A new season in the Community Garden

02 June 2026 News item

Located in Park Brakkenstein, the Community Garden is a garden created by and for staff and students of Radboud University.

Since the start of this project, a great deal has changed. The Community Garden has continued to grow and flourish in many different ways. There are countless projects currently underway, so let’s take a look at how the garden is doing today. Would you rather see it with your own eyes, or perhaps lend a helping hand? Then become a member free of charge and join us during our weekly lunch gathering. Every Tuesday from 12:30 to 13:30, our doors are open for you to come by and get acquainted!

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Organic growing and smart plant combinations

We are currently making full preparations for a successful growing season. At the Community Garden, we grow our plants from organic seeds and do not use herbicides or pesticides. Many of our members have therefore already started sowing plants at home. In this year’s cultivation plan, we are making more use of companion planting. This means growing different crops together in one bed because they benefit one another. For example, tomatoes and basil are not only a great combination on a plate, but they also grow particularly well side by side.

A dream come true: our own greenhouse

Some tomato varieties can survive outdoors in the Netherlands, but they thrive even better in a greenhouse. Over the past year, the dream of having our own greenhouse at the Community Garden has finally become a reality. We managed to acquire a second-hand greenhouse, dismantled it ourselves, and transported it to the garden. Since it dates back to 1980, several parts were missing and half of the glass panes were broken. Rebuilding it was quite a challenge, but we succeeded! Soon we will receive the final glass panels for the roof, after which we will look for a permanent solution for the door. Fortunately, even without these final additions, the greenhouse is already noticeably warmer, and the first tomato plants are already in bloom.

A flower field full of life

The Community Garden has also expanded when it comes to flowers. As a large part of the garden lies in the shade, that area is less suitable for growing fruit and vegetables. Over the past few years, we have therefore transformed this section into a flower field with a winding path running through it. Not only because it looks beautiful, but also to attract insects.

Before tomatoes can be harvested, their flowers first need to be pollinated. The same applies to pumpkins, courgettes, cucumbers, beans, berries, and many other crops. Without pollination, the vegetables simply shrivel up. Unfortunately, this used to be a problem for us. That is why we created a flower field with dozens of flower varieties to attract pollinators — and it works! We now hardly see any unpollinated vegetables and no longer have to go through the garden ourselves with a small brush to spread pollen by hand.

Experimenting with mushrooms and fruit

The Community Garden is a place to grow and experiment. Unused shady corners, for example, turn out to be perfect for cultivating mushrooms. To make this possible, we drilled a total of 400 holes into six fresh beech logs and hammered plugs filled with mycelium into them. From this fungal network, we hope oyster mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, and lion’s mane mushrooms will begin to grow within a year. If all goes well, we may be able to harvest from them for up to five years.

Another investment in the future is the range of berry bushes we have planted. Alongside our familiar blackcurrants, redcurrants, gooseberries, and mulberry trees, the garden has now been enriched with a kiwi plant, chokeberry, raspberries, blueberries, thornless blackberries, and Japanese wineberries.

Growing upward with potato towers

As you can imagine, the Community Garden is becoming quite full with all these plants, and that is absolutely true. That is why we wanted to experiment with vertical growing. We have done this using potato towers: structures made from chicken wire and filled with compost, straw, and potatoes. The potato plants are now growing out through the wire mesh, while the potatoes themselves continue to develop inside the tower. Hopefully, this method will provide a large harvest without taking up precious growing beds for potato cultivation.

Want to help out?

All of these projects have been made possible through volunteer workdays and the dedication of the Community Garden members. Would you like to help as well? Become a member free of charge and join us during our weekly lunch gathering. Every Tuesday from 12:30 to 13:30, our doors are open for anyone who would like to get acquainted! You can fid the Community Garden at the edge of Park Brakkenstein.

More info on the Community Garden

Contact information

Organizational unit: Student Life and International Mobility