Jon Palmer is a new gardener who posted photos of his first garden on Flickr. He started his garden using utility bucket planters with drain holes. Then he discovered how to make sub-irrigated planters (SIPs) from the very same recycled utility buckets. Having seen the benefits of SIPs with his own eyes, he will convert his entire garden.
What was equally significant to me is the fact that Jon’s garden is not on his property. He lives in an apartment with no yard. He didn’t let that stop him however. His portable bucket garden is located on a friend’s concrete driveway. He did not need to dig up his friends yard and can move the garden at will.
Sub-irrigated portable city micro gardens make infinite sense. They have unique advantages over In-ground gardens. The only thing standing in the way of this becoming a widespread practice is lack of education about SIPs and their advantages in our predominantly hardscaped urban environments.
Aside from a cooperative venture like Jon's, there is an enormous potential for new small businesses and jobs here as well. Gardening services founded on dirt gardening are behind the times and a failed business concept. SIP micro gardens are clearly the way of the future.
* Portability allows easy set up and removal when necessary.
* The host does not need to have a yard. Space in the sun is all that is required.
* There is no need for a toxic metals soil test since the SIPs are self-contained and provide a safe and hygienic environment separated from any contaminated soil.
* There is no digging or disturbing of the host property or the host.
* Incremental design makes it easy to increase or decrease the size of the garden at will. Start with one, two, or three SIPs to allow the host to experience having the garden. Think of it as a beta test before full implementation.
via jon palmer www.flickr.com
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