Local seeds
Winter is long and harsh, and we all know the longing for that first fresh scent of spring when, after months of waiting, it finally wafts through the open window. Mmmmhhh. And then our fingers start itching and we can't hurry enough to spruce up the garden, the balcony, and even the occasional green space in the neighborhood for the upcoming summer.
But what is that now?
According to Section 40 of the Federal Nature Conservation Act (BNatSchG ) ("Introduction of plants and animals"), the introduction of plants into the "wild" has been subject to approval since March 1, 2020, "provided the plant species does not occur in the area in question or has not occurred for more than 100 years." The use of native plant origins is intended to preserve genetic diversity.
But what does this mean for the work of the city gardeners?
Of course, we are aware of this law, which admittedly is somewhat cumbersome in practice. Therefore, we have discussed it with various institutions and, among other things, asked how we would need to adapt our daily work to comply with the legal requirements and in the interests of species conservation.
Unfortunately, there is no official list of native species for the 22 regions of origin in Germany. Neither our suppliers nor the relevant authorities (agricultural and environmental authorities) have such overviews. The relevant legal basis simply does not exist. Therefore, it is unfortunately not clearly defined how exactly we can adhere to this law in practice. Ultimately, we want to do good for the environment and, together with you, make the world (even) more colorful!
And what does that mean for you as our customers?
First things first: The law only applies to the sowing of seeds in public spaces. If you plant your garden, balcony, or terrace, it does not apply. In principle, you can assume that we make sure to use only native seeds in our seed mixes. To this end, we maintain close communication with our suppliers. Our mixes may contain species that are considered alien to your area. Therefore, sowing these seeds in public would be a violation of the law described above.
In principle, planting plants in public spaces is already considered damage to property under Section 303 of the Criminal Code (see also blog entry from October 18, 2014). But nobody really cares, and we've never heard of anyone having serious problems with it. And we think the new law will be the same.
