Gardening together in the city library at the start of the gardening season at the beginning of spring as part of the nationwide "Peat-free gardening" campaign week

You are cordially invited to join us on 21 March 2026 to kick off the new gardening season. Just in time for the start of spring, we want to fill the raised beds in the garden of the city library with fresh soil between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. and plant the first seeds in the beds. Why this soil should be peat-free and what peat bogs and the climate have to do with it will be explained by peatland manager Annie Wojatschke together with the garden patrons of the city library. This year, Greifswald is partnering the nationwide "Peat-free gardening" campaign week to ensure that as many gardens as possible bloom peat-free. From 13 to 22 March 2026, events will be held across Germany to raise awareness of this issue.
Why should you avoid peat when gardening? Peat is used as a base material for potting soil because it has physical and chemical properties that support plant growth. However, peat is extracted from drained bogs. These are considered important carbon reservoirs and valuable habitats for numerous animal and plant species. When peat is decomposed, the stored carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere and damages the climate. There are now high-quality alternatives based on renewable raw materials such as compost, humus, wood or coconut fibres.

The city library is looking forward to active help in the garden. Anyone interested can find out more about the project here: https://stadtbibliothek.greifswald.de/%C3%9Cber-Uns/Projekte/Gemeinschaftsgarten and, of course, on site.