Aubergine | Solanum melongena, Solanaceae

Gayle Chong Kwan, Aubergine, collage, 2011

Aubergine
Solanum melongena, Solanaceae

The plant is native to India, it helps to block the formation of free radicals and is also a source of folic acid and potassium.  It is richer in nicotine than any other edible plant. Production of aubergine is highly concentrated, with 85% of output coming from five countries. China is the top producer (56% of world output) and India is second (26%); Egypt, Turkey and Indonesia round out the top producing nations.

Imam Bayildi is the name of a popular Turkish dish that means "the imam fainted". It is made of braised aubergine and meat. According to the legend it was so good that after eating it an Imam passed out.

Achmed Sen, Pyramidengärten

To make a great sataras add a spoon of Vegeta, Yugoslavian dried vegetables, and a spoon of fresh ajvar (a cream of roasted aubergines and peppers with chilli).

Almira-Ada Mesic, Gärten Rosenduft

In this box, onions and garlics have been put side by side. I am not sure that it is a good idea, as they will be "fighting" between them. Usually it is better if you put plants together to have  those that grow differently, for instance, potatoes that grow in the ground can be with aubergines, which grow one metre tall. All these plants have just one cycle of production each year, but in the tropics they can have two or three.

Severin Halder, Allmende-Kontor

Berliner Allmende-Kontor

a new project in berlin

severin halder mounting the banner

I started gardening at 14, but of course I am not a "real" gardener. I have sudied biology and my thesis on urban agriculture in Rio de Janeiro where I was working with an Ong, however gardening is just one side for me. The social side is more important. Unfortunately we have not people with immigrant backgrounds that joined the project yet, but we have just started. We have to manage to involve people of the sorrounding areas. There are a lot of them from Turkey, Eastern Europe or Arabian countries that have a great knowledge about gardening and for sure had a garden in their Romenia, Anatolia or wherever. They grew up in the countryside and they are going to bring their knowledge in their graves. Of course it happens that you are closer to the people that mirror you, but we have to force ourselves to be more in tough with the others.

Severin Halder

the first plants planted

mila interviewing kristin radix

Plants from the south need more heat and sun. Here in Gemany, for instance, if you want to grow courgettes you have to plant them at home, but you need a good exposition. You have to plant them indoor around february and you can bring them out on april. Salad, onions and potatoes are robust, so you can plant them outdoor when you wish, end of march, april, may. Just the experience let you know when they are ready, for this reason elders have much more knowledge than youngers as they have benn in touch with the ecosystem longer.

carrying tools for gardening

Together with other 20 people, I am in the  organization of Allmende-Kontor, then there are almost other 20 people who help us and other 100 who are interested in and signed to join our meetings. We have just started but we have a contract for 3 years and we got 5000 mq2, so it is a very long and big process... and the starting is quite difficult as we have to  carry everything: soil, wood, boxes and cannot leave anything in the night for the vandalism.

Kristin Radix

severin pointing the first pees

malte zacharias

These are cauliflowers even if they have been just seeded and you cannot see them. For these reason we put these little sticks, to have an orientation and understand where the plants will grow. Inside the soil you always have a lot of different kinds of seeds, so you have to know which plants support and get rid of the weeds.
The canvas instead  - that has to be putted all inside the case - is to avoid the soil going out, as soil is so expensive and we already have to pay a rent for this area (1 euro for 1 meter, so 5000 euro for year), so we really cannot waste it.

Severin Halder

on the right, Elisabeth Meyer-Renschausen

the soil

I like gardening because everyone can learn just thanks to the experience. Nowadays all of us have to be experts in everything before doing it. But it is not true. You can learn just trying and experimenting and it is easy. In one day you can learn how to repair you bike, for istance. So you can be indipendent for food and transport and it is a lot! You feel so powerfull.

tempelhof

Gardening to me is mostly pushing garden movements. I wish to promote social issues through gardening. Social and political. We have to be coinscious of what we eat and need. We import so much even if it is possible that you grow your own things. This kind of lifestyle is not working. It is just for few people at the highest prices. And what you plant taste so different, even from organic food. I do not care about labeling (organic or not) but I make difference between good quality and not. I think that Italian granmothers going to the markets are conscious of which is a tasty tomato and which not. In Germany we cannot recognize it anymore. Going to the markets in Berlin is bohemian and expensive.

Severin Halder 

http://www.tempelhoferfreiheit.de/mitgestalten/pionierfelder/oderstrasse/