The Czech garden colony, or zahrádkářské kolonie, is quite similar to the allotment gardens found throughout much of Europe: In an urban margin, a group of gardeners has come together to cultivate the land. This piece of land is divided into small parcels (normally measuring around 100m2) for individual gardeners. Gardeners pool communal resources and infrastructure to cut costs, but are generally free to use their plot as they see fit.

The history of Czech garden colonies dates back to the 14th century. However, these gardens became particularly popular and significant during the communist regime. During this period the gardens offered urban residents an opportunity to escape from the concrete pre-fabricated panelák housing projects of that era. The garden plot offered a chance to relatively freely reign over a small plot of land. Aside from this freedom and leisure, these gardens often also provided a substantial supplement of fresh produce, a scarce commodity during this communist era of Czech history. These gardens were in complete contrast with the stat’s cooperative mega-farms.

Today, many of these gardens have survived the rapid development that came along with the Czech Republic’s Velvet Revolution. Garden colonies exist in most every Czech city and town, ranging in size from a handful to hundreds of plots. These gardens are still very popular. One advocacy group, the Czech Union of Allotment and Leisure Gardens, claims 170,000 members. Individual colonies are organized in different ways... At times the land is owned and administered by the municipality and rented to the gardeners for a nominal fee. In other colonies, the land is bought and sold on the free market.

These gardens continue to be used in a diversity of ways. Many still intensively grow their own produce while others focus on flowers and ornamental gardens. Often the gardens have small cottages where the gardeners spend their holidays and weekends. Vibrant gardening communities may even have even small clubs and pubs for their members. A tiny plot of land to use freely is still a valued commodity in the Czech Republic, a relatively small landlocked country in the center of Europe.