stockholm’s secret allotment gardens

girl reporter here reporting for duty.  AND ready to whisk you off for a stroll through a wonderland of secret gardens and tiny storybook cottages.  ready?

the first of these plots were laid out around the turn of the century and shortly thereafter the stockholm allotment society began to oversee their development.

originally the gardens were intended for stockholm’s poor to grow food.  now the gardens are highly desirable for all gardening aficionados in the city.

the waiting list can be many years long, but of course owning one’s own plot is not necessary for visiting.

i began my visit at ringvagen, a short walk from my apartment.  an old stone staircase leads down to an emerald green park.  towering trees form a canopy over the gravel paths.

you have to meander down a bit before you get the first hint of the storybook world you’ve wandered into.

each plot has a tiny cottage about the size of a garden shed.  in the summer those lucky enough to have a garden here spend lots of time puttering about and tending to their little bit of wildness in the middle of the city.

i followed my nose and happily sighed my way through the many garden plots carpeted with waist high flowers, roses draped over picket fences, fragrant peonies were decorated with strands of water droplets, dimpled fruit hung from the branches of small trees, clusters of blooms spilled across every surface.

so prolific, so fantastic.

the air this morning was damp.  swirls of gray clouds roiled overhead, but not a drop of rain fell.   i inhaled lungfuls of floral scented air.  adding to my delight was the fact that i did not encounter a single soul on my entire walk through the allotments.

the gardens extend down and west along a hillside along ärstaviken bay.  i walked through eriksdalslunden kolonilotter, but there are more a bit further downhill towards the water called södra tantolunden…

and these are just the allotment gardens in södermalm.

there are others i plan to explore in various spots around stockholm.  fairytale gardens complete with hopping bunnies and chirping birds?  yes please!

i made a brief video of my visit.  you can see it on my instagram (link in upper nav bar).

if you’ve even thought of coming to stockholm i would advise you to get your arse in gear and buy your ticket at once!  the allotments are reason enough to come for an extended visit.  but wait!  there’s more.  stay tuned.