GartenAktiv in the North of Schöneberg

In the North of Schöneberg, private and community initiatives by amateur gardeners have made their neighbourhood more attractive. We created a network of local gardeners and provided them with support and know-how through the GartenAktiv project, which was funded by the Social Cohesion programme from 2016 to 2020. We also launched new gardening projects.

To gain an overview of the area, we mapped out the many green spaces beneath trees, in raised beds and gardens in courtyards. At monthly garden chats, we provided information on horticultural topics – as lectures, webinars, networking meetings or knowledge sharing. We summarised the many topics addressed in a manual for community gardening.

Green oases were created through planting campaigns, workshops and walking tours, building worm composters and visiting other garden projects. We also set up three pools of equipment, which can be used by amateur gardeners.

In 2017, we created a community garden in Frobenstraße with raised beds, garden plots, a herb spiral, bee hives, a meeting place and a large shed. Planning workshops were held and local residents were also involved in the construction of the garden. We supported the gardening group, which has over 50 members, for several years. In summer 2020, the FrobenGarten  association was set up – a big step towards ensuring the project continues in the future.