The management of historic Kitchen Gardens

The Danish Royal Palace Gardens have historically almost always had side by side both an ornamental/ pleasure or parklike garden and a production garden. Whilst most of those palaces have survived to this day, many of their production gardens ie. kitchen and fruit gardens simply disappeared as those palaces were no longer used as Royal residence and therefore no longer need for daily delivery of locally grown fresh produce. The production aspect has disappeared and is being replaced with new aspects that reflect socio- cultural developments and changes in contemporary aspirations and the use of historic gardens. Gardens in their own right are places of attraction and the scene for diverse recreational, social and learning activities.  Still, also in Denmark, a few Kitchen gardens have more or less survived together with traditional production methods.

The aim of this technical meeting is to focus on how kitchen gardens are run today, both in relation historical production methods and after historical plans, with historic plant material. How are they communicated and presented to the general public. Do they lend themselves to special forms of communication, to particular events and activities and, owing to their special maintenance requirements, to potential new forms of partnerships?