Build Up | Grow Up | Water Up
As urban centers continue to densify, the challenge of connecting people with their food takes on new aspects. For businesses, public spaces, and new construction – garden spaces aren’t just a nice amenity, they’re an essential part of the over all design.
What if all these gardens were designed to grow food? How incredible would it be to have veggies and food gardens integrated into our daily life, growing food all around us?
It can be done.
Challenges
Drainage – Many commercial planters and garden installations are in locations that are challenging. From the difficulty of piping in traditional irrigation, to strata rules against water mess/drainage - these are significant issues to overcome. This puts limits on not only what can be planted, but also where gardens can grow.
Longevity/Sustainability – How long will the actual gardens last? Many designers shy away from using wood in their garden/planter designs because of rot and structural degradation over time. Despite wood being one of the most sustainable, organic, and aesthetically enhancing of all building materials - this remains a valid concern.
Water - Even the best laid plans can go awry if you don't water your garden. For that reason, many designers reduce their plant pallet down to only the hardiest/drought tolerant varieties. The regular water requirements make incorporating edible designs and veggie gardens into commercial spaces particularly challenging.
SIP Garden Self-Watering Solutions
Location – SIPs can be used as a drainage system as much as an irrigation system. The hidden reservoir below the soil captures excess water until full, then allows additional water to drain out of the Overflow in a completely controllable manner. This ‘mess-free’ advantage is huge for commercial spaces by eliminating water spillage and uncontrolled drainage.
Longevity/Sustainability – The foodsafe waterproof liner completely protects SIP gardens from the inside out. This can extend the expected lifespan of wood gardens by 2-3x or longer; greatly reducing lifetime costs and making garden infrastructure more sustainable.
Watering – Compared to traditional top down watering techniques, SIP gardens reduce water consumption up to 80% while also reducing the water frequency from a daily requirement, to once a week or less. This reduction I maintenance and water consumption makes growing food in public spaces a challenge worth taking on!
