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New urban gardening

By Sereba Agiobu-Kemmer
03 November 2018   |   2:54 am
In cities, indoor farming technology is helping urban agriculture to evolve and develop. People are looking for lifestyle friendly, plant related projects that cater to short attention spans and hectic schedules.

Sky-high garden- rooftop garden trend<br />

In cities, indoor farming technology is helping urban agriculture to evolve and develop. People are looking for lifestyle friendly, plant related projects that cater to short attention spans and hectic schedules.

And we are taking gardening online. Gardeners are looking for bold, tropical foliage with unique colors, shapes and patterns that look great on social media. Indoor hydroponic gardens are Internet connected and our homes have breathing rooms filled with plants to clean the air and our minds.

According to todays ‘social clock’, society is online. In a desert of work, stress and the Internet, nature – both indoors and outside – has become an oasis. We are craving authenticity and worrying over rising inflation, the depreciating naira and low minimum wage, the rising prices of fuel and food, there is a resurgence of gardening for survival, the greater good- for our earth and our wallets.

Gardening goes hand in hand with a healthy lifestyle. People see both outdoor and indoor space as extensions of themselves and are making conscious efforts to use plants and garden products as ‘tools’ to increase their overall wellbeing, lead sustainable lifestyle and make a positive impact on their communities and the planet.

For more and more urban gardeners, health is a top priority, the people are not just gardening for beauty, they are gardening to nourish their communities, the environment and their own well being.

The Blended Garden Is In
It is time to regain our land for our greater good. Take that food- producing garden from the back and put it wherever we want. Reunite the ornamental with the edible – roses beside tomatoes, beds edged with herbs and veggies used as annuals: planting mini vegetables and being able to say ‘I grew it myself is … and cool.Front lawns can be transformed into vegetable and rain gardens, ‘hell strips’ lining the wasteland between the sidewalk and the street with sustainable planting.

Slow garden is in
Instant gratification is out. Domesticity is back. Produce sharing with community – supported agricultural farms and produce exchanges are springing up throughout urban and suburban and rural communities, the message is: urban farming is cool; urban wasteland is not.Gardeners with limited space are finding ways to have fresh herbs and vegetables in their kitchen. From bean sprouts on kitchen countertops to green walls laden with herbs and micro green, plants are decorating spaces as ‘art-in-motion’

Home Grown Is In
Reflecting society’s current enthusiasm for healthy eating and a desire for fresh, flavorsome fruits and vegetables, vegetable gardening is back en vogue. Herbs and vegetables are being grown alone or mixed in containers. Growing your own vegetables and flowers is the new status symbol of luxury. A luxury of the heart that says ‘I care and I have time’ And if we can teach our children where foods come from, we can teach them to be healthier for life.

As people begin to see a decrease in their free time and living spaces, they will concentrate on making a big impact with bold plants. Urban gardeners are utilizing patios, balconies, rooftops and of course containers. Vertical gardening is in. growing either up or down from balconies or on patios. Leading breeders have produced dwarf sized annuals, perennials and shrubs specifically for small spaces whether in smack space garden or apartment balcony compact plants pack a lot of punch in rich colors and texture as major focal point. Pixie impatiens and Sunblaze rose are proportionate to the size of small gardens.

Potscaping
Container gardening has stepped off the back porch and patio and moved into the landscape, showing in up in beds and borders or standing alone as like an eye catching exclamation point. Busy home owners find decorating their garden with ‘spots of pots’ an easy way to splash color throughout the garden. Perennials and shrubs are making a great show in containers lemon sun blaze make a permanent centerpiece in containers allowing you to change out the annuals .

Portable gardening
Convenience and simplicity resonate with urban gardeners. Portable gardening allows the always-in-motion generation to take gardening wherever they go. This is fueling modular flexibility and encouraging unique design and personalization: adaptable and flexible planters with wheels, handles and other movable parts or lightweight durable planters that fit their needs.

Outside Inside
Borders are blurring between indoors and out as nature becomes more important in our lives. Many people want their gardens and their homes to be sanctuaries of tranquility reflecting their ideal concept of nature. Beauty and sustainability are key, the ‘beauty and romance’ of a garden with less work. ‘ Urban gardeners want easy low maintenance plants that give plenty colors.Decorating our inner gardens with houseplants for better, healthier lives is now the new norm.

Ferns, snake plants, palms, peace lilies bring nature in and green up your spaces for a better and healthier you.Plants like long blooming orchids are adorning desks in offices and improving the beauty and health of the environment while increasing productivity, no fuss cacti and succulents are ideal for gardeners who seek attractive, low maintenance plants, tiny easy to grow succulents in bold containers bring nature inside the home.

Urban gardening must include ‘Agri-Hood’, growing sustainable community gardens<br />


Trees, flowers, plants, birds and bees all increase overall health and wellness for self, society and the planet. Plants are clean air filters, oxygen machines and wellness prescriptions. Trees absorb 1/5 of carbon emissions, reduce electricity consumption and increase mental health.

Perennials and shrubs
Sustainable landscapes, water conservation, perennials and small edible shrubs are hot as gardeningwith natives attract needed pollinators and birds critical for the balance of nature. Urbanites are looking forplants that are easy car, have great color, pest and drought resistant. Demand is up for repeat bloomers, sustainable hybrids.

Water wise
The resources we depend upon to garden particularly water, are limited and need protection. There is no single issue greater than water, creating natural habitats using native plants to increase diversity, balance and ecosystem. Native plants require less water and fertilizer because they are well adapted to the local climate. Responsible urbanites use responsible plants to be water wise with natives and other responsible drinkers.

Raw barrels and rain garden are becoming popular as ways to conserve water and reuse and recycle. Rain garden collect run off from buildings and landscape and help absorb polluted run off that threatens waterways.

Neighborhood Agri-Hood
Neighborhood residents set themselves up against Homeowners Association or local govts. ordinances and they are transforming the neighborhood into ‘agric-hoods. They are reclaiming the land and taking pride in being able to sustain their families in growing and cultivating their own food, and raising backyard chickens and goats and harmless landscapes. People are paving their own way and sharing their goods. Permaculture is thriving in the cities!

Seedlings
From community schools, kids are learning how to grow their own food and take care of the planet.

Techno Gardening
Gardening for relaxation goes hi-tech

People are taking technology into nature for exploration, education and entertainment.The small and middle-sized garden of tomorrow is for relaxing in, according to research. So technology is automating garden jobs. The two tech gadgets are automated irrigation systems and robot lawn mowers. Both are more suited to smaller urban gardens rather than large estates.

With the rise of smart phone technology. QR- codes, apps and coupon. Social living is bringing power to the people into the buying experience and making it easy for gardeners to ‘get in’ on everything from flash sales to secret finds. Dealer clue is on the rise where securing the best deal is not just acceptable is admired.

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