The Federation of Finnish Allotment Gardens

 

 

 

 

 

The Finnish Federation of Allotment Gardens is a non-profit association aiming to promote and develop allotment gardening in Finland. The federation was established in 1930 by three local associations. Today the Federation represents some 3700 allotment gardeners. The gardeners are organized in 30 local associations all over the country. The local associations are spread all over the country – from Helsinki in the south to Rovaniemi in the north. The allotment garden in Rovaniemi (Napapiirin ryhmäpuutarha) is the northernmost in the world – located at the Polar Circle.

The Finnish Federation is a member of the Central Organization for Finnish Horticulture and the International Office (Office International du Coin de Terre et des Jardins Familiaux).

The first allotment garden in Finland was established in Hatanpää, city of Tampere in 1916. The garden still exists, but it had to move to new premises in the outskirts of the city in the 1970’s. The oldest allotment garden situated at its original site is the oldest in the capital Helsinki as well. It was founded in 1918.

In Finland the average size of an allotment is 200-500 m2. On the allotment there is a small cottage, where you can live the whole summer, if you like.  The cottages are mostly equipped with electricity and running water during the gardening season (May - mid-October). On the allotments the gardeners grow both useful plants and ornamental plants. Presumably there is also at least one fruit tree and some berry bushes on every allotment.

Buying and selling allotments is free and market priced, you do not have to queue. Most of the local associations do, though, require that the buyer lives in the municipality where the site is located.

 

Do you need information? Get in touch with the office of the Finnish Federation of Allotment Gardens.

The office offers service in English.

E-mail:   info(at)siirtolapuutarhaliitto.fi

Phone:   +358 10 3213 540 (weekdays at 10-14 UTC+2)