Weeding

I've spent the past few weekends trying to destroy the thriving weed ecosystem in my garden. It's weeds upon weeds upon weeds, with tiny stinging nettle plants tucked into grassy tufts that are shaded by dandelion leaves. All manner of plant cast-offs have found a home in the tough, nutrient-poor sand that I hope to transform into a lovely garden. But first the weeds must go!

Most of the task is invigorating and enjoyable. Those nettles are easy to pull out and sometimes reveal 2- and 3-foot-long root structures that connect several seemingly independent plants together. But the dandelions have become the bane of my existence.

Now, I'm a newbie garden and have gotten most of my information from (I know) the internet. The BBC has a particularly great gardening site that's basically Gardening 101. In the module on pests, it says that perennial weeds must be entirely removed, as they can come back stronger from root bits left in the ground. I've taken this warning very seriously, so I'm fearing a plague of dandelions next year.

The problem is, unlike the small, spidery roots that most weeds leave, the dandelion is an evil genius. It has one long, skinny root (called a tap root, I read) that can survive in the toughest, rockiest soil. I've pulled out at least 30 dandelion plants and have gotten the entire root maybe twice.

My secret garden

Last month I bought an apartment in my favorite part of Berlin, just around the corner from Urbanhafen. One of the best features is the private backyard. I see it as a way to put my ideas about sustainability into action, so of course I want it to become a thriving organic vegetable garden. The only problem: as it's between a bunch of tall buildings, the garden gets very little sun. What to do?

My plan is to find out what will thrive in the moist, shady environment I've been given and stick to that. To that end, I met with a Pflanzendoktor yesterday to get tips on what to plant. She told me to stick to local varieties and shade-friendly sorts. I'm thinking mushrooms, blackberries, and maybe some tomatoes.

10:10:10 Global Work Party in Prinzessinnengärten

The last time I wrote, it was about the Prinzessinnengärten in Kreuzberg. Well, on Sunday I organized a work party with some fellow FFU PhD students in conjunction with 350.org's international 10:10:10 event.

It was a smashing success! We had nearly 40 volunteers who harvested two varieties of potatoes to be used and sold in the garden's café. I got lots of nice feedback from participants and was glad to finally see the sun as well.

What touched me the most was a young boy who had come for another event across the street. He helped me record how much the potatoes harvested from each sack weighed (remember, this is a mobile garden!). When I asked him if he knew about climate change, he told me he'd watched a documentary that said humans were polluting the air and that the world would suffer greatly in the coming century. The movie upset him so much that he couldn't sleep for two days. So I told him that we were throwing this party to help heal the planet and make sure that his nightmare didn't come true. He was helping to save the planet! I think knowing this motivated him and definitely put a smile on his face.

Urban farming in Berlin: Prinzessinnengärten

A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon a giant open space on Moritzplatz that I always remembered as an abandoned lot. This time the gates where open and the place was sprawling with sacks, crates, and bags of soil, most of which had plants popping out. They were labeled with their name and many had a little description. It looked almost like a gardening store, but there were no prices on anything. In the back, people were lounging on benches, eating and drinking at a café of some sort. Welcome to Prinzessinnengärten.

British magazine Monocle made a short video report about the project, which calls itself a "mobile urban farm." Some guys thought the previously wasted space was a great opportunity to grow heirloom organic food. So they grabbed their friends and started to work last year. The place is already thriving, and I can't wait to go to one of their work days on Thursdays.