Operations & Sustainable Development

Background and choice of focus An endless commute between fertile river valleys and happily farming mountain people in hilly Laos. Since its inception, Trädgårdsdags has been ethnobotanically focused, i.e. on the human use of plants for various purposes in ancient cultures but also how we can use them to our benefit today. The first seeds we ever sold were from a home-grown Ashwagandha plant (Indian Ginseng), which has well-known properties for both the body and cognitive capacity. This choice of focus stems from my early interest in ancient cultures and their societies: the lifestyle, traditions and knowledge - much of which may be forgotten in our contemporary society. This interest has led to a lot of travel and longer stays in areas where people still live more in harmony with nature, where the knowledge of what can be used around us is as self-evident as our knowledge of what antibiotics and ipren are used for. There is a lot of inspiration to be gained from these communities, both practically but also from their attitude to life. There is something very relaxing about seeing a group of people who are so content, caring for their close family and who are so harmoniously a natural part of the environment they live in. It creates a contrast to our lives here in the "Western world" where both the attitude and the pace can be different - for better or worse. The places where I have experienced this are mainly in Asia - I have both lived and traveled in Burma, Laos and Thailand, among others. The stays in Asia began long before Trädgårdsdags was started. Which is why you can certainly say that a great inspiration for the plants together with their useful properties that are brought in here in the store comes from Asia. It is worth mentioning, however, that all the plants in the warehouse are purchased from well-established EU growers or grown by ourselves, the inspiration for the plant selection itself is what can be found all over the world. Grandson and grandmother in an Akha family who, among other things, grow tea in the area around Phongsali, Laos. Teas And so it continues to be. During my time down there, I have also encountered and become so nicely wrapped up in the tea culture that exists up in the mountains of the region. Tea culture is sometimes more modestly hidden and sometimes blatantly present in the mountainous regions of most countries in East/Southeast Asia. This is because the mountainous environments there often create the perfect climate for tea cultivation. Tv: A small element of the classic tea culture that can be found up in the mountains of northern Thailand. Th: Me and the tea-growing Yao people from the Yao village in the nearby mountain valley, northern Laos. (photo: Teun Sengkham). In Thailand, the classic tea culture is more subtle, but there are a couple of real gems up in northern Thailand near the border with Burma that produce really nice teas. In Laos, the tea culture is also fairly subtle among its own population, but there is a high demand for tea from Laos from, among others, China, which is why there are quite a few different producers in the country. As those who have traveled around Laos know, the country is 75% mountainous, which explains the good supply of tea plantations. Laos is also one of the countries where the tea bush, or rather the tea tree, (Camellia sinensis) originates from and grows naturally in the wild. The population of Laos also consists of almost half of different ethnic groups with simpler lifestyles, which makes tea cultivation an attractive occupation for a large part of the country's population. Laos mainly produces original teas for export to China. The climate in these mountainous regions ranges from tropical to sub-tropical to temperate thanks to the altitude. Tv: A small tea growing village in northern Thailand with historical Chinese influence. Th: Phongsali in northern Laos known for its green teas from its ancient tea trees. In Malaysia, tea culture is much more noticeable, largely thanks to that the British occupied the country for over a hundred years from 1824 to 1948. Up in the mountains in Malaysia are extensive tea terraces first established by the British, who brought their own version of tea culture from China. Tea cultivation is possible here too, even though Malaysia-below-the-mountains is a pur-tropical country with the most unbearable heat imaginable. The altitude makes a big difference. The tea plantations in Malaysia are not as numerous as in, for example, Laos, and the area under tea cultivation in the country has more than halved since the 1960s and the industry's growth is slow. The stagnation is largely due to the difficulty of finding labor. Malaysia is a fairly modern and developed country, compared to Laos less developed society where the rapid growth of the tea industry instead shows good signs of a bright future. However, there are a couple of skilled tea producers with a long, interesting history up in the Cameron Highlands that I have visited. The vast tea plantations up in the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia. Also Burma, or Myanmar as the country is officially known now called, has strong elements of British tea culture thanks to the same occupation during the same years, which is why black tea with milk is strongly etched in their culture. However, they also have a fairly clear influence from China thanks to both the physical proximity and the significant proportion of ethnic Chinese living in the country. Burma also has a strong culture of drinking green tea, similar to that in China. Burma is considered, together with southern China and Laos, to be the region where the tea plant, Camellia sinensis, originates. Tv: The mountains in Burma - pictured is the mountain village of Mindat. Th: In Burma it is not uncommon to end up with both green (classic Chinese) and black tea frothed with milk (British inspired) as green tea with its more neutral taste is often included and is ready in thermoses on the tables. The teas produced in Thailand and Laos are in line with Chinese culture, where people mainly drink green tea, and without milk. In Malaysia, production is almost exclusively inspired by the British due to the previous occupation, which is why people mainly drink black tea with milk. As mentioned, Burma has strong elements of both cultures. From these countries and areas, I will soon start importing original teas, which either come from tea trees that are 30 meters high and several hundred years old, or that have been grown by an ethnic group in the area, or that have another interesting history. The teas will be available both in the online store and in our physical store here at Ågården in Marieholm. Left: 20-30 meter tall tea trees in northern Laos. Right: The Yao people from the nearby Yao village harvest their gold - their idyllic little community along the river in the mountain valley has grown a lot since the tea industry in Laos began its journey. Hardy exotic useful plants It should be emphasized that all plants we bring into the store are either purchased from well-established EU growers or grown by us here in Sweden . However, the actual species origin of the plant may be from other parts of the world. When choosing plants for my assortment, I usually try to stick to a certain template. They should preferably meet a couple of different criteria: The plant should produce something edible or otherwise useful - such as of medicinal or household value They may be exotic, i.e. originate from another culture or have unusual, remarkable properties with documented uses. They should be hardy in our climate here in Sweden and parts of the rest of the Nordic region - they should be able to stand outside all year round, at least in the mildest parts. Read below for one of our guidelines on how this can be achieved: There are a lot of exotic plants that originate from foreign mountain environments where the climate is more similar to our climate. Something that is not necessarily the case in the lowlands of the same country. Even if the climate is not exactly the same, some of these plants are hardy to the same types of environmental conditions that we have here in Sweden. Examples of such plants are Black Goji which originates from the Tibetan plateau, Jiaogulan from a mountainous region in southern China, Tasmanian Mountain Pepper which grows at high altitudes in Tasmania and southeastern Australia and Bread Fir from the volcanic plains in Chile. Of course also the tea plant, Camellia sinensis, which if you have read above already know by now. Top left: An unusual sight - pine trees & rice terraces growing together in Phonsavan, Laos. This is explained by the high mountain plateau Phonsavan is located on, which provides a cooler climate in what is otherwise a tropical region. Top right: Jiaogulan was found growing on a tree in the wild up in the mountains of Yot Ou, Laos. Bottom left: Black Goji growing among our outdoor cultivations outside Lund, Skåne. Bottom right: Tea bush of the hardier variety 'Tea by Me' in the snow outside our greenhouse at Ågården in Marieholm, Skåne. There are also other countries with exotic flora where you can look for inspiration below the highlands which you might not automatically think have a similar climate to Sweden. Examples of such countries and areas include China, Japan and North America. Examples of plants that come from the lowlands in these regions are Asimina, Yaupon & Water Tupelo (North America), Japanese Torreyan Nut & Strawberry Raspberry (Japan) and Chinese Toon, Butterfly Vine & Five-leaf Akebia (China). The third requirement is almost always applied when importing plants. When it comes to seeds, we sometimes import things that are outside the hardiness limit of our climate. Many of these plants are easy to move inside during the winter. Continued hunt for interesting flora Future trips to both Africa and South America in search of inspiration for further useful flora with attractive properties will take place. I am also planning a trip to the Himalayas to, among other things, investigate the cultivation of Black Goji in its natural environment closer. Which will only be updated here when the time comes. The purpose of Trädgårdsdags The purpose of the activity is to promote a cultivation that is useful in the long term, exciting and simple, to bring us closer to the natural that makes us feel good again, and to reintroduce and spread new light on forgotten knowledge that, intertwined with our modern technological capacity, creates new opportunities with the best of both worlds. One of our strategies in the effort to make cultivation easier is to use cultivation methods such as food forest gardening. The name is a bit misleading for some who get the idea that you have to have an entire forest in your garden, which many do not want. The term rather comes from taking inspiration from nature's own ecosystem with its different layers and internal collaborations, which is most clearly depicted in a forest . You can build a nice and well-maintained park based on the principles of a food forest. The point is that you create a diversity of different plants, which enrich both the soil and surrounding organisms more the longer they are allowed to grow undisturbed in place. To create as healthy and cultivation-efficient an environment as possible, you want to combine different layers that do not have any direct competition with each other (rather the opposite). For example, you can have: a nut tree in the crown layer that provides shade on the hottest days, a berry bush that fixes nitrogen to the soil in the shrub layer, both edible herbs and a useful ground cover that ensures that weeds do not take over the place, and some type of protection in the so-called "second layer" in the form of hedge plants such as bamboo, berry medlar or cherry dogwood. If you want, you can also have for example, a fruit-bearing climbing plant that climbs the trunk of one of the larger trees. The aim is to establish plants with the attractive characteristics you want, in a place where you might otherwise have spent time clearing completely unwanted weeds instead. Such a system creates a healthy ecosystem with beneficial organisms that benefit the plants in their environment and also saves you time in the form of maintenance in the long term. In addition to this, we use various types of practical tools and solutions to make cultivation as practical as possible. ... Thanks for this time. If you've read this far, I hope it was useful! Text and photo by Johannes Billsten

We have now put up a sign at the entrance from road 108 (Teckomatorpsvägen) so that you can easily find us. It is easy to get here by either train to Marieholm station which is only 1 km away, or by car. We have parking here. If you come from Marieholm station, go out onto Storgatan and follow it west until it turns into Kävlingevägen and then Teckomatorpsvägen. After 100 m on Teckomatorpsvägen, you will see us on the left. Once there At the entrance, follow the linden avenue into the courtyard, where you will find the greenhouse with plants on the left and the shop with shoes, seeds and growing equipment (also offering coffee on occasion) on the right. We have also put up signs in the greenhouse that clearly show the division into the different layers for how to combine the plants in a system similar to food forest gardening, as well as a sign for each plant with a short summary, growing zone, height and suggested layer. All to make it easy! We are located at the address: Akarp 301 241 72 Marieholm Alternatively, type in Trädgårdsdags Skogsträdgårdshandel into Google Maps. Call 0722809312 for questions. Welcome!

We are happy to inform you that we have moved our business to a new farm where we will open a shop with seeds, garden shoes, tools and other growing accessories . We have also set up a greenhouse where you can find our range of unusual & useful plants to get a little closer to them before you take them home! We have an opening premiere on Saturday, September 14th , when we will offer coffee, various teas and cake! Read more below. In connection with this move, we have strengthened our focus on Food Forest gardening - i.e. the cultivation of plants in a kind of system that mimics nature's natural ecosystem, but with self-selected plants with particularly desired properties - it can be of either edible, medicinal or household value. A food forest is built up to become a system that takes care of itself to the greatest extent possible over time . For example: selected ground covers & climbing plants spread and keep unwanted weeds away; the diversity of plants in a food forest becomes home to various beneficial animals that single-handedly keep unwanted pests at bay for you; Plants with different nutrient absorption capacities provide nutrients to all plants in the area when they wither away; with several plants with different nutrient absorption capacities, the combined nutrient supply becomes richer for all plants in the system. We have therefore also divided the plants in our greenhouse into the different layers that are used in forest horticulture, i.e.: The crown layer Second layer The shrub layer The herb layer Ground cover The root layer Climbing plants We have set up pots with slightly different combinations of plants to provide inspiration for how to combine your plants! Even though the warehouse is not fully stocked and everything is not yet ready, we choose to open as now is the best time for planting perennials, shrubs and trees at this time of year. You are warmly welcome to stop by. 😊🎋🍃 Address: Akarp 301 241 72 Marieholm Phone: 0722809312

After spending a lot of time with different plants - in connection with reading and writing - that we consume daily, in some way you get closer to what it is we are actually consuming. A bit like you do if you hunt your own meat, I guess. It is another living organism that lives its life with its own goals, before someone comes and eats it. We humans identify and test the plant, over time it becomes so common that we almost forget where what we consume actually comes from. It can be important to understand what you eat, in order to gain an understanding of how it affects you as a result. For example, how the tea bush contains both caffeine (also called theine) and theanine, where the latter contributes to the calming feeling which in my opinion gives a very balanced focus in interaction with the caffeine. A pure caffeine rush can sometimes be overwhelming at the wrong time, especially if you are sitting with sedentary and more mentally demanding tasks. Hence mainly tea during sedentary work, and coffee before more physical activities, for me. When you try to see what you consume more from nature's perspective, it becomes easier to see connections between plants - which can open doors to a whole range of new dietary alternatives and, in connection with that, lead to a questioning of the food market that we have today. Alternatives to tea and coffee containing caffeine include several plants in the Ilex genus, other species in the Camellia genus and Guarana. If you open your eyes to the stimulating effect without caffeine content, there is also suddenly a completely different range. On this front, I believe that new drinks made from different types of mushrooms with different stimulating and health-giving properties have a strong path forward. Although tea and coffee are not the most obvious alternatives to find, there is a whole ecosystem of other plants to replace our most common legumes, leafy vegetables, fruits and berries, for example. We strive to highlight alternative plants and their useful properties precisely to encourage a varied diet, choice and a certain degree of self-sufficiency - especially if certain food chains weaken in the future and prices rise, which we have already experienced to some extent in recent years. The dominance of a few plants that we humans have brought to global recognition makes me curious about the question: What other plants are there with similar useful properties that we could actually use in our everyday lives? I think it's important that we don't lose our connection to nature and all its diversity as we develop increasingly comfortable lifestyles. I certainly don't think there's anything wrong with comfort, but knowledge should remain at hand. The question above gives life to a whole new world of flavors and experiences, while bringing us closer to what we put in our bodies, which eventually becomes ourselves (that's actually how it works) and further, the question also provides an entrance to a healthier production chain where an entire ecosystem can find space on a breakfast table, rather than just 1 or 2 plants grown in a kind of unnatural monopoly: in this way, I believe that this question is one of the most exciting and important questions we can ask ourselves in our time. I believe that a diversified cultivation of plants is good for the climate, just as we believe that a varied diet is good for health. That the healthiest way to achieve this is for more people to start trying to grow both for themselves and for their environment, even if it is on a small scale, is a given. By "healthiest" we mean: the healthy habits that arise when you are outdoors among vegetation, the natural consequence of which is a greater understanding of diet and health, and the health of the climate, which benefits from the richer ecosystem that arises when more species are grown in several places rather than a single species in a very large area. "Not everyone can be self-sufficient in everything, but most people can be self-sufficient in something." Sounds like a familiar saying. So what alternative plants are there that you could have grown for consumption & use? It was with this question in mind that Trädgårdsdags was founded, and with the same question continues to expand to new plants, to new geographical areas and to new knowledge about nature's wealth of properties. It will be filled with more posts here regarding the cultivation and use of different plants, interesting facts and history about plants, and thoughts on desired social development. See you in a later post 👋 / Johannes Billsten