Garden Patch Grow Box Customer Photos

Periodically I remember to check the customer supplied photos on the Garden Patch Grow Box website. It is an interesting source of information. If you are not familiar with it, the Grow Box is a sub-irrigated planter (SIP) very similar to the EarthBox but less well known.

In any case, what strikes me is that the majority of the photos are of SIPs in the suburbs with this exception. There are a couple of others on balconies but most of the photos have grass lawns or contain some other clue that the location is suburban or rural.  

My belief is that this is directly connected to the gardening consciousness associated with having a traditional yard. The majority of people intuitively think of gardening in the dirt. No yard, no dirt, no gardening.

Due to our retrogressive horticultural education, the lay public does not know that fresh vegetables can be grown in a SIP box or bucket anywhere there is sunlight. It does not matter if the surface is grass, blacktop or concrete. Who knew?

The other thing to note about these photos is that all the people are white. That reflects much about our horticultural institutions and education. People of color living in our cities are not well served by these institutions.

I live in New York City and see it first hand. Even though the city is a melting pot of races and cultures, the institutions of horticulture are predominately white. If we are ever going to solve our problems associated with childhood obesity this needs to change.

via www.agardenpatch.com

Comments

[lina sims]

thank you so much for this post - i am an african american woman with a love for fresh whole foods and I am considered radical because I have a kitchen composter and i recycle (i also live in wisconsin too, which gets another head tilt)- sometimes we give away our power and this is a clear example. Goverment does not know everything, neither are they interested in what is best for the masses. I will be sending this link and blog to all my green and brown-thumbed friends. I always say that 50 years from now I want my great grandkids to know what a tree is and to see real food on their plates.

Blessings,
GreenLina

[Greenscaper]

Lina, thanks for taking the time to comment. I was most interested in what you said. Perhaps one day we can all be simply "green". Please keep in touch.

Bob Hyland