Mitchell Garemann (32) has a vegetable garden in the middle of the orchard of community garden De Zoete Aarde. He grows the most special plants there, from rhubarb to cola herb and from red onions to artichokes. “Just taste my delicious wild strawberries. I hand them out to everyone.”
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For our summer series about Zoetermeer allotments, the Zoetermeer neighborhood joins Mitchell at the picnic table for an interview. We are treated to fresh strawberries from our own garden and a glass of homemade fruit water. Yummy dude!
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Young dog in the garden
Every day, Mitchell cycles from his house in Meerzicht to his vegetable garden in De Leyens. Talk to this young, enthusiastic Zoetermeer about plants, herbs and gardening and you will come home with a hundred and one ideas. After all, he is a running encyclopedia of plants and also knows many recipes: “Just run your hand over that plant and you will smell the smell of cola. Can you make tasty herbal tea.”
Building Christmas markets
For years, Mitchell worked as a stylist at Intratuin: “I built the annual Christmas market there,” he says. After a few years he opted for a job in healthcare: “I wanted to save the world and I was looking for more depth.” But during COVID, the corona rules backfired on his own mental health.
“I have seen nasty things in the care home, as sick and unhappy people, and I felt isolated myself. This made me feel worse and decided to quit my job. With the necessary help of a psychologist, and volunteer work in the neighborhood garden and in a restaurant, I slowly feel better again. I enjoy doing things for others, like cooking soup for my neighbors and maintaining the plant library in my flat.”
Chip bags as a scarecrow
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In addition to vegetables, fruit and herb plants, Mitchell’s small piece of land is also decorated with scarecrows and text signs. “You can easily make useful tools from waste, such as scarecrows from empty chips bags. I make strips of it that I hang in bunches above the plants. Old CDs that flicker through the sun among the greenery also help.”
Mitchell fills empty plastic bottles with water for thirsty plants on hot days. And from the local riding school he gets horse manure to feed the garden. “I am an eccentric person.”
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Mitchel stands on a self-built platform to water his plants. “This way I can empty my watering can from above”, he says barefoot. In his crate at the front of the bike he puts the day’s harvest to take home. “I eat from my vegetable garden every day, but I also hand out vegetables, such as red onions, to my neighbour.” He also experiments with old, traditional recipes: “I recently bought a sumac, or vinegar tree, at Albert Heijn. You can make delicious lemonade from those berries.”
So many new plans
By sharing food, reusing waste and adopting plants, Mitchell lives his goal: to make the world a little more beautiful. “Working together and sharing gives me a good feeling. That is why I want to pass on my horticultural knowledge to others, but also set up a city garden with residents. I’m looking for a piece of municipal land for that. Wouldn’t it be great if we had a large vegetable garden that we could all eat from?”
Who is the next Zoetermeer of the week?
Do you also have a special story? Or do you know a Zoetermeer that we really need to interview? Let us know at [email protected]. These Zoetermeers preceded you.