What do we encourage?
Recreational co-use
It is important that garden parks and places for joint gardening literally remain in the middle of society. That makes sense, but often enough you hear from politicians and planners that the use of space of our green areas is too extensive and therefore does not belong in urban areas. We inspire and motivate our gardeners to prove otherwise.
This can be done by promoting recreational co-use through spatial and functional integration. Do not claim the gardens and the green areas around them exclusively for yourself, but also to let other people from the neighborhood, district or municipality enjoy your beautiful place. There are already many examples of this in the country. A welcoming mentality is the basis and hence work on, for example, a park function for the neighborhood.
Sometimes there is even a petting zoo or cuddle meadow. Functional examples include the supply of fresh fruit and vegetables for the food bank, or helping youth with school gardens, biology classes or internships. What can also be done is to work with care institutions to receive residents and clients or with artist collectives to organize an exhibition.
Opening up joint gardening contributes to the sense of unity in the district and provides ecological, social and cultural reinforcement. A mixture of functions ensures a welcome upgrade of the quality of the gardens and for social-social embedding of our hobby in the district.
Natural gardening
Those who are passionate about joint gardening are sympathetic to nature in and around the garden. It is commonplace for our gardeners that pesticides and fertilizer are not of this time – environmentally friendly gardening is the starting point. Even more beautiful is ecological gardening, or natural gardening as we call it, where the gardeners lay the relationship between the plant world, the abiotic environment and the animal world. We have been encouraging natural gardening for years and there is a great deal of interest in it. People are hungry for more knowledge that we are unlocking through publications, digital and online information and practical meetings.
For groups and managers of green areas we have the project National Quality Mark Natural Gardening. The aim is to strengthen and expand nature in the green areas. We advise and guide sustainability, ecological planting and facilities, environmental care and added value for protected and endangered native flora and fauna. We also stimulate and assess information and educational activities for gardeners, visitors and local residents. After successfully concluding the project, you will receive a Quality Mark in the form of a Ladybug as an independent guarantee. In 2023 there are more than 55 quality marks.
View this site: https://www.avvn.nl/natuurlijk-tuinieren/
Promoting expertise
We hold office in our Activities Centre for Garden & Nature in Utrecht. This will also include the information and information resources and meetings and workshops are given in the field of gardening and in the field of policy and governance of the groups that work together.
