Over the years, parceled and fenced allotments developed from this, the management of which was regulated by the association's statutes.

    The strict regimentation in the allotment garden in combination with a large number of know-it-alls created the cliché of the stuffy allotment gardener. From this, the play on words Strebergarten developed. Because the authentic Strebergarten always includes a small arbour, the proud owner is jokingly nicknamed the arbor pipit. The following definition sums up the popular garden concept:

    • definition: A fenced-in allotment garden for the non-commercial cultivation of useful plants and for recreation without a residential connection is called an allotment garden or a Strebergarten garden.
    • criteria: Plot with a maximum of 400 m² as a fenced long-term lease, integrated into a complex with several individual gardens, common areas, paths, play areas and a club house (allotment garden)

    Allotment gardens are a type of allotment garden

    The Strebergarten is well on the way to shaking off its bourgeois image. On the subject of allotment gardens, alias Strebergarten, Wikipedia says that since the early 2000s, young families from the big cities have been thronging into the allotment garden colonies. As a result, the average age is falling steadily and has now reached a level below 50 years.

    In Germany alone there are more than 1 million allotment gardeners, organized in 15,000 allotment associations. The largest allotment garden colony can be admired in Ulm, where the “Verein der Kleingärtner Ulm e. V.” looks after more than 1300 plots on 53 hectares. In Saxony there is the smallest allotment gardener association "Am Vogelberg" with a modest 5 plots, which does not detract from the joy of nature-loving gardeners.

    Important social functions

    The sober definition of the allotment garden according to § 1 of the Federal Allotment Garden Act (BKleingG) hides numerous important social functions of an allotment garden colony:

    • generality: green oases in the middle of concrete castles, reduction of air pollution, protection of species, better quality of life
    • family: Cultivation of healthy fruit and vegetables, gardening for young and old, relaxation in the midst of nature
    • children, young people: protected playground, nature experience, communication beyond the smartphone
    • professionals: Retreat from the stress of work, social gatherings, unwind, physical activity
    • unemployed: meaningful task, are needed, fresh vegetables for free
    • Disabled person: Community integration, socializing, communicating with like-minded people
    • Seniors: Contact instead of isolation, individual self-realization in the third phase of life

    The ecological functions of a colony of arbors with their numerous nerd gardens should not be underestimated. Gardening close to nature is the trump card here, which the endangered small animal and insect world appreciates very much.

    Rent a Strebergarten - This is how it works

    The definition makes it clear that interested parties cannot buy a geek garden. Rather, the garden plot is to be rented, to put it correctly, to be leased. For this purpose, as a future allotment gardener, you conclude a sublease agreement with the allotment garden association, which in turn has to pay rent to the municipality as the property owner. In connection with the rental agreement, a transfer fee is to be paid to the previous lessee for existing buildings and vegetation. The purchase price is determined on the basis of an assessment protocol under the aegis of the responsible district association. Until then, most prospective gardeners have to wait a while. How to rent a nerd garden step by step:

    1. Contacting the district association (for Strebergarten Berlin, e.g. via the Berlin State Association of Garden Friends e.V.)
    2. Inclusion in the list of applicants, payment of processing costs and waiting for the next free plot
    3. in the event of a bid, negotiation of the transfer fee based on the appraisal
    4. Conclusion of a sublease agreement
    5. Payment of purchase price and administration fee upon signing of the lease agreement

    It is important to note that a sublease contract with the allotment garden association is reserved exclusively for paying members of the association. In order to express a serious interest in the next available allotment garden, it is advisable to join the local allotment garden association.

    How much does a strewn garden cost?

    The prices for a nerd garden vary from region to region

    The umbrella organization of allotment garden associations in Germany attaches particular importance to the statement that an allotment garden must be affordable for all income groups. For this reason, most of the costs incurred are subject to a cap. The valuation is primarily created in order to keep an eye on the maximum amount of the transfer fee by the district and state association. According to § 5 BKleingG, the plot rent may not exceed four times the amount of the customary local rent for farmland. This results in the following average costs, which have to be paid once and regularly for a nerd garden:

    One-time costs average amount regular costs average amount
    transfer fee 1900-3000 euros Lease garden plot from 0.17 EUR/m²/year
    administrative fee 11-100 euros Lease common area 10-12 EUR/year
    recording club 0-55 EUR membership fee 29-80 EUR/year
    Connection to water and electricity network 500-700 euros taxes/additional costs 280-400 EUR/year
    garden tools/material 300-500 euros electricity, insurance 25-150 EUR/year

    Added to this are the costs for the maintenance of the overgrown garden, such as maintaining soil quality and planting suitable plants. In addition, many allotment garden colonies maintain a lively club life with summer festivals and similar events, the costs of which are borne by all members as allocations. Furthermore, every tenant is required to work compulsory hours on the common areas of the garden colony. Anyone who does not participate has to make appropriate compensation payments to the association, the amount of which is stipulated in the statutes.

    This overview makes no claim to representative relevance. Considering that there are more than 20 state associations with more than 15,000 clubs, the actual costs for an allotment garden are subject to a variety of premises, such as the respective club statutes or local framework conditions. The location of an allotment garden colony has a significant influence on the level of costs. For a Strebergarten in Berlin, Munich or Cologne, the one-time and regular costs are at a significantly higher level than in rural regions such as Krefeld or Heinsberg.

    digression

    Heidelberger Strebergarten - gardening with rap

    In 2022 the title "Heidelberger Strebergarten" was on everyone's lips. The medical students at the University of Heidelberg worked hard to take part in the medical championships. The rap talents among the future doctors have made a must-see music video that pokes fun at their image as nerdy students. Dressed in proper style as typical allotment gardeners with dungarees and straw hat, the fellow students roam through Heidelberg singing and rapping. The medical championships take place every year as a combination of football tournament and music festival for medical students in Germany.

    youtube &fbclid=IwAR3a1QUIZbd_zkrTLIr0VjMeKItXiId4tPwnkeaK1K4plWxut2cPcxbeU2U

    Designing a nerd garden in accordance with the rules - ideas

    Ecological gardening is very important in the Strebergarten. The umbrella organization has determined that at least 97 percent of its allotment gardeners collect rainwater for plant watering. Hardly any fewer allotment gardeners dispose of garden waste on their own compost.

    The rain barrel and compost heap actually leave enough space to creatively design the small green garden paradise. If it weren't for the precise specifications that every nerd garden has to meet. A minimum area for growing vegetables, a hedge without a privacy factor or the maximum size of a gazebo are stipulated. The following ideas would like to inspire you on how to give your geek garden a personal touch:

    cultivation of fruits and vegetables

    The allotment garden is intended for the cultivation of fruit and vegetables

    At least one third of the garden area in the Strebergarten is reserved for the non-commercial cultivation of fruit, berry bushes, vegetables and herbs. The following ideas sum up how you can implement this premise creatively:

    • frugal vegetables: radishes (Raphanus sativus), peas (Pisum sativum), lentils (Lens culinaris)
    • delicious and easy to care for: carrots (Daucus carota), spinach (Spinacia oleracea), lamb's lettuce (Valerianella locusta)
    • Herb spiral: build it yourself from natural stones and imaginatively plant tasty herbs

    So that you can easily reach your home-grown fruit and vegetables for care and harvesting work, garden paths in the sward garden should not be missing with a recommended width of 30 to 40 centimeters.

    Hospitable enclosure

    Every allotment garden is considered a private use of public green space. For this reason, the prescribed enclosure is limited to a height of 100 to 125 centimeters, so that all citizens can enjoy the secluded garden areas and not just the tenants. In order to realize a hospitable enclosure, ideas are needed based on easy-care and representative solutions:

    • Blossom hedges that tolerate pruning: Fingerbush (Potentilla fruticosa), dwarf spar (Spiraea japonica), Japanese quince (Chaenomeles japonica)
    • easy-care deciduous hedges: hornbeam (Carpinus betulus), privet (Ligustrum), field maple (Acer campestre)
    • green hunter's fence: hollyhock (Alcea), raspberry (Rubus), vetch (Lathyrus latifolius)

    Conifers of all kinds, such as arborvitae (Thuja), conical cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana) or yew (Taxus), are not recommended. Most conifers rarely tolerate regular pruning and are poisonous.

    tips

    The best date for the obligatory hedge trimming is in February. Hornbeam hedges that tolerate pruning and other fast-growing deciduous hedges will bring you back into shape at the end of June for a well-groomed appearance with growth height that conforms to the rules.

    Picturesque gazebo

    A gazebo with a seat makes the Streberggarten a favorite place to stay

    The garden idyll in a small space is only perfect with a romantic gazebo. With a little manual skill you can build the arbor yourself. It is easier to do with ready-made kits. Clearly defined specifications mark the permitted framework conditions:

    • covered area: maximum 24 m²
    • Ridge height: pent roof 2.50 m, gable roof 3.50 m
    • important accessories: rain gutters for collecting rainwater

    Plan a terrace as a seat for cozy hours of leisure in your garden. Since a gazebo cannot be used as a residence anyway, you can save a few square meters of interior space for the terrace. By the way, privacy plants are allowed around the gazebo so that you can linger undisturbed without prying eyes. Fast-growing flowering shrubs or majestic grasses in the bucket are well suited.

    special areas

    Greenhouses, cold frames or compost heaps are considered special areas in the Strebergarten. These systems make a valuable contribution to the use of the plot for allotment gardening. These tips summarize how you can combine horticultural benefits with imaginative design:

    • Glasshouse: decorate with fairy lights, set up as winter quarters for potted plants
    • cold frame: build from pallets with a detachable attachment, plant in the summer as a motley flower bed
    • compost heap: plant with heavy feeders such as rhubarb or pumpkin

    The raised bed is not a special area in the literal sense of the allotment garden regulations, but it is on par with greenhouses and the like when it comes to benefits. The back-friendly variant of the bed design is perfect as a decorative eye-catcher and cultivation area for popular types of vegetables and strawberries. The raised bed is particularly recommended for the overgrown garden in the immediate vicinity of the big city if the soil quality is impaired by pollutants.

    frequently asked Questions

    What distinguishes a nerd garden from a conventional leisure property?

    A nerd garden is surprisingly cheap compared to other leisure properties on the open market. This circumstance is intentional so that people from low-income sections of the population can also enjoy an allotment garden. In return, its use is bound by numerous rules. For example, there is a requirement that at least one third of the area be used for growing vegetables and fruit. Furthermore, you can never buy an allotment garden, but have to lease the plot from the allotment garden association.

    How do I find a Strebergarten in Cologne?

    The first point of contact for contact is the Landesverband Rheinland. At gartenfreunde-rheinland.de, the association lists its district and district associations with all the important contact details. Here you can find out whether there are currently vacant allotment gardens to lease or whether there is a waiting list. Our tip: extend the radius to the Cologne area to optimize your chances of quick success.

    What does allotment garden use in the Strebergarten mean?

    This term is firmly anchored in the Federal Allotment Law. Allotment garden use regulates the type and scope of management in the allotment garden, which is mandatory in return for the extra low lease price. The core feature is the non-commercial cultivation of crops according to ecological criteria. This means that annual and perennial vegetables, medicinal and aromatic herbs, field crops, strawberries, fruit trees, berry bushes and fruit-bearing vines should thrive on at least one third of the garden area. According to a decision by the highest court, it is not enough if an allotment consists of lawns and fruit trees.

    tips

    In the imaginative allotment garden, the classic garden gnome is a discontinued model. Instead, give your geek garden the finishing touch with smart accessories. A rustic washtub from the flea market serves as a planter worth seeing. Grandfather's old wooden wheelbarrow is in the limelight with radishes and chicory as plants. A disused upholstered chair shines in the trendy shabby look, with frugal succulents taking a seat on the discarded seat.

Category:

Vegetable garden