March, 28th 2025

About four years ago, I registered with the Bern municipality to rent a plot in a community garden. It’s an old tradition where the city provides land divided into individual plots that tenants can cultivate with vegetables or other plants.

These gardens were very popular in the 1960s and 70s when Switzerland welcomed many Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese workers. They grew vegetables that weren’t widely available in Swiss shops back then, a way to stay connected to their homelands. Since then, many of these gardens have disappeared as the land was needed for construction. Bern still has a few, but the waiting list is long, so patience is required.

At the end of 2024, I got a call from the municipality. At first, I didn’t understand because I had completely forgotten about my application. About a month ago, I visited the Holligen community garden, just a 10–15-minute walk from my place, a perfect location. I was assigned a plot that hadn’t been well looked after by the previous tenant, who’d had to clear away old shrubs and plants. There’s still plenty of work to get it back into shape.

Yesterday, in beautiful weather, I started digging and levelling the plot to plant my vegetables. Deniz, the ex-refugee I’ve often mentioned, helped me out. It was the first time in nearly two years I’d done any physical work, and I certainly felt it, my energy drained quickly! But the first bed is ready and now holds red onions. Now, it’s time to be patient.

I’ve also sown seeds on my balcony: carrots, aubergines, fennel, spring onions, peppers, spinach… Once they’ve grown enough, I’ll transplant them into the ground.

The whole system is very well organised: I had to fill out a detailed questionnaire and attend an information evening covering the rules, duties, and principles of organic gardening. Then, I’ll need to complete four gardening courses, each lasting four hours. They take it seriously!

The conditions are quite flexible: small sheds are allowed, but wood fires and barbecues are banned. Some plots are real gems, with little chalets where owners gather with friends. It’s mostly our southern friends who take advantage of this, proudly displaying their heritage and sometimes even their flags.

I must be one of the few Swiss people with such a garden, but my first contacts with neighbours have been very warm!

On Wednesday, I visited my orthopaedist to have my orthosis checked. When I walk a lot, my ankle swells, and the orthosis rubs against a scar, which is painful. After some adjustments, it’s much more comfortable.

I’m also getting a second pair of shoes to wear at home because the first pair is a bit bulky and makes my feet sweat.