Urban gardening in Berlin

When Berlin buds and blossoms. Environmentally-conscious inhabitants of the city are growing high-quality organic fruit and vegetables in parks and on vacant plots, thereby creating an awareness for the way produce is sourced and how it is grown in the middle of the city: urban gardening has been a trend in the capital for quite some time.

Berlin’s urban gardening projects are organised by a range of associations, initiatives and groups of volunteers, and all have one thing in common: they aim to make city life brighter and more beautiful, adding a little bit of nature to the urban jungle while bringing people together and encouraging a sense of community spirit. Along with sharing the pleasures of gardening, many projects also offer a range of workshops and cultural events.

We’re happy to share a number of these urban gardening projects with you:

Allmende-Kontor

With the Allemde-Kontor an urban gardening project has been established on Tempelhofer Feld, one of the largest inner-city open spaces in the world. The Allmende-Kontor e.V. community garden cultivates raised beds in an area measuring a good 5,000 m2 in the area of the park near Oderstraße. Self-crafted vegetable beds and seating give the Allmende-Kontor its alternative flair. Workshops and guided tours are also offered. Workshops and tours are also offered here.

You can simply enjoy the peace and quiet of nature on the grounds of the community garden – please show consideration for the garden and the gardeners hard at work.

Tempelhofer Feld opening hours:
Daily from 6 am to 10.30 pm (winter month 7:30 am to 5 pm)

himmelbeet

Whether digging in the earth or actively doing nothing while taking it easy, everyone is more than welcome to spend time at himmelbeet. The intercultural urban gardening project in Wedding not only has garden beds for lease and areas that are cultivated by the community, but also offers workshops and organises events about different aspects of horticulture and social and ecological issues.

The fruit, vegetables and, since recently, mushrooms being grown here are now served directly from farm to fork in the garden café, deliciously prepared and exclusively vegetarian and vegan. You can dine on tasty dishes at fair prices on benches made of repurposed pallets and show your support for the initiative.

The garden is, incidentally, wheelchair accessible and aims to provide a place where everyone can enjoy the good life.
Currently the himmelbeet is still located at Ruheplatzstraße 12 near Leopoldplatz, a new location for the himmelbeet, as well as the future of the project in general, is still under discussion.

himmelbeet opening hours (April to October):
Monday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.

Opening hours of the garden café (April to October):
Monday to Sunday 10 a.m. to at least 8 p.m. (also on public holidays)

Prinzessinnengärten

Together with a large number of industrious neighbours, the Nomadisch Grün collective on Kreuzberg’s Moritzplatz grows high-quality and delicious organic fruit and vegetables. Along with the gardening work, the community uses the former vacant plot measuring 6,000 m2 as a place of learning – there are a range of workshops and tours that teach participants not only how to sow, plant and harvest crops, but also all about seed production, processing and conserving vegetables, bee-keeping, vermicompost and developing new DIY methods of cultivation.
Apart from the location at Moritzplatz in Kreuzberg, which opened in 2009, the collective has also been cultivating another community garden at the Neuer St. Jacobi cemetery in Neukölln since the beginning of 2019.

And best of all: the garden café at Moritzplatz uses the fruit and vegetables grown there to create tasty meals. It is open from 10 am to at least 6 pm from April to October, and it’s well worth stopping by.

The Kreuzboerg flea market is also held at Prinzessinnengärten every second Sunday.

Prinzessinnengärten opening hours:
Daily from 10 am to 10 pm

Horstwirtschaft

What is probably Berlin’s highest urban gardening project, Horstwirtschaft, is located at Klunkerkranich on the roof of the Neukölln Arkaden shopping centre. At the KlunkerGarten you can learn all about herbs and plants used to produce dyes, and enjoy a spectacular view over the capital.

Horstwirtschaft is open to visitors during Klunkerkranich’s opening hours, and entry is free of charge, as the garden is there for everyone. You can watch over the gardeners’ shoulders during a guided tour of the gardens, and you can enjoy a drink or two and some tasty snacks at Klunkerkranich while savouring the atmosphere in the creative roof garden.

Please send requests for guided tours to: klunkergarten@horstwirtschaft.de

Where: On the roof of the Neukölln-Arkaden, Karl-Marx-Str. 66, Neukölln (take the elevator to the parking deck on the 5th floor, from there follow the crane tracks on foot to the 6th floor)

Opening hours of Klunkerkranich, including Horstwirtschaft:
Daily from April to October from 12 pm to 2 am
Shorter opening hours in the low season

Stop by one of the many urban gardening projects to take a look, show you support and take some inspiration home with you.