What are the plots of land next to rr tracks in netherlands all about? ?

Question

as my train passed along the tracks, i noticed what appear to be individual garden plots along the rr tracks. some were quite well-tended and occasionally even included a small house or shed. what are they? purpose? origin? in any other countries?

Answer 1

Indeed from the train you will see a lot of allotments. They are often in big groups and more often than not have little houses on them.

Some of them are still in use for vegetables, but most often they are little places of rest, a place to relax, sit in the sun and enjoy the flowers.

Officially on most of them you are only allowed to spend the day, go home for the night, but some, specially near big towns, are also OK to stay overnight. Those are more like trailer camps for holiday use, the kind where people will come to stay every weekend as well as the whole summer.

They started in the 19th and early 20th century, when people lived in the very crowded parts of town where the sun did not reach the streets most of the time, because the houses were so close together. Allotments were supposed to be good for the physical as well as the mental health of the working class.

But along the railroad you will also see a long narrow set of gardens.

Officially that land belongs to the railroad.

When those started they were handed out to railroad employees, who that way had a free plot to grow greens.

Now they are also available for people who do not work for the railroads, but the houses or sheds there have to be temporary and are no good for staying overnight.

The railroads keeps them as allotments, because they will not need to spend time or money on keeping the grounds.

Answer 2

allotment gardens ? often on the outskirts of densely populated areas , they are found on land that is not viable building ground and used to grow vegetable produce , often the allotment owner pays a small fee to the local authority or owner of the land to rent it  , usually where there are apartment blocks close by also , as the tenant has no garden to tend and an allotment is a pastime and a source of inexpensive veg. It is a great social affair in Europe and great pride taken in the cultivation of produce , a couple of my friends have them  and keep bees , chickens and grow some pure organic veg. his courgettes are delicious ( zachuni you call them ) . Supermarket veg. in many areas is  frowned upon and organic produce making a come back . nice aren't they !

Answer 3

We call them "allotments" in Britain. Used to be more popular than they are now, as it was a way for people living in dense housing to have a garden, often with a hut to keep tools or shelter from rain. Were important during the war, when vegetables were scarce. I guess the Dutch, living in a densely populated country, have kept the tradition more than the British.

Answer 4

Allotments. People like to grow their own vegetables.  

Answer 5

In English these are called 'allotments' and you'll find them in most European countries.  They are mainly for people living in apartments, so they can grow their own vegetables, fruit, and get out into the fresh air and garden.

Answer 6

I think you mean the ''volkstuintjes'. They're small gardens for people who live in town and don't have a garden behind their house. They grow vegetables in them and also they spend a lot of their free time there. You could maybe compare it to the datsjas in Russia, although people spend weeks there, not a free afternoon.