polis: a collective blog about cities worldwide

Creative Urban Gardening

by Anna Fogel


Adam Kron and Kate Rosenberg's fire escape in Washington, D.C. Source: Adam Kron

Having always lived in cities, and moving frequently, gardening never quite seemed possible. But I've been struck by the urban gardening phenomenon and the creative ways that city residents grow things. Inspired by my neighbor’s fire escape, which includes 50 plants ranging from peppers to mint to orchids (above), I recently planted my own sage and tomato plants — not exactly the aquaponic "Farm Fountain" pictured below, but a start.


Source: Vertical Theory

Polis has written about community gardens in New York and London, which provide “sustainable food sources and community spaces” that “reestablish a subconscious link between what we eat in cities and where that food comes from.”

In addition to offering green space and fresh local produce, urban gardens allow us to shape our space and make a statement about life in the city — even if it means growing a garden on the fire escape or up a wall inside the apartment.

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