Urban gardens don’t have to be restricted to rooftops alone – they can flourish on balconies, where everyone can see them.
There’s a bit of a paradox within the guidelines for environmentally friendly living. It is widely agreed upon that dense urban living is better for the environment, but it is also true that it is eco-friendlier to live closer to your food sources (to reduce the polluting transportation that brings your food to you). And therein lies the grub: it’s tough to be close to your food sources when you live in a dense, urban environment.
Which is why urban environmentalists have been trying to find ways to bring their food sources closer to home. Most of these solutions have come in the form of rooftop gardens, which are an excellent choice and even help insulate buildings. But balconies are also a good way to make cities a little greener, especially in the Middle East where balconies can be used for much of the year.
German designer Manuel Dreesmann has come up with Skyfarm, a hanging garden design intended for balconies that places plants high enough so that you can still make use of your outdoor space in other ways. To access the plants, simply pull on the handle attached to each pot (as shown above).
In Dreesmann’s own words,
“With the growth of cities the height of the buildings is rising. And so there are less gardening spaces but more balconies. So my idea is to use this minimal space on the balcony to grow your own food.
But most of the balconies offer small space for gardening. The space on the floor is mostly needed for placing your chair and tables. But they offer a lot of unused space above your head. This is the space for the skyfarm!”
Skyfarm is currently still in its conceptual stage, and Dreesmann is hoping to find partners to make this idea a green reality.
Read more about urban gardening:
What Urban Rooftop Gardening Could Do for the Middle East
Quick Leafy Crops for the Urban Garden
Make Compost in Your Living Room
Author: Karen Chernick
Much to the disappointment of her Moroccan grandmother, Karen became a vegetarian at the age of seven because of a heartfelt respect for other forms of life. She also began her journey to understand her surroundings and her impact on the environment. She even starting an elementary school Ecology Club and an environmental newsletter in the 3rd grade. (The proceeds of the newsletter went to non-profit environmental organizations, of course.) She now studies in New York. Karen can be reached at karen (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
Thanks for Sharing!!
Really informative…