Urban Gardening

6 November
3 min read

What do you think of when you hear the word gardening? Does your mind conjure up rows of vegetables or flowers blooming in every colour, popping up in your garden? Times are changing however and for most of us living in cities, having a garden might not be feasible.

This is where the term ‘Urban Gardening’ comes in. It is when you grow plants in small plots, community gardens or even on your balcony. Urban gardening can also stretch to urban farming where you grow food such as vegetables and herbs.

Benefits of urban gardening include having super fresh produce because there’s nothing like plucking and eating a tomato right off the vine. Growing your own produce is also highly sustainable because growing your own vegetables cuts down on transportation and packaging costs. Additionally, because you are in charge of what you plant, you get high quality food that’s also affordable. Lastly, urban gardening or farming also brings the community together and gives people a sense of accomplishment, especially when their crops do well. Gardening is also great exercise and a great way to be resourceful and adds extra green space to the city you live in!

Here are some places to check out for urban gardening in the Kuala Lumpur area which are either places to garden or ones that could help on your urban gardening journey.

Courtesy of TTDI The Edible Community Garden Facebook

#1 TTDI The Edible Community Garden

This community garden is a community-owned project that’s supported by residents of Taman Tun Dr. Ismail (TTDI) and its neighbouring areas. It is not for profit and relies on the goodwill of the community and how passionate the urban gardeners are. Here, you can adopt a plot which can be a circle or rectangle where you will plan, plant and water whatever you choose to grow here. This community garden is mostly for the residents of TTDI and its nearby vicinity and it encourages its members to grow edible plants and flowers.

For tips and other interesting information, join their Facebook group called ‘TTDI The Edible Community Garden’ or Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ttdiediblegarden.

Location: Lorong Burhanuddin Helmi 11, next to Pusat Komuniti’s tennis courts.

Photo credit: Courtesy of Eats, Shoots & Roots Facebook

#2 Eats, Shoots & Roots

With a motto like ‘Grow your own to cook your own’, Eats, Shoots & Roots are a social enterprise who want to empower people living in the urban jungle with the skills and means to grow our own food.

They are dedicated to teaching urban people how to maximise their spaces such as turning balconies into edible gardens. Eats, Shoots & Roots can also design edible gardens for people and communities who want to start growing their own food in their balconies, backyards and also larger spaces. There are also educational programs run here for kids and adults to provide information on planting. Get your edible garden supplies such as seeds, soils, fertilisers, repellents, planters and more, on their website, eatsshootsandroots.org along with tutorials and added information on urban gardening.

Follow their Facebook page for updates at www.facebook.com/eatsshootsandroots.

Photo credit: Courtesy of Free Tree Society Facebook

#3 Free Tree Society

This environmental organisation wants to make green mainstream. Their projects and initiatives revolve around raising awareness and empowering everyone to preserve, conserve and save our environment. Located in Bangsar, they offer giveaway days where they give away free trees to share as many plants as they can in order to benefit the environment. Their volunteers are also very well-equipped with knowledge on planting so do ask them for advice and information on how to care for your plants. Chemical-free fertilisers and pest repellents are also sold here and these come from local sources to promote sustainability.

For more information on free tree day and volunteering at the Free Tree Society, check out their website, freetreesociety.org and Facebook page, www.facebook.com/FreeTreeSociety.

Locations

Bangsar Nursery: 91, Jalan Limau Purut, Bangsar, 59000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur

Note: We highly recommend for you to take public transportation to their Bangsar location due to it being a residential area and in order to not obstruct traffic.