Social Gardens - places of encounter

Across all borders and cultures, the garden has always been a place of desire and coming together. This applies more than ever today after two years of pandemic and in the face of the current global political situation. As a place of joint retreat gardens and green spaces in general are gaining more and more significance. They offer a place of refuge for recovering from the fast-paced everyday routine and bring people together.

In the private sector they serve among others for relaxing time spent together or for barbecues with the family, neighbours and friends. However, the topic Social Gardens also includes garden trends such as urban gardening, which is about spending time together in (semi-)public spaces. In addition to city greening or self-provision, civil gardens or sharing initiatives also always have the social exchange in mind. As such they create community spaces and promote a sustainable approach.

Today gardens, balconies and terraces are green meeting points just like allotments, public parks and other urban open spaces - but also outdoor lounges at the office or restaurant terraces. Private and public outdoor areas are filled with life when joint activities are carried out. Together and for each other. People of all age groups become creative designers, beautify their environment together, tend to green areas, grow fruit and vegetables or relax in the fresh air.

Manufacturers and the trade are supporting this social function and the regenerative power of the garden with new products and solutions ‒ from extendible seating arrangements and fully-equipped outdoor kitchens, to garden tools for toddlers and ergonomic tools, through to DIY or sharing initiatives.

Every garden product has thereby a social and interactive quality in addition to its functional and creative characteristics. Indeed, the social interaction is what actually lends a garden its own special magic: The garden hosepipe or the sprinkler the children play with in the sun; the outdoor lounge suite the family relaxes on together; the raised flowerbed the neighbours all jointly use to plant vegetables or the grill used for having a BBQ with friends. Social Gardening is thus more than merely garden work - as living space the garden provides an opportunity to reinvent oneself and become active together.

Social Gardens are versatile and offer hobby gardeners a great deal of leeway: Whether versatilely implemented outdoor furniture; plants, substrates and soils for a sustainable garden design, clever solutions for grills and BBQs or modern garden equipment. All of the industry's new products and their potential for living green, outdoor areas can be discovered at spoga+gafa. With the theme Social Gardens, the international leading trade fair is picking up on current garden trends, is placing the focus on the global social relevance of gardens and is thus itself becoming a place of exchange and encounter again.