Published by City Farmer, Canada's Office of Urban Agriculture

Alice's Colony Garden in Holbaek, Denmark

Alice Dalhoff Jensen
alicedj@mail.tele.dk

[Alice wrote to me in the spring of 2000 when she found her garden. Editor]

A while ago I saw an add for a community lot that was for sale. Never got around to calling about it until this week. Went down to check it out, and to make a very long story short I have today become the proud owner of a community garden lot with a small house on it.
It is absolutely amazing, and I can hardly believe it. The lot is in a small community garden, in Danish we call them Kolonihaver (as in Colony Garden). The land is owned by the town, and most people prefer just having the soil as their veggie/herb patch. The only 'building' on the lots are small shacks for tools, garden furniture; a few have very small houses on them. You then pay a nominal annual fee for the "lease" of the land, which includes running water, to the town, plus whatever you pay initially for the house on the land (and you then own the house).

In my case I have ended up with a true jewel. The house is like a very tiny cottage, has a bedroom, dining room with table and chairs, a weeny kitchen with gas cooking-plates, and a sink. No running water inside, but just outside the door. Johnnie on the spot. It's just sooooo cute and the garden is a masterpiece: three small fruit trees, loads of strawberries, raspberries, rhubarbs, a couple of herbs, and five beds soon ready for veggies (major weeding still required). Tulips and daffs out now; number of roses etc. Covered deck, with garden furniture and grill.

The woman that I bought it from is so sweet. She left the place totally furnished, as in TOTALLY! down to cutlery, pots, pans, glasses, all the garden tools required, and oops, I completely forgot the hothouse!!!!! with a peach tree, kiwi and grapes. It's absolutely out of this world, so quiet, and only a ten minute bike ride from my apartment.

I am so excited about it. Stayed out there today to get started on the weeds, and hope to be done with the main weeding in a couple of days, so I can start putting things in the soil, as the weather is absolutely outstanding. It was 31 degrees celsius at the garden today.

I will spend the entire summer out there in the garden writing letters, hanging out on the deck grilling, and eating all the veggies that will be produced by then.

Denmark's New Law About Community Gardens

Allotment Guide - Copenhagen & Surroundings
by Niels Jensen 1996
1000 printed in English
2000 with the Danish Title: Kolonihave Guide Kobenhavn & Omegn
This excellent little book, full of colour photos, describes the gardens in and around Copenhagen.
Cost: DKK 50 plus DKK 36 to cover postage.
Write to: Niels Jensen
E-mail: nijen@btf.kk.dk
Idevaerkstedet
De Frie Fugle
Borgergade, 14, S
DK - 1300 Copenhagen
Denmark

The History of The Allotment Gardens in Copenhagen

"The allotment garden movement peaked during the Second World War with lOO,OOO gardens. After the war prosperity increased and the allotment gardens flourished. In the l960's however, when a private car became within reach for some people in Copenhagen, one just had to have a summer house, preferably on the North Coast about lOO kilomet- res away." Posted November 22, 2001

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