Gardening in the cemetery: New organic beds for Viennese city dwellers!

Gardening in the cemetery: New organic beds for Viennese city dwellers!

Something is happening in the heart of Vienna: The Vienna Cemeteries are continuing their successful cooperation with “Ackerhelden” and expanding their urban gardening project. In May, ten new vegetable beds, each measuring 24 square meters, were opened at the Neustift cemetery in the 18th district, offering the population the opportunity to grow their own fruit and vegetables. The trend of urban gardening has quickly become established since the project started in 2023 and is also very popular at the Central and Southwest Cemetery. Over three quarters of current gardeners have already extended their contract for 2025, which speaks for the popularity of the offer. oe24 reports that ...

The horticultural island in the urban space

The concept is simple and inviting: for 149 euros per year, users receive an all-round, worry-free package. This includes pre-planted organic vegetables, valuable gardening tips, the necessary tools on site and personal support from the Ackerhelden team. If you want to garden at the former graves, you just have to own a grave site at the Vienna cemeteries. Registration is easy via the online portal “Digital Grave”, which is connected to every grave site free of charge.

The new beds are not just for your own good, they also promote neighborly exchange and offer the community a space to come together. The urban gardening project is part of the “Gemeinsam.SORGSAM.” initiative, which aims to strengthen biodiversity in the city and contribute to improving the urban climate. In Vienna, cemeteries take up around 1.2 percent of the city's area and are therefore not only places of remembrance, but also of nature conservation. Cemeteries Vienna informs that…

Biological diversity in the bed

The new garden areas are being created on open meadow areas without graves, which not only makes care and harvesting easier but also more environmentally friendly. All seeds, young plants and fertilizers used are certified organic, which means that the fruit and vegetables grown not only taste good, but are also healthy. First access to this space is granted on a first-come-first-serve basis, and interest is high. So if you want to start gardening, you should register quickly. OTS reports that ...

Part of Vienna's green future

Friedhöfe Wien GmbH, part of Wiener Stadtwerke GmbH since 2008, manages over 550,000 graves in 46 of the 55 cemeteries in Vienna. Over the years, the organization has specialized in using these places as green retreats in the city. The urban gardening project is a further step towards sustainable urban development and shows that cemeteries can also make a valuable contribution to promoting nature and improving the urban climate.