Global Garden Report finds ‘urban farming’ and ‘kitchen gardening’ are amongst top ten trends

Trends based on 1.4 million blog posts from 13 countries

Global Garden Report 2010 by Husqvarna and Gardena

What is gardening about today and in the future? What do gardeners do, think about, live for? What is at at the heart of modern gardening around the globe?

From the 2010 report, individualism in the garden is on the rise, replacing conformity. Gone is the obsession with keeping up with the neighbours’ … it’s now about expressing yourself using your outdoor space, encouraged by on-line friends.

See what the report says about urban farming and kitchen garden. Read on.

Metropolitan Paradise – Urban Farming

Craving for Paradise

Increasingly, all over the world, people live in asphalt jungles. According to UN reports, in twenty to thirty years 75 percent of the world’s populations will live in citie s, compared with 50 percent now. In modern cities we are surrounded by a grey landscape, broken up only by shimmering neon lights and brightly colored flashing advertising signs. The hectic , artificial metropolitan lifestyle urges us to move forward– in time and in life, never looking back.

Albeit alluring with its potential pleasures and successes, the metropolitan lifestyle takes its toll on all of us. We long to escape the fumes of the asphalt jungle and crave the serenity of times gone by. Perhaps this is why many trend consultants consider urban farming to be one of the most up and coming trends for the new decade; this is certainly the case among bloggers worldwide. The trend is strongest in the US, UK, China, Brazil, and Russia, though it is weaker in the Scandinavian countries. Perhaps interest is lower in Scandinavia because nature and traditional gardens are so accessible there.

Indoor and Outdoor Urban Farming

“In the last years, herb gardens have been what those who live way meters up from the asphalt want as they are longing for the earth and plants.” Brazilian Blogger

Urban farming may be practiced both indoors in pots, or outdoors on terraces or balconies. The typical indoor urban farmer does not just cultivate decorative plants and flowers as part of the interior scheme. Rather, they practice vegetable gardening, and in some countries like Russia and France, bloggers note that these vegetables make a substantial contribution to the household budget. However, although the crops may be edible, they also contribute to the beauty and personality of the household.

“Most of us likes to eat citrus fruits, but beyond their delicious taste the plants are also the original, exotic pride of our apartment” Polish blogger

Indoor farming is more common in less forgiving climates such as Russia and Scandinavia. Urban farmers in Russia carry on with their hobby throughout the cold winter, growing vegetables indoors and turning their glass-covered balconies into winter orchards. Indoor gardening is also practiced where the possibilities for a spacious garden are limited, such as in France, China, and Brazil. Indoor gardening bloggers discuss how they may imitate nature to create optimal climate and growing conditions. Popular topics include what fertilizer to use and how to achieve proper lighting and humidity.

Pride and Progress

Urban farming is not limited to vegetables; practitioners grow cooking herbs and perhaps some strawberries so they can serve a special dessert. Many urban gardeners are novices and express great pride; but they are also pleasantly surprised when their efforts actually pay off and a red tomato appears.

“It was in the spirit of petulance that I first installed a bathtub on my terrace and started planting in it. I didn’t seem to have inherited my mother’s green fingers but after quite a few failed attempts, I began to realize that actually I wasn’t a terrible gardener. True, I wasn’t very good at the pretty stuff but my vegetables always seemed to thrive.” UK blogger

Experienced and dedicated urban farmers have developed their interest into an art. They grow flowers, plants, and vegetables in sync with the changing seasons. For instance, dedicated urban farmers in Sweden may grow flowers in the spring, tomatoes in the summer, and a variety of salad greens and even potatoes. For the extremely dedicated urban farmer, plants are a virtual necessity and if they have a balcony garden, they view it as an extension of the apartment.

Large Scale Urban Farming

Urban farming seems to have expanded beyond the individual practices of consumers. In Sweden, the term “city agriculture” was introduced this year to describe this phenomenon. City planners, architects, and developers of commercial property such as shopping malls, all plan for green spaces and planting in their indoor and outdoor environments.

Retail design & branding consultant Fitch is one company that describes such a development. In its film on the future supermarket, parking lots have been transformed into planting plots and the ambiance is based on biodynamic thinking, taking inspiration from the old agrarian society.

Plantagon International is another example. The company plans to build its first supersized greenhouse in an international metropolis over the next three years. The greenhouse will be a huge vertical farm that can provide locally grown vegetables on a large scale to city residents. The larger trend may be in response to a global commitment to climate change and the transformation into a sustainable society. One thing is certain: urban farmers who practice this trend do not care much about the fashion factor. They focus on enjoying the fruits of their labor – fresh, organic, healthy food and feeling connected to Mother Earth.

Edible Eden – Kitchen Gardening

The KITCHEN GARDEN IS HOT! Kitchen gardens are the latest trend not only for gardeners, urban farmers, and container gardeners worldwide, but even for the power elite of the world. The queen of England has one and so does Michelle Obama. The first lady started a kitchen garden at the White House as one of her first initiatives, perhaps setting a trend for many households worldwide.

The most common place for a kitchen garden is of course a designated area in your yard. However, as urban and container farming have grown more popular, kitchen gardens may be planted on a balcony or terrace, in a kitchen window, or even inside your apartment living room when no other space is available.

“Food from our backyard is about as local as it gets, we know it’s seasonal because we harvest as soon as things ripen, we
control the amount (if any) of pesticides and fertilizers used, there’s no packaging involved, and it motivates us to learn how to cook from scratch.” Australian blogger

Many kitchen gardeners also like to cook and enjoy using fresh ingredients directly from the garden. The results are always described asdelicious due to the unbeatable taste of fresh fruit or vegetables. Successful garden chefs gladly share their recipes online.

Crops and Beautification

Some crops are international like carrots, lettuce, and potatoes, while others are more local; the selection of fruits and berries often reflects local tastes. However, there are also local mini-trends on what to grow and how to grow it. In southern France many bloggers discuss how to grow potatoes and different ways to prepare them for a good meal. In the UK it is popular to grow hot peppers, sweet peppers and tomatoes – not just because they are popular on the dinner table, but also because they are fancy, colorful, and decorative in the garden.

More exotic fruits like grapes, kiwis, and watermelon are grown in warm-climate countries, but may also be grown indoors or in greenhouses in colder climates. A colorful kitchen garden filled with exotic fruits is often a piece of visual art that is an exciting and living part of the interior scheme. Kitchen garden terraces and balconies are often viewed as extensions of the home and add to its beauty.

One part of the kitchen garden is often devoted to herbs. The herbal scent vitalizes the home, giving the farmer chef an extra touch of authenticity. Perhaps that is why Londoners may buy a hot pepper growing kit for two, to go with a pre-prepared dinner for two. The universal pride in growing crops is swelling through the global blogosphere and kitchen gardeners are no exception. The challenge is also what makes it so fascinating; all the work is tangibly rewarded by the great pleasure of harvesting carrots and tomatoes.

These days more and more people are considering growing their own vegetables. There’s no substitute for freshly picked
garden produce (once you’ve tried it, you’ll know what I mean) and it can help keep food costs down.” South African blogger

A Sustainable Way of Life

The healthy feeling and the great taste that come from growing fruits and vegetables keep the kitchen gardener motivated. Maintaining a kitchen garden is an easy way to make sure vegetables are organic and pesticide-free. Especially in the western world, consumers are confused about how to make their lifestyles more sustainable. The media do not provide consumers with a clear message on how to live more in sync with nature; what the media herald as sustainable one day, they reject as artificial and insignificant the next. And buying organic food is expensive.

Growing vegetables at home gives consumers the upper hand. The gardener controls the entire process from seed to harvest and knows exactly what was used to grow the crop. From the standpoint of the kitchen gardener, organic does not have to equate with a biodynamic cultivation process; the absence of pesticides is enough. Bloggers feel that by growing the kitchen garden they are making the right choice for themselves, their family, and the world, while saving money in the process. They avoid the high prices of vegetables and view the kitchen garden as a vehicle to save both money, and the world.

“Add colour, interest and height by putting good-looking vegetables like chilies, sweet peppers and tomatoes in decent-sized, attractive containers.” Comment on Gardening forum , UK

See all the trends in the complete report here.