Planning the MIT garage roof EarthBox garden
McGill University sub-irrigated container garden - rooftop in the background
There will be an EarthBox garden on a garage roof at MIT this summer. What a great idea that was pioneered by McGill University in partnership with the Roof Top Garden Project in Montreal.
Gardeners on the roof
Vegetables, flowers to grow atop West Garage in sustainable agriculture exercise
Going green, giving back
Each plot will consist of one EarthBox, a low-cost, compact and water-efficient growing container that's about the size of a large suitcase. The EarthBoxes will be available for purchase, at a discount and complete with soil and fertilizer, through MIT's Endicott House. While there is no fee for a plot, gardeners must supply the EarthBox, soil and plants. Read more...
There could be (should be) one of these gardens on every campus in the country. All it would take is some student sweat equity and a relatively small amount of money.
One of the many advantages of sub-irrigated box, bed and bucket gardens is portability and their incremental nature. There is no need to make a big decision to till a plot of land with all the complexities involved regarding land acquisition, possible soil contamination and need for soil amending.
Just start with one or two boxes, beds or buckets. Keep it simple and watch both the vegetables and garden size grow.
The only thing that prevents this from happening is lack of knowledge and leadership.
Comments