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As somebody who has done his time on a waiting list for an allotment, and has been allotmenteering for the past 7 years now, I find these small German allotment

As somebody who has done his time on a waiting list for an allotment, and has been allotmenteering for the past 7 years now, I find these small German allotments vastly different to our UK ones. I fly reasonably often to Munich and I've often seen them alongside the railway lines... and they are immaculate. But the bit I find odd is that there is an awful lot of grass. We in the UK tend to focus more on food or flower production, yet those German ones seem more geared to relaxation more than anything. Ours are more of a weekend digging variety, theirs seem to be more of an evening BBQing and a beer kind. Maybe its a weather thing. Maybe its just a cultural thing. And maybe we ought to encourage more people to stop playing video games and get out and grow more stuff. https://martin-way-plot30.blogspot.com https://martin-way-plot30.blogspot.com

Aromasin 7y ago
In my eyes we shouldn't stop people from doing anything. What we should do is encourage people to have a wider variety of hobbies and interest, of which gardening a few hours a week can be coupled with video games - or whatever they want to do to relax and unwind. Variety is the spice of life.
- jtbayly 7y ago
  So we should try to stop people from being obsessed with one thing?
  - Aromasin 7y ago
    I think obsessiveness has its advantages at times; people often become savants at something they're truly passionate about. However, I don't think there's ever a situation where a person - despite their passion - can't be enriched by practicing something physically or intellectually different.
microtherion 7y ago
Here in Zürich, you see both kinds of allotment owners. Some are really serious about growing food, others (presumably living in apartments) just enjoy having a bit of a yard to kick back.
umvi 7y ago
> And maybe we ought to encourage more people to stop playing video games and get out and grow more stuff. You can already do this in video games though (Harvest Moon, Stardew Valley, Farming Simulator, etc.)
- Loughla 7y ago
  As a farmer in a previous life, I 10000% do not understand Farming Simulator as a game for entertainment. Farming as a career is either mind-numbingly boring, or overwhelmingly depressing. There is nothing else. How does that possibly translate to a video game?
  - xen2xen1 7y ago
    Video games are predicated on quick achievement of short term goals, so it's not actually realistic.. If you had to sit staring out a window at an empty field for 16 hours a day no one would do it either.
    - Loughla 7y ago
      I don't even mean the watching the crops or livestock grow. I mean the actual work part, too. Planting row crops is legit the most boring work I've ever participated in. It is less than mindless. And that seems like the most active part of that game. Maybe if the physics were wonky that would be funny, at least. But this is one that I can't wrap my mind around.
      - cloverich 7y ago
        Believe it or not repetitive tasks can be quite relaxing and even restorative (in the meditative sense). A couple years ago I started practicing (disc golf) putting in my back yard to get better at the game. Many don't because its boring. And it was.. at first. Then it turned into something else. I started to crave the repetitiveness. Training myself to be patient, to not feel down if I missed a lot, etc. I started to get really good, and oddly that brought me far less joy than the simple art of practicing. Turns out its an ancient, well known phenomena. In your case, its associated with (presumably) a negative experience so probably a bit different. I just bet most people that play that game start to get that meditative experience without specifically seeking it out, but return regularly (and benefit!) despite that.
13of40 7y ago
I've got one this year in the US (outside Seattle) and I can't imagine the outrage that would ensue if I was seen using the space for barbecuing, much less drinking a beer. I even think some of the other gardeners look down on me because I'm raising mundane crops like potatoes and beets, instead of kale and lemon grass.
- Cerium 7y ago
  Enjoy! This year one of my favorite crops has been carrots-I have never grown them before for just that reason. My first bite was an eye opening experience. I had no idea that there could be so much more flavor.

Aromasin 7y ago

In my eyes we shouldn't stop people from doing anything. What we should do is encourage people to have a wider variety of hobbies and interest, of which gardening a few hours a week can be coupled with video games - or whatever they want to do to relax and unwind. Variety is the spice of life.

jtbayly 7y ago
So we should try to stop people from being obsessed with one thing?
- Aromasin 7y ago
  I think obsessiveness has its advantages at times; people often become savants at something they're truly passionate about. However, I don't think there's ever a situation where a person - despite their passion - can't be enriched by practicing something physically or intellectually different.

microtherion 7y ago

Here in Zürich, you see both kinds of allotment owners. Some are really serious about growing food, others (presumably living in apartments) just enjoy having a bit of a yard to kick back.

umvi 7y ago

> And maybe we ought to encourage more people to stop playing video games and get out and grow more stuff. You can already do this in video games though (Harvest Moon, Stardew Valley, Farming Simulator, etc.)

Loughla 7y ago
As a farmer in a previous life, I 10000% do not understand Farming Simulator as a game for entertainment. Farming as a career is either mind-numbingly boring, or overwhelmingly depressing. There is nothing else. How does that possibly translate to a video game?
- xen2xen1 7y ago
  Video games are predicated on quick achievement of short term goals, so it's not actually realistic.. If you had to sit staring out a window at an empty field for 16 hours a day no one would do it either.
  - Loughla 7y ago
    I don't even mean the watching the crops or livestock grow. I mean the actual work part, too. Planting row crops is legit the most boring work I've ever participated in. It is less than mindless. And that seems like the most active part of that game. Maybe if the physics were wonky that would be funny, at least. But this is one that I can't wrap my mind around.
    - cloverich 7y ago
      Believe it or not repetitive tasks can be quite relaxing and even restorative (in the meditative sense). A couple years ago I started practicing (disc golf) putting in my back yard to get better at the game. Many don't because its boring. And it was.. at first. Then it turned into something else. I started to crave the repetitiveness. Training myself to be patient, to not feel down if I missed a lot, etc. I started to get really good, and oddly that brought me far less joy than the simple art of practicing. Turns out its an ancient, well known phenomena. In your case, its associated with (presumably) a negative experience so probably a bit different. I just bet most people that play that game start to get that meditative experience without specifically seeking it out, but return regularly (and benefit!) despite that.

13of40 7y ago

I've got one this year in the US (outside Seattle) and I can't imagine the outrage that would ensue if I was seen using the space for barbecuing, much less drinking a beer. I even think some of the other gardeners look down on me because I'm raising mundane crops like potatoes and beets, instead of kale and lemon grass.

Cerium 7y ago
Enjoy! This year one of my favorite crops has been carrots-I have never grown them before for just that reason. My first bite was an eye opening experience. I had no idea that there could be so much more flavor.