SHIR L E Y’ S GA RD E N
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06
ednesday noon I enter the
labyrinth of kolonihave in the
outskirts of Amager. A kolonihave is
directly translated into colony gar-
den. They were created in the early
1800s for less fortunate families, so
they could grow their own food. Today
the colony gardens are more common
and anyone from the local bum, to a
sophisticated Hellerup family of four
could own one. Some go there once in
a while, others live there during the
summer, but Shirley has her garden to
grow herbs and vegetables. The garden
she calls Milles house, after her grand-
mother. Her escape from the hectic
daily life of the city.
Shirley grows everything from blueber-
ries to rhubarb to oregano and roses.
One of her many specialties is mint,
that she usually delivers once a week to
Mikkel, at the Rusty Jigger. After she
got her garden she has not bought any
vegetables, berries or herbs. She is a
schoolteacher, and sometimes brings the
students to her garden, so they can plant
things and watch them grow. Then they
come back in the autumn to harvest. She
also has her own stand at christmas mar-
kets, where she sells homemade goods
like ginger infused marzipan.