“Zelena Arka – Bostanie” is the first urban garden in Skopje, set in the park in Novo Lisiche, and it is guided by the idea for transferring public areas into urban gardens. This project is realized with financial aid from City of Skopje, and in cooperation with Municipality of Aerodrom, the public enterprise “Parkovi i zelenilo”, the Faculty of Forestry, the Institute of Construction and other socially responsible companies. In its several years of existence, the garden represents a good opportunity for fostering inseparable symbiosis between man and nature.
After a previously submitted application for allocation of a plot of agricultural land in September 2023, the family of “botanists” was joined by the Day Centres of the Republic Centre – PORAKA in Skopje. The first season was for introducing the regulations and conditions for work in this garden. Also, there was work on preparing the land by weeding and digging. The first trials for planting were modest, only autumn plants were planted. This year, during the spring and the good weather, the users of the Day Centres intensified their activities. This time, the users had the opportunity to practice the process of production and cultivation of early garden crops from the first step. With their hardworking hands and great enthusiasm for work, they successfully went through the process of preparing the land for planting. It was again freed from the annoying weeds, it was dug several times, levelled, fertilised. The first seeds for tomatoes, peppers, zucchini and cucumbers were sown in the Day Centres. Green beans, garlic, carrots were sown on the plot directly. Every user, in accordance with his/her possibilities, had the opportunity to be included in these activities, which undoubtedly, are favourite among them because of the work in nature. However, in a short period of time, a group of tireless gardeners was defined who, it is modest to say, carried most of the burden of this process on their shoulders. Some of the parents of users from both Day Centres were part of these activities through active engagement, exchange of seeds, seedlings and useful advice. We are also grateful to the other gardeners from “Bostanie” for their support throughout the whole process.
Mrs. Linda Trajkovska, professor of photography and professional photographer, expressed her interest for the activities of the users in the community garden. It was a joint idea to photograph all the activities that users carry out in the garden and to make an exhibition with the title that says it all “From Garden to the Table”. Starting from March, the persistence and efforts of the users are best seen through the lens of Mrs. Trajkovska.
The first harvest of cultivated crops brought immense joy to the users, but also an incentive to continue with intensive gardening. During the practical activities at the Day Centres, they independently prepared the first meals with the products of their own work and cultivation of the land.
The benefits of these activities are clearly multiple and long-lasting. Stereotypes are breaking regarding the independence of persons with disability. Working in the garden also has a therapeutic effect, and undoubtedly through communication with other gardeners, their socialisation and inclusion in the community improves.
