Friday, June 29, 2012

Gardening in the slums of Nanjing

In the Chang gan li neighborhood of South Nanjing, in the fabric of rundown alley-style housing, left-over space is valuable for micro-agriculture. It's not about making a statement on local food; it's about convenient and free produce. The climate is warm and humid, with plenty of summer rain, making growing conditions highly suitable for a range of fruits and vegetables. Here, the residents have a nice plot of greens and peppers.
A healthy grape-vine reaching into the tree canopy.
This garden plot is adjacent to a community center, placed next to the basketball courts and outdoor fitness stations shown below. 

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Rooftop gardens in Shanghai?!

Amid the skyscraping towers and ever-present haze of Shanghai, this rooftop garden is thriving. Despite my outsider view of China as smog-choked and green-less, I have witnessed many instances of food cultivation within city limits. This may be a progressive idea in America, where most of our farms are more like tomato-factories, but here it is a simple and inexpensive method of procuring one's dinner.