For the second post of our monthly 'Urban Jungle Bloggers' series we chose the topic of green neighbourhoods. Since a real urban gardener loves interior gardens as much as exterior ones, we opted for this topic. Moreover, the various posts written by all participating bloggers such as Judith or Jocelyn will show us the variety of green spaces in urban areas.
Now, some of you know that I am just back from a three-weeks trip to Canada and the USA and I thought I'll give you an idea what I had discovered in the Canadian West Coast metropolis Vancouver: the Davie Village Community Garden in the city's West End district.
If it wasn't for my little shopping spree on Davie Street, I would have never discovered this garden. I passed by and was amazed by the idea of a community garden with plots growing flowers, fruits, vegetables right in the middle of the city. Even though this garden looked a bit wild in some of its corners, I loved the idea of gardening in the city. This is a concept that is hardly known in Europe - I have not seen anything similar here in Munich so far nor have I encountered such an urban garden in Paris or any other city I traveled to.
I admit, I would probably rent a plot in such an urban community garden if we had one here. I mean imagine the wonderful, soothing power of gardening after a busy day at work. Plus you grow your own veggies right in the city. Fun!
On my trip through Canada and the USA I have seen very similar community gardens in Seattle, Portland and San Francisco. Plus I have noticed many buildings with rooftop gardens, many of which also had beehives to produce honey that would then be sold in local cafés and restaurant.
All these encounters convinced me that urban gardening is growing beyond a trend. That it is rather a shift in our perception of everyday living, of what we expect of our lives. We love our urban lives but want more of nature in it, we prefer organic food over processed food, we buy local produce instead of imported stuff. We cherish both, our urban lifestyle and the desire to be surrounded by green spaces. Hence the urban gardens. What do you think of such a community garden? Are there such gardens in your city? I am curious, let me know!
Urban Jungle Bloggers is a monthly series by 3 bloggers: Igor (Happy Interior Blog), Jocelyn (The Little Room of Style) and Judith (JOELIX.com). Every month we share ideas to create an urban jungle through styling ideas, DIYs and green tips & tricks. You can find additional inspiration on our Urban Jungle Bloggers Pinterest board. Want to join? Use #urbanjungle on Twitter and Instagram. Or let us know and we'll share the badge and upcoming topics with you. Let's bring some green into your homes and blogs!
Photography by Igor Josifovic
