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Through years of forming informal gardening communities and conducting domestic studies, we've realized there is a need, but not sufficient resources, for utilizing public and private land for garden communities in Belgrade, as well as an urgent need for greening schoolyards and kindergartens. Additionally, there is a need to educate citizens and the broader public on how to grow edible or ornamental plants. The importance of this knowledge and gardening as a hobby became especially evident during the pandemic when the urban population was deprived of contact with nature.
This fall, Ekonaut is once again organizing a beginner gardening program with our long-time collaborator, landscape architect Vladimir Milutinović. In the Arboretum of the Faculty of Forestry, we prepare participants to establish autumn gardens in October, which is the optimal time for such activity. During this one-day workshop, lasting 4 hours, beginner gardeners receive essential information on how to prepare for planting and sowing, as well as which crops are best suited for this period to potentially yield produce even during the winter, given favorable conditions.
As in the spring workshop, Vladimir will cover various topics beneficial for beginner and intermediate gardeners, providing a solid foundation to help participants get the most out of this rewarding and inspiring hobby. To participate, interested individuals must register via the ONLINE FORMThe workshop is limited to 25 participants, and if demand is high, those who registered first and confirmed their attendance will be given priority. Registration is open until October 23, and no participation fee is required.
Participants will receive seed materials to use in their future gardens, as well as Ekonaut’s publication aimed at beginner gardeners.
Under the mentorship of Vladimir Milutinović, you will learn how to create a well-organized garden with minimal effort and plant beds to harvest produce during winter and early spring. We will focus on garden arrangement and creating space for composting (the remains of vegetables and ornamental plants after harvesting are not to be discarded). The workshop will demonstrate proper weed removal techniques, the importance of extracting the root, and the benefits of garden hygiene. We will utilize garden plant waste as a resource to produce quality organic matter in the form of humus and compost, show how to easily make a composter, and explain how to maintain it. During this workshop, participants will learn more about cultivating bulbs and the appropriate time and method for planting autumn, edible, and ornamental bulbs. If you’ve never seen or heard of the century-old edible leek, this is the perfect opportunity. A special segment will be dedicated to leafy vegetables in the winter garden, such as lettuce, radicchio, endive, lamb's lettuce, arugula, etc., with an emphasis on sorting by flavor. Lastly, we will plant potatoes so that by spring, we can enjoy the first young potatoes, as it is also possible to grow them in a winter garden.
The workshop will be held on Saturday, October 26, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Arboretum of the Faculty of Forestry, Knez Višeslava 1. To become a participant, you must register via the ONLINE FORM. Spaces are limited, and registrations are accepted until October 20. Participation is free of charge.
The workshop is part of the educational activities that the Ekonaut association conducts within the project “Public Spaces as Shared and Educational Gardens.” Through this project, we aim to influence the inclusion of the concepts of educational gardens and gardening communities into the appropriate urban planning and strategic documents of the city of Belgrade, in order to combat climate change, achieve social cohesion, and protect green spaces from developer-driven urbanism. We hope to empower local communities through various forms of education to participate in improving open urban and peri-urban areas as well as greening local schools and kindergartens with the integration of ecological education into daily teaching.
Watch highlights from the spring workshop on Ekonaut's YouTube channel.
The project is implemented with the financial support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Government of the United Kingdom under the “Explore – Empower” public advocacy support program run by the Trag Foundation.
