In April, the garden stopped being just a plan for the coming season. The first seeds went into the ground, regular Saturday meetings began, and new people arrived, ready to start their adventure at Pod Gwiazdami.
The Season Officially Begins
At the beginning of April, we completed the formal arrangements with the Municipal Greenery Authority concerning the lease of the site on Orla Street. After several months of planning, we were finally able to begin signing agreements, collecting fees and welcoming new gardeners.
This is not the most spectacular part of running a garden. It does not make tomatoes or pumpkins grow, but without documents, regulations and secured funding, it would be difficult to imagine another season.
With these preparations completed, we could focus on what matters most: creating the garden together.
The Weather Gives Us a Second Chance
The weather disrupted our March plan to sow broad beans. Fortunately, in gardening, many things can be postponed, adjusted or simply attempted again.
In the first half of April, we returned to the Community Farm. Caraway, early beetroot, black salsify, spinach and radishes were waiting to be sown. We wanted to make use of the last suitable moment for an early crop and prepare for the first harvest at the end of May.
Not everything can be planned down to a specific day. You need to observe the temperature, soil moisture and weather forecast, and sometimes simply stand beside the bed and assess the situation. April reminded us once again that a garden moves at its own pace.
Saturdays at the Community Farm
Over the following weeks, we began meeting regularly at the Community Farm. We sowed radishes, prepared the soil for new beds and tidied the space before the Saturdays at the Community Farm
Over the following weeks, we began meeting regularly at most intensive part of the season.
Working together on the farm is not only a way to complete tasks more quickly. It is also an opportunity to learn from more experienced gardeners, ask a question that previously had no one to answer it, or simply spend a few hours outdoors in good company.
There was no shortage of soil to dig, but the number of willing hands was also beginning to grow.
Welcoming New Members
In April, people who would be cultivating their plots for the first time gradually began joining the garden. For some, it was a return to experiences from a family garden. For others, it was an entirely new adventure.
We encouraged those who had already spent a season at Pod Gwiazdami to help new gardeners find the tools, learn the local routines and discover where to access water, compost and other necessary materials.
After all, Pod Gwiazdami is not simply a collection of separate plots. It is a shared space where what grows in the beds matters, but so do the relationships between the people who care for them.
The Farm as a Shared Space
We want the Community Farm to remain open to the entire garden community. It is a place where people can gain practical experience, take part in decisions about the crops and contribute as much as their time and circumstances allow.
In the future, shared work should also bring a shared harvest. Before the vegetables can be collected, however, weeks of preparing the soil, sowing, planting, watering and weeding are needed.
April was the month when this rhythm truly began.
May Is Ahead
By the end of the month, most organisational matters were close to being completed, and the life of the garden was moving increasingly from documents and meetings to the beds.
For the beginning of May, we planned to plant lettuce, continue work at the Community Farm and organise an introductory training session for new members. The first community gathering also appeared in the calendar.
The garden was slowly filling up. With every passing week, there were more plants, more tools temporarily left beside the beds and more people beginning to feel at home at Pod Gwiazdami.
Event Timeline
2 April
We completed the most important formal arrangements with the Municipal Greenery Authority concerning the lease of the garden site.
10 April
Gardeners received their agreements for the 2026 season, the updated garden regulations and information about the fees. We also began welcoming new members.
11 April
We returned to spring sowing at the Community Farm. The plan included caraway, early beetroot, black salsify, spinach and radishes.
18 April
We continued sowing and preparing the soil for new beds.
25 April
Another Saturday work session took place at the Community Farm. We particularly encouraged people session took place at the Community Farm. We particularly encouraged who had only recently joined the garden to take part.
30 April
We began preparing for May planting, the introductory training session for new gardeners and the first community gatherings.
