It can be hard, sometimes, for people in cities to find a nice, sunny spot to walk their dog, to plant some carrots or to enjoy the daylight with friends. Germans have long responded to this problem with both traditional and imaginative solutions. Public parks like our Landesgartenschau in Landau are common throughout much of the world and allow city dwellers to have a slice of nature, nearby. Germans have these to go to, but some even have small parks or gardens of their own. A Schrebergarten or garden plot is typically a small fenced-in piece of land rented by a person who lives in the city. It costs about 200 euros (220 dollars) a year to rent one, and for that time you get your own little garden to work in.
While people in other countries tend to buy planters for their porch or balcony, many Germans choose to rent land near the city where they can have the space to till the soil and to enjoy the outdoors. A Schrebergarten is usually no larger than a house and has just enough room for a shed and a garden plot or two. I have traveled to many places, but I have only seen gardens like these in German-speaking countries. I get the impression sometimes that being in the warm sun and working on the land are almost spiritual experiences for German people.
