I’m invited to a plot! Garden party in the “Treue Seele” colony. At first that sounds like Brandenburg, garden gnomes, folding chairs and lots of canned beer. But it is actually an allotment garden in the middle of Berlin-Neukölln.
My friend Janan recently started an allotment garden. So not just a few balcony boxes, but a real allotment with an arbor, flower beds, a fruit tree and that very special feeling of not being in Berlin anymore for a moment. Although of course you are still in the middle of Berlin.
And that was exactly the first thing I asked Janan. How do you get an allotment garden in Berlin? The short answer: not particularly fast.
The longer answer: with patience, paperwork, flexibility and a certain willingness to deal with club rules. Janan had a lot of trouble even getting to her plot. She got information, made phone calls, submitted applications and waited.
If you are interested in such everyday topics with children, Berlin and family, please take a look at my family blog. I’m currently writing a lot about how our lives have changed with Dottie.
Why an allotment garden at all?
I asked Janan why she was doing this to herself. Because honestly: an allotment garden sounds nice at first, but also like work. Watering, weeding, association, rules, travel times, looking after the arbor. You don’t just get handed a perfect little oasis with strawberries and a deck chair.
I could still understand your answer immediately. She wanted to get out of the apartment without having to leave Berlin. She wanted a place where her friends with children could also mud, run and be loud. And she wanted to grow something herself. Tomatoes, herbs, lettuce, strawberries.
What is an allotment actually?
An allotment is not a normal garden area that you buy and then do whatever you want with it. In Berlin you rent a plot of land in an allotment garden. You don’t own the ground. You usually take over the arbor, the plants and the outdoor areas from the previous tenant. A fee is paid for this.
This is an important point because many people initially think: I’m going to buy an allotment garden. Not entirely true. You don’t buy the property. You lease the area and take over what is on it and grows.
In Berlin, allotment gardens are organized through district associations. If you want to lease an allotment, you don’t just apply centrally to the city. You contact the district association responsible for the desired location. An overview and information is available from the Berlin Regional Association of Garden Friends and also from Berlin.de.
Allotment gardens in Berlin: more than garden gnomes and arbors
I think allotment gardens often have a somewhat dusty image in Berlin. One thinks of pensioners, clubhouses and very serious conversations about hedge heights. This is probably not always completely wrong. But it’s only part of it.
Allotment gardens have a long history in Berlin. Its roots lie in the 19th century, when cities became more and more crowded and many working families had little access to green spaces. Back then, gardens weren’t just for leisure. They were practical too. Fruit and vegetables were grown there, which was particularly important in times of crisis.
Today the situation is of course different. Nobody needs an allotment to survive the winter. But the need behind it is again very current: get out of cramped apartments and into the countryside. More nature. More peace. More distance from the noise.
How do you apply for an allotment garden in Berlin?
First you look at which allotment gardens are possible in your desired location. You then report to the responsible district association or directly to individual colonies, depending on how it is regulated there. Many associations have application forms. Some people want you to come in person. Some have waiting lists. Some temporarily do not accept any new applications at all.
Janan told me that flexibility makes a big difference. If you only want a specific facility, ideally a specific corner and a plot of land in perfect condition, you will probably wait forever. Those who are more open have better chances. So-called craftsman objects can also be an option. So plots where the arbor is old, the garden is overgrown or something needs to be done.
How much does an allotment garden cost in Berlin?
The rent itself is often comparatively low. The takeover will be more expensive. When taking over a plot of land, the value of arbors, plants, paths and other facilities is estimated. According to Berlin.de, the acquisition costs are often between 2,000 and 5,000 euros. The average price is given as around 4,000 euros.
There are also ongoing costs. Rent, association fees, water, electricity, sewage, levies. Berlin.de states an average of around 700 euros per year.
The rule of thirds: Why an allotment garden is not just a place to relax
What surprised me most: You can’t just use an allotment garden entirely as a lawn with deckchairs. In Berlin this means: At least a third of the garden area should be used for allotment gardening. So fruit, vegetables, herbs, berry bushes, bed areas, things like that. This is the famous rule of thirds.
Roughly speaking: one third cultivation, one third ornamental garden and one third recreation with an arbor, paths, terrace or seating area. Exactly, this can look a little different depending on the club and garden regulations, but the basic idea remains: an allotment garden is not a weekend house with a lawn around it.
Greenhouse, arbor and small garden house: What are you allowed to do?
Ever since I saw Janan’s garden, I totally understand the appeal of a greenhouse. Prefer tomatoes, protect cucumbers, start earlier, harvest longer. Especially in Berlin, where the weather sometimes does whatever it wants, a greenhouse can really make sense.
Anyone who deals with this will quickly end up with aluminum greenhouses. They are relatively easy to care for, stable and do not seem as sensitive as some wood or foil solutions. Nevertheless, the same applies here: first look at the garden regulations. Not every club allows everything in every size.
With the arbor the rule is even more important. The Federal Allotment Garden Act states that a simple arbor may have a maximum of 24 square meters of floor space, including a covered outdoor area. Permanent living is not permitted.
If an old arbor needs to be replaced or there is no suitable solution yet, the question of whether you can set up a small garden house can be exciting. But it’s not something you just decide based on feeling. The association, the garden regulations and the legal requirements have the final say here.
Who is an allotment worth having?
If you only want to go every few weeks, it’s probably too much. If you don’t feel like rules, that’s fine too. And if you think plants are beautiful but don’t actually want to work with them, it quickly becomes frustrating.
An allotment garden is more suitable if you really want to be outside. If you go watering after work. If you can accept that the garden doesn’t always look perfect. And if you don’t get completely annoyed when a club wants to have a say.
But it can be really nice for families. Especially in Berlin. You don’t have your own garden, but you still have a place that feels a bit like it.
Since becoming a mother, I have realized how valuable such places are. I already wrote about this in my article about my first pregnancy: You plan so much in your head, but in the end the children change your everyday life.
Our personal conclusion
We are actually considering whether an allotment garden could make sense for us at some point. Dottie is currently still small, our everyday life is busy, and we don’t yet know exactly how long we will stay in Berlin. But as she gets bigger, I can imagine it better and better.
A place where she can be outside. Where she can touch soil without me immediately looking for wet wipes. Where we might grow a few tomatoes, plant herbs and sit outside together in the summer evenings.
But I also see the other side. An allotment is not a decoration project. It’s responsibility. You have to care. You have to follow rules. You have to invest time. And you probably have to start today if you really want to have a chance in a few years.
Maybe that’s the real point: in Berlin you don’t get an allotment garden when you spontaneously want it. You have to take the idea seriously sooner.
Do you have an allotment garden in Berlin or are you on a waiting list? How long did it take for you?
