The concept of Bulgarian gardening encompasses a complex vegetable production system used by Bulgarian horticultural farms that employ special small-scale methods, hotbed cultivation, and irrigation.
Bulgarian gardening encompasses not only migrant and settled gardeners of Bulgarian origin, but also Hungarian vegetable gardeners, country farms, backyard farms, and producer cooperatives that have applied Bulgarian production methods in vegetable production. Bulgarian migrant gardeners introduced eggplant, bell peppers, and tomato peppers to Hungary and laid the foundation for the mass production of tomatoes. At the end of the 19th century, a sweet pepper growing region first developed in Szentes, then after the turn of the century in the areas around Cece, Gyula, Boldog, and Bogyiszló. The pepper varieties they brought with them were mixed with Hungarian varieties. From the 1960s onwards, thanks to Bulgarian gardeners, polytunnel cultivation and greenhouse cultivation became widespread. The legacy of Bulgarian gardeners lives on in Hungarian horticulture to this day. The methods and innovations they used, especially irrigation techniques and intensive cultivation, continue to influence domestic gardening culture to this day.
The responsible institution for the professional coordinating of the UNESCO Convention in Hungary:
Directorate of Intangible Cultural Heritage, Hungarian Open Air Museum
