Skip to content
Gardening is not traditionally thought of as an urban endeavor as it takes up quite a bit of outside space, which is at a premium in cities and surrounding heavily populated regions. Suburban and urban gardening and agriculture is gaining popularity in recent years and there are many ways to go about it as well as some interesting jargon for new trends in small time agriculture.
Urban gardening is gaining popularity and has many benefits
Foodscaping
A play on words of food and landscaping, foodscaping refers to the practice of including edible plants as a part of one’s yard instead of creating a separate garden area. Some edible plants, especially flowering ones, can very pretty and make for quite an interesting looking yard. This trend gained traction a few years ago as a mechanism for saving money on groceries and has now become somewhat fashionable in some circles. There are even some companies whose entire business is making your yard into one seamless garden. Many people who live in dense cities without access to arable land keep small gardens on windowsills or create “green roofs.” Green roofs and rooftop gardens benefit cities in many ways including reducing heat, pollution, and the need to import food.
Community Supported Agriculture
Community supported agriculture, or CSA, is a partnership between urban residents and a nearby farm in which the city dwellers provide financial support of the farm and in return receive a share of the produce. This has risks associated with it as if the farm fails to produce for some reason, the customers lose their money. In some organizations, members may work on the farm occasionally as a part of their contribution. CSA organizations have been lauded as great sources of community interaction and solidarity.
Food Cooperative
Food cooperatives, or co-op, are food distributors which often specialize in organic or locally grown produce and are operated by members. By working at the store a few hours a week, members are given discounts on top quality produce. With a rise in demand for locally grown, healthy, and naturally produced food, food cooperatives have become more widespread.
Interested in some urban or suburban agriculture?
If you think you’re ready to start getting your yard back to all of its verdant glory then you can contact Rhine Landscaping by giving us a call at 410-442-2445. We’ve got the knowledge your lawn needs to get it ready for summer. You can also contact us on our website. We can help you plan, plant, and create the yard of your dreams. You can also check out our blogs to stay on top of landscaping trends and tips.