Urban gardening is taking root all over the world, and in Berlin a site on Moritzplatz - abandoned for over 60 years - has been transformed into one of these delightful oases, the Princess Gardens. In 2009, founders Robert Shaw and Marco Clausen inspired a small army of volunteers to help turn wasteland into farmland. It's become a bright and thriving space where anyone can get their hands dirty planting and tending the more than 400 varieties of organic herbs, vegetables and flowers. There are workshops on gardening and beekeeping, activities for kids and, of course, a cafe where meals are prepared with the homegrown crop. But like so many things in Berlin, the gardens' future is uncertain and Shaw and Clausen, who rent the land from the city, expect having to move eventually. But in the meantime, this little slice of utopia is allowed to sprout.
