Debrecen4U
March 16, 2026
New Community Garden Under Development in Tócóskert
Details were announced at a press conference held on site – in the southern part of Tócóskert Square – by Deputy Mayor Diána Széles and city councillor András Varga on 13 March 2026.
As Diána Széles explained, in recent years the establishment of community gardens has had an important community-building role in housing estates. The first such garden was created in Vénkert and proved to be an enormous success. Encouraged by this, and in response to residents’ needs and initiatives, the municipality began establishing additional gardens in other parts of the city, including in Újkert and Tócóskert. In the city’s 2026 budget – continuing to take residents’ needs into account – the creation of two further gardens is planned: a second garden in the Tócóskert area, in its southern section, and another in the Ispotály–Erzsébet Street residential block next to the playground. According to the Deputy Mayor, these gardens are not only about giving residents of housing estates the chance to enjoy the pleasures of small‑scale gardening—planting seedlings, growing their own peppers and tomatoes—but also about encouraging the people of Debrecen to live not just alongside one another, but for one another. In these shared spaces, genuine communities can take shape. Paying attention to and caring for one another strengthens communities, and strong communities, in turn, strengthen the city. Diána Széles emphasised that Debrecen is a cohesive, supportive community where people look out for each other. The creation of community gardens is a clear example of how a city can be developed in a way that truly serves the interests of its residents.
Mária Nagy-Bujdosó, head of the first Tócóskert Community Garden – which has existed since 2022 – expressed her pleasure that their garden has set such a good example that a second facility of this kind can now be created in the district. As she explained, they are starting their fourth season this year and, although the first did not begin in spring but in autumn, the enthusiasm and momentum have remained unchanged and the community is very strong. She promised that they would also help those who begin gardening at the new Tócóskert site, since they are all citizens of “Tóci” – which is like a city within the city – and people here also have a local identity. Mária Nagy-Bujdosó also emphasised that the aim of a community garden is not only the production of healthy food, but that real communities are built here, friendships are formed and families with children organise joint activities. They also gladly welcome interested children from nearby nurseries and schools, who in this way can become familiar with nature in the middle of a housing estate and learn about farming – including, for example, chemical-free cultivation – as well as the effects of climate change on crop production. These children can then pass on the knowledge they gain here. This too is an important role of community gardens.
András Varga, city councillor for the residential area, also expressed his pleasure that the community garden in Tócóskert has become so popular that a second such facility can now be established there. As he explained, the garden will contain 14 raised beds, providing cultivation opportunities for 28 gardeners – just like in the first Tócóskert Community Garden. There will also be herb boxes, composting containers and a water supply for irrigation. András Varga also highlighted that, beyond their identity as residents of Debrecen, people living here truly have a “Tócóskert identity” as well: the local community is cohesive, and even if someone moves away, wherever life takes them they will always carry this district in their hearts. The councillor also considers it important that the existing community garden and those currently being developed can provide children with knowledge that cannot be learned from textbooks or the internet. According to András Varga, thanks are due to the municipality, the staff of the Green Areas Department of the Mayor’s Office, and the members of the first Tócóskert Community Garden for creating an exemplary community there that can also help new gardeners.
It was also noted at the press conference that people can continuously enquire about and apply for the opportunity to cultivate plots in the community gardens. Information is available here. At present there are typically waiting lists – for the first Tócóskert Community Garden there are currently 16 people on the list – and plots that become vacant for any reason can find new “owners” from the waiting list in the order of application. The one-off annual cost for gardeners is HUF 4000, which is used, for example, to replace tools and other equipment and to provide plant protection. In addition, gardeners typically contribute a significant amount of their own financial resources and labour to ensure that the entire garden remains well maintained and cared for in service of the whole community. Membership is not limited to one year; it can be continuously renewed provided the gardener wishes to do so and the garden community supports it. Vegetables are primarily planted in the gardens, but in some places fruit trees or ornamental trees and shrubs have also been added with the agreement of the garden community and specialists from the Green Areas Department of the Mayor’s Office, and trees have also been planted next to the gardens.
The second community garden in Tócóskert, currently under construction, is being created by the municipality at a cost of HUF 15 million. Once the work there – expected to be completed in the first half of April – has finished, construction will begin on the community garden planned for the Ispotály–Erzsébet Street residential block.
Source and photo credit: debrecen.hu
