The neighbor with the garden full of dwarfs – Diepresse.com

In many studies on the professions that make us happiest, she is at the top: the gardener. It remains to be seen whether this is scientifically durable – a visit to Christa Hölzl in Klosterneuburg is sufficient to believe it. « I’m always fine, » she beams, « that makes my garden. » But it is not just any garden, and Christa is not a trained gardener, it is her hobby. « I wanted a garden that is different. »

« There should be something to look in my garden, » says the 71-year-old. And it does. There are rabbits made of ceramic on the garden fence, behind them in the meadow numerous white lambs. Colorful eggs hang on the flowering apricot tree. A large garden gnome with a long beard has two bunnies in his hand, fabric chicks have hidden in the bushes. A fabric rabbit sits on a tricycle, rabbits hold flowers in the hand, another a garden shovel.

« People should be happy »

Does she decrease her garden for herself, or should it be a place where others can participate? The latter. « I do this for the children, for people so that they not only go stubbornly in front of them and sink into their brooding. They should be happy if they walk past my garden. »

It can be different with garden gnomes, now those who already ring the alarm bells in the mere thought. Anyone who is annoyed by the neighbor’s decorative material can do little about it, lawyer Philipp Bohrn from Vienna knows. « A garden gnome, which apparently shows the stink finger or a similar obscene gesture, usually only affects its aesthetic or moral feeling as a caricaturistic appearance, » he knows. « From this alone there is no entitlement to removal or omission. » However, this could change « if, based on additional circumstances, it is objectively recognizable that the garden gnome is deliberately used to insult the neighbor in its honor. »

Seasonal

Back to the garden of Christa Hölzl, in which nothing of the sort can be found. On the contrary. « Nobody has to find it good, everyone can think about what they want. But I actually only get encouragement, » she says. « I often hear from walkers how nice it is to look at it all, to hold, breathe through. And then continue their way. I am simply happy when the eyes shine when the children show their grandparents, the Haserl is because the Henderl. »

The project started in 2017 when she and her husband took over the house and pulled here. The garden was in a « somewhat overgrown state, » recalls Hölzl, « I wanted to make the house of the house with the garden again as it could have been before ». That was a lot of work, the floor had to be dug up, soil, soothed, weeds plucked, « simply prepare everything so that you can plant something ». It took three years, « then the plants formed a so -called symbiosis. » From then on the garden became more and more easy to care for. And the animals and dwarfs could move in.

The pensioner lets her characters go with the year today, and her garden adapts to the respective seasons. For Halloween, Christmas and Easter there is a “thematic garden” of their own. It dresses the dolls accordingly, adapts the decorative material, hangs on light chains or decorates branches.

Gifts on the fence

The children throw drawings into the mailbox, thank you. They are particularly happy about the small gifts that are waiting for you again and again at the garden fence. For example, a small Easter nest for Easter, « I already hang 60 packers on the fence, they can then take one. They are all gone in the shortest possible time. » For Christmas, Hölzl made a « desired tree »: In the Advent season, small notes with messages hung on it every day, and those who came by were allowed to take one.

« Again and again I hear from walkers how much joy it gives them to look at, pause, to take a deep breath and then continue their way. »

Christa Hölzl

Pensioner and hobby gardener

« With me everything is nature »

Adults often want to exchange ideas with her, ask why their flowers and plants grow and thrive in such a way. Hölzl is an ambassador for « Nature in the Garden » in Klosterneuburg, she knows herself. In the courtyard, you don’t see them, she has several raised beds in which she grows vegetables. « When I have an excess of harvesting, I put it in a sack, hang it on the tree on the fence and write to a zetterl: If you want me, please take with me. »

She likes this: design, discover, learn every day. Where does your love for the garden come from? From her grandma. « I got a good feeling of her about what fits together and what doesn’t. » Hölzl has its own compost, the water comes from rain catch basin. With me everything is nature, everything organic.  » What wants to grow can grow, « without it becomes messy. I don’t let my garden overgrow. But I don’t want to have a sniffer. »

And what’s next? In between just a few dwarfs, rubber ducks in spring. Or she simply leaves the garden for herself. « Then the garden presents itself from its own side. And then there is enough to see there anyway. »