Allotment Gardens (AG) in the days of the covid-19 pandemic. The case of “Żeromskiego” AG in Łask-Kolumna and “Wolinka” AG in Zduńska Wola (Poland)

Abstract

Family Allotment Gardens (AG) are a place of rest and recreation for residents of mainly large cities. The COVID-19 pandemic, which started in China in January 2020, launched a major crisis affecting various types of human activity, including tourism and hospitality, and limited travel opportunities. For many people, especially the poorer and professionally inactive ones (including retirees and pensioners), activities on plots of Family Allotment Gardens have become the only form of active recreation. On November 5, 2020, on the official website of the international organization Office International du Coin de Terre et des Jardins Familiaux, operating since 1926, representing national organizations and associations of gardeners from 14 European countries, the following information was published: “The pandemic has confirmed it: allotment gardens are more important than ever”. This article is an attempt to verify this thesis by answering the question: If and to what extent did the COVID-19 pandemic influence the behavior and recreation of allotment garden users? This was verified by a questionnaire survey conducted among users of two gardens located in the western part of the suburban area of Łódź. The analysis showed that the COVID-19 pandemic affected the behavior and rest of allotment garden users; however, the impact in the case of the studied gardens was not as large as could be expected.