Lush greenhouse in the Koseze parish

Vegetables and aromatic plants are growing luxuriantly in the Larch Dome, a greenhouse that has stood in front of the new Koseze parish since spring. The parish is more than self-sufficient in what it produces, so they donate the surplus, explains Pastor Igor Dolinšek.

A year has passed since the new parish hall was built in the parish of Koseze, and a large garden has been built around it, which is already bearing its first fruits. The church is decorated with flowers, including orpines, achilleas and other species, and a veritable orchard is growing around them. Greengages, pears, apples and grapes are ripening, while figs and kaki persimmons are also developing well. The real surprise in the garden is the watermelons, which seem to be thriving in the middle of Koseze. They also have beehives under the hayrack, which has been restored, and this year they have already extracted more than 100 kilograms of honey, says Dolinšek.

Since the spring, there has been another new feature in the garden of the Koseze parish – a greenhouse in the shape of a wooden dome, commissioned from the Kranj maker Boštjan Kos. “When we built the new rectory and landscaped the garden, we also wanted to include a greenhouse. We have been looking for the right one for this environment for a long time,” says Pastor Igor Dolinšek, in the greenhouse, where a wide variety of vegetables and aromatic plants flourish in a six-metre diameter space. As the interviewee admits, they did not expect such gardening success. “We didn’t think everything would grow like this. We are surprised and delighted that we are doing so well, look at the heights of these cucumbers.” It is not only the cucumbers that are doing well, but also aubergines, tomatoes, leeks, rhubarb, kale, carrots, parsley, celery, onions, broccoli, garlic, chilli peppers and beetroot, which is already in the jars, other vegetables and a whole range of aromatic plants, including basil, thyme and others.

Gardening is a shared joy

“The garden is a great joy for us, the vegetables are mostly tended by the priest assistant Štefan and the parish worker Mojca, and I participate as much as my other commitments allow. Because we produce more than we need, the surplus is divided among the parishioners, and everyone is happy. The garden is our shared joy, not only for us in the parish but also for the people who follow us and live in the neighbourhood,” says the parish priest of Koseze. As Dolinšek adds, all three have some previous experience of gardening from home, and they are learning together. “We planted flowers in the greenhouse to control pests and attract pollinators. At first, we wondered who would pollinate the vegetables in the greenhouse, but now we see, for example, bumblebees, which are the best pollinators, at least for tomatoes.” And so, as priest assistant Štefan says, a bit playfully, the parish tomatoes are not plucked until they are at least a kilo, which, judging by the large fruit, is not even that difficult.

A dome that arouses curiosity

As Pastor Dolinšek tells us, the greenhouse in Koseze has aroused a great deal of curiosity since it was built. “A lot of people, when they see the dome of the greenhouse, ask what it is. At first, I jokingly told them it was a sauna.” In the beginning, when the greenhouse was not so lush with greenery and decorative lights radiated from it in the evenings, changing colours, they also wondered what was going on inside. They concluded that it might be intended for gala dinners. And when it became clear that it was in fact a greenhouse, questions started to arise as to why the lines were closed with plastic and not glass. “Glass intensifies the sun’s rays and everything would not thrive so well; they would be burnt,” Pastor Dolinšek answers. And as he looks around the parish garden, he tells us how lucky they were when a friend told them that the land adjacent to the old rectory was being auctioned off. “How often does it happen that they sell the land next door? Once every 500 years or never. So we jumped at the chance and proposed to the parish to buy the land.” The land is now a new rectory and a garden with a greenhouse, and there are plans for a children’s playground in the future. “We have also restored the decaying hayracks, and we have made a commitment to the residents that we will create some form of park where people can stop, sit and have a good time,” Pastor Dolinšek concludes.

This article is excerpted from Neža Mrevlje, the Dnevnik newspaper. Retrieved from source: https://www.dnevnik.si/1042993270