Logbook – Visits to the Shared Gardens of Seville (2024)

Day 1, Monday: 30.09.2024

Visits to the shared gardens of Pablo de Olavide University.

The morning of the first day is dedicated to studying various projects related to Pablo de Olavide University (UPO): an aquaponics project, the creation of a lagoon promoting biodiversity, and the UPO shared garden.
This aquaponics project is presented by Victor, who is collaborating with UPO in the field of biology.

In the aquaponics model presented, the plants grow in soilless conditions thanks to the action of fish, in this case tilapia, as well as bacteria. The fish are gathered in a large plastic jar, their waste is rich in ammonia, which the bacteria in the beads treat and purify to allow the water to be delivered to the plants through the PVC piping system.

This system allows for soilless cultivation, which avoids the difficulties of traditional agriculture related to diseases, the ravages of insects, the damage from bad weather, etc. However, I find that this system, which remains complex, cannot be easily generalized because it requires quite specific knowledge in biology and the functioning of bacteria.

Furthermore, water loaded with ammonia must be handled with care to avoid harmful effects on the environment, such as discharging it into surrounding waters.

We then visited the lagoon creation project, which is also a hotspot for biodiversity, with aquatic plants, amphibians, and numerous birds present there. The project is simple but effective: thanks to the planting of aquatic plants, biodiversity has locally developed. This lagoon is also useful because in the event of a flood of the Guadalquivir, the water is stored here.

We concluded our review of the UPO projects with a visit to the community garden. This shared space is open to all members of the university, including students, professors, researchers, and administrative staff. For an annual fee of 49 euros, participants can cultivate their own plot. The garden follows organic farming principles, and gardeners are free to consume the vegetables they grow, such as eggplants, peppers, and tomatoes.

While the garden is an affordable option, it faces a challenge during university holidays when no one is available to tend the plots. This issue is particularly evident after the long summer break, as neglected plots require significant care at the start of the academic year to restore them to good condition.

Visit to the Triana Garden

In the afternoon, we visited Triana. During our tour, we learned that the city was historically a major center for olive oil production. Afterward, we went to the community garden, which is located in an area with dry soil despite its proximity to the Guadalquivir estuary. The garden welcomes parents of students, local associations, and primarily cultivates fruits and vegetables such as eggplants, peppers, tomatoes, and aromatic herbs.

This shared garden faces several challenges:

Administrative difficulties: The garden is not fully recognized by local authorities, which has made the creation process complex. As a result, it lacks essential infrastructure such as drinking water, toilets, and electricity, since the necessary connection permits have not been granted.
Material difficulties: Due to the lack of official recognition, the garden has no facilities. Water for irrigation is drawn directly from the Guadalquivir.
Internal operational difficulties: The absence of clear regulations creates challenges in managing the garden. While the owners follow organic farming practices, they cannot enforce them among other gardeners through a formal charter, as the distribution of plots has not been officially recognized.

This garden is therefore an example of the importance of administrative status for its proper functioning, but also of resilience because despite everything, this garden exists and continues to produce despite the difficulties it faces.

Day 2, Tuesday: 01.10.2024

Visit to the cultural center “Factoría Cultural”

Tuesday was dedicated to projects with a strong focus on the social dimension. As part of this, we visited the photographic exhibition by Ramón Amaya titled “Objetivo Flamenco: The Perspective of a Gypsy Witnessing His Time.” The exhibition is hosted at Factoria Cultural, a cultural center located in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Spain and Europe, where the Romani and Gypsy communities face significant discrimination.

The exhibition’s goal was to provide these communities with the opportunity to represent themselves, take control of the narrative, and share their own stories from behind the camera.

I found this exhibition extremely important and appreciated the cultural center’s approach to representation as a means of integration. Allowing members of the Romani and Gypsy community to represent themselves is essential—it fosters pride and provides a way to showcase their culture without being reduced to stereotypes by the broader population.

Visit to the student residence Flora Tristan

We then visited the Flora Tristan student residence, which is affiliated with Pablo de Olavide University. This residence stands out for its inclusive approach and strong connection to the surrounding neighborhood, which is a working-class area. In contrast to the more polished city center of Seville, this neighborhood consists of older, often dilapidated housing.

Housing here is very affordable, as students only pay for their water consumption. Each apartment is shared by two students and includes a private bedroom and bathroom for each, along with a spacious living room and kitchen. To encourage diversity, students come from various countries and academic backgrounds.

The university also promotes openness to the community, both physically—through rooms with direct access to the street and public spaces—and socially, by hosting associations that offer services such as bike repairs and digital training.

I really enjoyed this visit because it was different from the community gardens I had seen. The concept of inclusion through housing and its integration into the neighborhood is an approach that resonates with me.

Visit to the CEPER garden

The CEPER garden was particularly fascinating due to the dedication of its volunteers, their deep connection with nature, and their guiding philosophy. Entirely cultivated using organic farming, the garden also incorporates biomimicry. Volunteers are encouraged to take the time to observe and understand nature, respecting its rhythms, as the crops are grown using permaculture techniques. Over the past four years, the garden has not only flourished but has also served as a training space for new volunteers in permaculture.

The garden itself is lush and vibrant, with a natural, untamed beauty. Unlike traditional gardens where plants are neatly arranged, here they are allowed to spread and grow freely, taking up the space they need. This is made possible through sustainable practices, such as covering the soil with leaves to promote humus formation and enhance natural soil processes. The garden even hosts tropical plants, further adding to its rich biodiversity.

I truly admired the commitment and passion of the volunteers, for whom culture and traditional knowledge—passed down through generations and refined through close observation of nature—are central to their approach.

Visit to the Infanta Elena Garden

It took three years for the plants in this garden to fully develop, and it continues to thrive thanks to the dedication of volunteers from the Plantamos Vida association, who invest significant time and effort in its growth. Their work has transformed the space into a haven for biodiversity within the city, attracting insects, birds, bees, and even hedgehogs.

The garden’s crops flourish largely due to the use of nutrient-rich compost, made from fruit and vegetable scraps. This compost plays a key role in cultivating eggplants, peppers, bell peppers, and various herbs.

I truly appreciated the commitment of the association’s volunteers, their determination to expand the garden, and their resourcefulness in practicing organic farming. Their ongoing efforts to integrate permaculture further highlight their dedication to sustainable agriculture.

Day 3, Wednesday: 02.10.2024

Visit to the Alamillo Garden

The Alamillo Garden is one of the largest in Andalusia and is located near the city, on the other side of the river. It is regularly used by visitors to organize picnics there on Sundays. This example of a garden is interesting for understanding the connection with public authorities and how they can influence the future of the garden. Also, there is an issue of making it more “social” by encouraging interactions between gardeners. Originally, the site belonged to a single owner (in the 1930s) and was a large estate where orange trees were cultivated. Then, little by little, under the impetus of the regional government, the site is transformed into a park, the boundaries are clearly defined, and access to water is installed.

In the 1990s, the regional government decided to build a metropolitan park there. Since an association was created to obtain tools, develop the park, solve the garden’s operational problems, and ensure the management of the site that practices organic farming.

The park belongs to the regional local government and the plots are concessions for a duration of 3 years, renewable each year. Because this park belongs to the public authorities, it has the advantage that the water (non-potable) is free and that the park’s security is ensured.

The park aims to be open to everyone, which is why it is possible for homeless people to come, use the water, rest in the shade of the trees, and eat the cultivated fruits. The volunteers requested to have toilets, but the government refused due to lack of access to the sewage system.

The garden was built by the authorities and now it is the gardeners and volunteers who keep it alive.

I found this park particularly interesting because it also raises the question of creating social bonds through the garden. Because here, unfortunately, the volunteers are unable to create a social dynamic, an exchange between the gardeners. The garden is mainly used for cultivation, there are few social connections, except for the association’s volunteers. There are only 5 or 6 volunteers, mainly retirees, but they play an important role as they serve as a link between the gardeners and the regional government. Membership is not mandatory for all gardeners; only those who wish to become volunteers do so. They can join the association for 2 euros per month and 1 euro for unemployed people.

Originally, the gardeners were very motivated, but little by little there has been an increase in the abandonment of plots, especially in the last 4-5 years. To avoid this situation, gardeners receive an email from the regional authorities reminding them that they must maintain their plots. The main reason mentioned by Enrique is the location of the park, set back from the city where there are no houses nearby.

Each plot is a concession for a duration of 3 years, which is why it is difficult to grant it to another person, even if the gardener is not taking care of it. Enrique explains that it is sometimes difficult to work with local authorities because they have an administrative vision and are not used to working with gardens. Moreover, the current government is not interested in the development of the garden unlike the original one, which is why it is complicated for volunteers to energize the Garden and attract new people. For example, the garden would like to be able to utilize the gardens of the surrounding monasteries that are not being used, but that seems difficult.

Visit to the distillery – environmental education center

Visit to the distillery – environmental education centerThe Pino Garden was originally a psychiatric hospital, which closed in 2010 when methods and laws evolved to integrate psychiatry into general health care.

The garden was created during the pandemic and is now an environmental educational center. There are 25 volunteers and 250 plots in this garden: it’s one of the largest community gardens.

This very large site includes various activities, such as gardening, an educational farm, a pottery workshop, a distillery workshop, and a stable. All these activities are managed by volunteers, who place great importance on the transmission of knowledge.

Antonio introduced us to pottery, which is very interesting. We also visited the distillery workshop, where volunteers produce essential oil and alcohol from the cultivated plants. I particularly liked this garden because the volunteers are very dedicated and have different skills. They are passionate, which is reflected in their demeanor and the beauty of the site.

Day 4, Thursday: 03.10.2024

Visit to the Huerto Del Rey Garden

This garden, which is located in the heart of the historic part of the city, is one of the oldest in Seville. It illustrates the Spanish tradition of sharing common goods that are managed not by public authorities but by civil society.

The garden is unique due to its specific features:

It has been a garden since the 13th century, and thus benefits from heritage protection as a “cultural asset of general interest”
He has a particular administrative situation, he is admitted by the public authorities without being fully accepted and claimed.

Many people come to this garden to visit it, especially schools and children, as the place aims to be a place of learning about brotherhood and friendship. The garden is 5,000 m2 and includes the park, the garden, and green spaces; at the back of the garden, there are the plots.

The plots are of different types: family plots, communal ones to teach gardeners how to plant, this space is also used for training as part of European programs.

The garden is also characterized by its relationships with public authorities and the fact that its occupation is neither legal nor illegal. It clearly shows the importance of having good relations with public authorities and the tensions in site management, between on one hand the actions of public authorities and on the other hand those of civil society. Moreover, in the past, the members of the garden came together to form an association to defend it, particularly to preserve the trees, as the municipality wanted to take over the garden to continue urbanization, the garden being in the heart of the city.

Now the municipality accommodates the garden without fully accepting it. This situation lasted 30 years, but the current government is more hostile and wants to keep the garden while rejecting its operation.

However, the functioning of the garden relies on exchange and the search for compromises.

Each volunteer participates in an assembly that serves for decision-making. 30 people make up this assembly, they do not vote but discuss until they find a decision that suits everyone. They also have a committee that manages daily operations (communication, plot distribution, etc.). There is also a committee dedicated to the family that manages children, birthdays, etc. There is an important community aspect.

The garden is ready to collaborate with the government on the condition that the latter respects their assembly system. Moreover, it developed in part thanks to the participatory budget, used to gain access to drinking water, the creation of toilets, and a cabin.

The garden is experiencing some difficulties due to, on the one hand, acts of vandalism that sometimes occur there, and on the other hand, tensions with the new local government.

I particularly liked this garden and its commitment to placing the processes of consultation among the gardeners at the heart of its operation and promoting a shared governance model. It is the most advanced shared garden in terms of living together and promoting citizenship.

Day 5, Friday: 04.10.2024

Visit to Miraflores Garden

The Miraflores garden has existed since the 1980s and is located in a residential area. It is also one of the oldest shared gardens in Seville. It is open to everyone and has 230 plots. The most experienced and seasoned gardeners can have 2 plots instead of one, as is the case for new cultivators.

Due to its size, people from all the surrounding villages come to Miraflores to farm. This place is an example of best practices, and many people go there to learn about the park’s history and its age, best practices, and to conduct workshops.

This garden is particularly open to schools and aims to have an approach of knowledge transfer. Also, he offers a space dedicated to families where they can rent a room for a week, allowing children to explore the garden.

I found this garden very interesting because it has a strong commitment to transmission and valuing virtuous practices. ( paillage, compost etc). Also, it is part of an approach to reduce water consumption.