Allotment gardens are all the rage, and not just recently - and there is no end in sight to this urban gardening trend! People love to create a beautiful retreat in their allotments, where they can simply slow down and enjoy nature with friends and family.
This way, you no longer have to settle for an apartment without a garden or balcony. Allotment gardens offer the wonderful opportunity to enjoy both - a central apartment, but also your own garden happiness.
Depending on the region, this happiness is known as a plot, allotment or allotment garden. In all cases, it means having your own patch of peace and quiet and a piece of nature. However, most allotment gardens still need a little work and design before they are ready.
Hence the question: How can allotment gardens be turned into true idylls? Gardening tips and inspiration as well as low-budget alternatives and extravagant ideas can be found in this article.
What should not be missing in an allotment garden?
In our search for the most popular must-have feel-good factors for an allotment garden , we have identified the following:
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An arbor or garden shed, ideal for an overnight weekend in your own garden
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Beds to grow your own fruit and vegetables
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A herb spiral, so you can spice up any salad or barbecue meat with herbs from your own garden in no time at all
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A barbecue area, which for many is the heart of their allotment garden
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A garden toilet that is hygienic, ecological and comfortable
When implementing these ideas, it makes sense to divide the allotment garden into different areas. For example, garden areas for gardening, a play corner for children and a cozy chill lounge that invites you to linger.
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Let's take a look at exactly what this could look like in practice.
Tips for the must-haves: How do I design my allotment garden?
There are a few rules to follow when designing an allotment garden, as allotment gardens are subject to the provisions of the Federal Allotment Garden Act. And this law applies above all to the next idea for beautifying your allotment garden and making practical use of it.
Designing an allotment garden: #1 Garden shed
The legal requirements on the subject of garden sheds state that no one may use them as a permanent residence. In addition, the floor space including the covered outdoor seating area is limited to 24 square meters.
With these requirements in mind, nothing stands in the way of our design ideas. Let our ideas bubble over!
Small garden shed as a tool shed
Which garden shed is best suited to a particular allotment garden naturally depends on personal taste in terms of appearance on the one hand and the intended use on the other.
Small garden sheds, as shown in the picture, are already available for plus/minus 200 euros and are ideal for storing garden tools, cushions and similar items in a weatherproof place.
Garden shed for adventure overnight stays
This garden shed idea falls into the "slightly more unusual" category. While some scour adventure portals, others transform their allotment gardens into weekend sleepover dreams.
A sleeping barrel promises overnight fun that you can enjoy again and again and also give to your friends as an experience voucher. This way you can share and double your joy!
2 in 1 combination garden shed - tool shed and overnight accommodation in one
If you don't want to do without storage space or overnight accommodation in your own allotment, you can buy a simple garden shed from a DIY store for as little as 700 euros. With the self-build brand, the price is lower and you can save a little on your budget.
Designing an allotment garden: #2 Create beds for fruit and vegetables
Fruit and vegetables that you have been allowed to harvest yourself taste more intense and also give you a satisfying feeling. It's a real pleasure to see the seed slowly germinate and the plants gradually grow and bear fruit.
It's also a wonderful opportunity for families to spend quality time together. You can teach your children about nature and instill in them an appreciation for food such as fruit and vegetables.
Raised beds for planting fruit and vegetables
Raised beds are back-friendly and decorative in your own allotment garden. Raised beds can be purchased for less than 100 euros, depending on the size and design. If you like it colorful, you can also paint your raised bed in a bright color.
💡 Idea to save money:
Used raised beds are ideal for reducing the cost of landscaping your allotment.
Down-to-earth beds for planting fruit and vegetables
If you want to take a more economical approach to garden design, you can dispense with raised beds and simply create the beds yourself using your own muscles and a spade.
Designing an allotment: #3 Herb spiral
While we're on the subject of the joys of growing your own fruit and vegetables, the herb spiral fits in perfectly with the theme, as herbs add the necessary zing to any meal. And how wonderfully fragrant rosemary, basil and co. are!
Beautiful metal herb spirals with stainless steel are available on Amazon for around 80 euros. Gabion herb spirals are another option.
If you prefer a simpler design, you can simply plant your herbs in the beds.
Designing an allotment garden: #4 Barbecue area/fire pit as the focal point of an event
Whether it's a winter or summer barbecue, BBQ is always in season! So it's no wonder that barbecue areas are a must in allotment and allotment gardens! We are happy to share design ideas:
Simple barbecue area DIY
Fire pits that you can create yourself in your own allotment garden are simple, inexpensive and effective. Little is needed to create this attraction in your allotment garden.
Useful tips for implementation are:
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Choose a suitable place in the allotment garden away from the garden shed and raised beds to avoid the risk of fire.
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Use a piece of string to mark out the perimeter of the fire pit.
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Dig out the spot with a spade to a depth of about 10 centimetres.
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Then fill the hole with sand.
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Border the fire pit with large field stones or cobblestones. (Another option would of course be a fire ring insert, which you can order online).
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The firewood can now be piled on top of the sand.
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If you want to grill more than just sausages, baked potatoes and stick bread, then a three-legged swivel barbecue is the perfect finishing touch for this barbecue area.
However, if you don't like it quite so rustic when it comes to the barbecue area, you'll be delighted with the following design ideas.
Fire bowls: a quick and elegant barbecue area in the allotment garden
Just a few clicks on the internet and the barbecue area is almost ready. Fire bowls are available in different designs and in price segments ranging from affordable to luxurious.
A BBQ fire pit similar to the one in the photo costs around 80 euros on Amazon. Whether the area for the fire bowl is paved or filled with gravel is up to you.
Bonfires always remind you that little is needed to spend a cool time with your partner, family or friends.
Designing an allotment: #5 Garden toilet - a quiet place in the countryside
Since very few allotment garden sites provide sanitary facilities for communal use and even if they do, not everyone is lucky enough to be able to reach them quickly because their own plot may be on the very edge of the allotment garden site, it is worth having your own garden toilet.
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However, when implementing your own toilet in the allotment garden, some legal requirements must be observed.
More information on the legal requirements, which toilet variants are no longer necessary and which options you can choose from is described in more detail in the article "Allotment garden toilet" .
Separate dry toilet as a convenient and sustainable garden toilet
If you are looking for a solution that combines convenience, hygiene and sustainability so that you can continue to enjoy your garden at all times, then the urine-diverting dry toilet is also your favorite.
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Convenience: Easy to use and almost odorless thanks to the separation of liquid and solid waste. This is because the separation of droppings prevents the formation of odor-causing ammonia.
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Hygiene: The use of litter also serves to retain moisture and therefore odor. However, it also serves an optical purpose: Everything is always covered under a layer of litter so that it is opaque.
By using compostable bio-bags as inlays for the collection container, faeces do not come into contact with the container, making the toilet easy to clean. This means that you do not come into contact with any skin-corrosive chemicals or faecal residues during cleaning.
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Sustainability: After removing the leak-proof canister, you can simply use the urine in a mixing ratio of 1:10 to water your flowers. Close the compostable Bi0 bag together with the contents and throw it either into the composter in your garden or into the collection point of your allotment site.
This way, everything is returned to the ecological cycle as fertilizer in a natural way.
Designing your allotment garden toilet
After a short digression on the practical side of having your own toilet in your garden and the actual toilet solution itself, we will now return to the design.
You can order a ready-made toilet house on the internet for around 500 euros. Here too, you can save money by doing it yourself or with a lucky find on Ebay classifieds.
Small details, such as a heart cut-out on the door (see photo below) or a beautiful two-tone coat of paint, make the toilet house in the garden a quiet, feel-good place.
Additional small decorative elements that you can place inside the toilet block are inexpensive and look great.
Designing an allotment garden: Nice-to-haves
After the tips on the five must-haves in allotment gardens, we now share the nice-to-haves with which everyone can enhance the ambience of their allotment garden with small details.
Flowers: the cheapest idea for "Pimp my allotment"
One of the easiest, cheapest and most beautiful gardening tips is to create a wildflower meadow. A wide variety of flower mixtures are available for less than 10 euros: Daisies, corn poppies, cornflowers and many more.
A perennial blaze of color that also attracts bees and butterflies to the garden.
Allotment garden design: Garden swings for children and adults alike
Whether by the sea, in the jungle or in your own allotment, swings have a magnetic effect on young and old alike. They have become popular selfie spots all over the world. But if you're on a "digital detox", you can simply relax on the swing instead of taking a photo.
Hanging bench as a photo spot in the allotment garden
This feel-good corner in the allotment garden can be created for an average of 150 euros.
A hanging bench is also great for swinging as a couple, so you can share the joy of swinging with your partner.
Wooden swing: swinging like a child
Back to the roots: relive childhood memories yourself or give them to your own children - you can do this with a simple wooden swing for 20 euros.
Swing alternative: hammock
A hammock also makes it possible to design the garden inexpensively so that you can really enjoy your time in the allotment. The cost here is upwards of 20 euros.
Conclusion: Ideas for designing your allotment garden
Allotment gardens offer you plenty of space and design options to put your feel-good ideas into practice. If you invest a little more work in designing your allotment garden, you can save some money. But buying second-hand items is also good for your wallet and the environment.
Either way, it's worth creating your own idylls so that you can simply get away to the countryside and enjoy your allotment.
Because what is certain is that allotment gardens are not a passing trend, but that they are part of people's basic attitude to life - a piece of nature in itself!
