Horticulturalist Heike Boomgaarden still has fond memories of the 2024 premiere: ‘It was a great two-day event with talks, activities and, of course, a fantastic range of plants. A great start in the middle of a blossoming area full of sustainable ideas,’ summarises the TV expert. And it should be the same again in 2025. ‘The GardenING garden fair is definitely worth a visit,’ says Heike Boomgaarden, promoting the event, which will once again feature over 40 exhibitors. On offer will be everything to do with gardens, plants and nature, as well as accessories and arts and crafts. There will also be exciting workshops at the stands, such as ‘Upcycling in the garden’ or a scythe course for beginners. Of course, local associations and interest groups that are committed to environmental protection, sustainability and integration will also be on board. The Repair Café will be taking care of broken garden tools, the children's and youth farm has prepared hands-on activities for children, the Ingelheim nature conservation group will be providing information about its activities, the non-profit organisation ‘in.betrieb’ will be on site on Saturdays with its bike washing facility, and the Integrative Support Centre (IFZ) from Wackernheim will be offering vaulting demonstrations and pony rides. The support centre will also be serving ‘Traumschorle’ at its stand, the proceeds of which will go to social causes.
For the outdoor event on Neisser Straße, a nature-oriented route was specially created on the site. Visitors can stroll along the ‘Shrew Alley’ or the ‘Hedgehog Path’, head for the stands on the ‘Robin Path’ or the ‘Grasshopper Alley’ and visit the stage on the ‘Squirrel Path’. On the ‘GardenING’ stage on both days, the ‘Sustainable Ingelheim’ association will be providing information on how to make a contribution to climate protection by designing your own garden. Heike Boomgaarden will be presenting great herbs for the balcony box on the stage on Saturday. ‘Even in the smallest of spaces, you can grow wonderfully fragrant herbs and harvest them straight from the balcony,’ explains the gardening expert. ‘As herbs usually require very little space, you can create a real herb paradise.’ On Sunday, Boomgaarden will be tackling an important topic: It's about wild bees and species conservation. ‘Many of our native wild bees are highly endangered because they specialise in certain wild herbs and nesting sites,’ explains the horticultural engineer. Three quarters of all wild bee species are terrestrial nesters and require loose, sandy and dry soils. However, there are many small measures that can be taken to provide a home for these useful insects in your garden.
If you have problems with pests on your plants, ‘GardenING’ is also the right place for you. At the plant doctor stand, Heike Boomgaarden and Werner Ollig will be on hand to answer all your questions about organic gardening and problems with houseplants. Plant samples can be brought along so that pests or diseases can be recognised and biological treatment methods recommended.
The garden sales exhibition ‘GardenING’ is open on Saturday, 17 May, from 10 am to 6 pm and on Sunday, 18 May, from 11 am to 6 pm. Tickets are available online at www.ikum-ingelheim.de/gardening and at the box office on the grounds. Tickets cost 9 euros (concessions 6 euros). Children up to 14 years have free admission.
The event is supported by Rheinhessische Energie- und Wasserversorgungs-GmbH.
