How a beer garden on the Reeperbahn saves plants
For those who want to get rid of their unwanted plants, a Flower Box in the Hamburg district of St. Pauli is ready. In the adjacent beer garden, they will find a new place. Volunteer helpers will take care of the gardening - and in particular, a piece of climbing rose.
In the middle of Hamburg's Reeperbahn, there is a Flower Box - since March, people can leave plants, flowers, and shrubs there if they have no time, no space, or no green thumb for them. This goes - thanks to the Box - anonym.
The Flower Box belongs to a new beer garden, right next to the Operettenhaus. The Kiez Garden has made it its mission to make the cult district St. Pauli a little greener. It is supported by the women and men of Hamburg. "The idea for the Flower Box came about during a brainstorming session with the team," says Nadine Koch, who has taken over marketing for the beer garden.
Approximately 30 to 40 plants - from gooseberries to peppermines, cherries, lavender, houseplants, and cacti - have already been donated. And all found a place in the cozy beer garden under the trees. There are also larger donations, such as from the Ohlsdorfer Friedhof. "They have given us many grasses that would have been thrown away otherwise," says Koch. If she could wish for something, she would like for ivy or grapevines to be donated. "So that everything grows here nicely," she says with a smile.
Volunteers Selected through Casting
With the donations of the past weeks, ten raised beds and numerous flower boxes have already been planted. However, not by the beer garden team itself, but by ten so-called Greenkeepers. There are a total of ten of them, and they were selected through a small casting, reports Biergarten-Chef Michael Sarnhof laughing: "They should already know what they are doing here." At least once a week, they plant, weed, hoe, and take care of. "This has become a real oasis in the Kiez," says Sarnhof.
Next - when there are more donated plants than space in the Kiez Garden - there will also be a plant auction. "The earnings will go to the Leuchtfeuer association, which is very dear to our hearts," says Sarnhof. Not all donated plants could be saved, a few were already too dry. Particularly exceptional specimens have not yet been donated to the Flower Box. "Not even hemp plants yet," says Kiez-Garden-Chef Sarnhof with a twinkle in his eye.
Despite the Flower Box, most do not give their plants anonymously. "Many want to know what becomes of their donations. We post updates on Instagram accordingly," says marketing expert Koch. A special feature can be found in one of the raised beds. "We have a small piece of climbing rose lying here. We now have to cultivate and take care of it," says Koch. On the approximately ten by ten centimeter large rose bed piece from the Millerntor-Stadion stadium, a small St. Pauli sticker is stuck - the football club rose to the Bundesliga this season.
The Flower Box in St. Pauli's Reeperbahn, known as Kiez Garden, is an international initiative, attracting plant donations from beyond Hamburg's borders. FC St. Pauli, the local football club that recently promoted to the Bundesliga, has yet to contribute a rare climbing rose stem from their Millerntor-Stadion stadium to this green project.
