"A person who is growing a garden, if he is growing it organically, is improving a piece of the world" - Ruth Stout

If you live in the city and love gardening, you know that every inch of land, balcony, or community garden space is a precious commodity. There were time in the city when my only personal connection to nature was a few potted plants on my apartment balcony. Despite the limited space and resources, I felt a profound sense of satisfaction watching those plants thrive above the commotion of the city.

Urban gardening has seen a remarkable rise in recent years, driven by a growing awareness of environmental issues and a yearning to reconnect with nature. In cities around the world, people are transforming rooftops, balconies, and even small indoor spaces into vibrant gardens. This movement goes beyond mere aesthetics; it's about creating sustainable ecosystems that benefit both people and the planet.

But when it comes to urban regenerative gardening, the focus deepens. Regenerative gardening aims to heal and restore ecosystems through sustainable practices. It's not just about planting, but about creating self-sustaining cycles that enhance soil health, increase biodiversity, and foster resilience.

In this series on sustainable gardening in the city, we'll look at the basics of urban regenerative gardening, and highlight some stand-out garden examples as inspiration.

Whether you're a seasoned gardener or just starting out, these insights will empower you to transform even the smallest urban space into a regenerative ecosystem.

Understanding Urban Regenerative Gardening

With Regenerative gardening, sustainable actions layer on top of each other to create a thriving, self-sustaining ecosystem. This mirrors the holistic approach of larger-scale regenerative agriculture. Regardless of the size of your growing space, the goal is to rejuvenate and enhance the vitality of the soil, plants and overall ecosystem.

It’s important to honor the knowledge of generations of Indigenous, Black, and Asian farmers and gardeners - they are they original regenerative farmers and this practice is based on their earth-tending methodology.

Let’s look at the basic principles of regenerative gardening:

• Build Soil health: Natural amendments like compost, mulch, and cover crops help to increase the fertility of the soil (Chico State. We build the soil up instead of tilling. This improved soil acts like a sponge for carbon, and can sequester this greenhouse gas from the atmosphere. In turn, the healthy soil helps your plants to be more resilient against climate extremes (UCB. The soil is the foundation upon which everything else is built upon - both literally and figuratively.
• Increase Biodiversity: Monocrops set plants up for disease, pest issues, and nutrient depletion (EU). Instead, regenerative gardeners mix it up and plant a range of species. In turn, beneficial insects and helpful soil microorganisms gather around to help the overall vitality of the garden. Mirroring the diversity of nature creates a more balanced ecosystem.
• Water Management: Waste not, want not. As this study from 2024 shows, mulching and other dry farming techniques mean that regenerative gardens need less water overall. Rainwater harvesting and drip irrigation go a step further to conserve and manage what water we do use.
• Carbon Sequestration: The biggest win of regenerative gardening is that it’s a nature-based solution to climate change. Healthier soil and more biodiverse landscapes are able to store more carbon in the earth as opposed to in the atmosphere. No-till methods and perennial plantings help with this goal, too.
• 100% Organic: Regenerative gardening relies on organic inputs intead of harmful pesticides, herbicides or petroleum-derived fertilizers.

Regenerative gardening is different from conventional gardening because the health of the earth is prioritized over high yields or aesthetics. It’s all organic without any funky stuff to harm the environment.

Regenerative practices also go a step further from organic gardening by actively improving the ecosystem. Not only does regenerative gardening aim to not contribute to environmental harm, but it works to remediate it, too.

Importance of Urban Regenerative Gardening

In our ever-expanding urban landscapes, the significance of regenerative gardening can't be overstated. Let's explore how this practice transforms our cities environmentally, socially, and economically.

Environmental Benefits

Imagine creating your own green oasis in your city, where the air is cleaner, temperatures are cooler, and the soil teems with life. This is the promise of urban regenerative gardening. By integrating green spaces into our cities, we:

1. Reduce Pollution: Plants act as natural air purifiers by absorbing pollutants and producing oxygen. For instance, the Arbor Day Foundation shares that single mature tree can absorb at least 48 pounds of carbon dioxide per year.
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2. Conserve Water: Techniques such as rain gardens and permeable paving allow rainwater to infiltrate the soil, reducing runoff and conserving water. Rain water catchment systems go a step further towards a sustainable ecosystem.
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3. Enhance Soil Health: Practices like composting and mulching enrich the soil, making it more fertile and capable of supporting diverse plant life.
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4. Carbon Capture: Studies suggest that home gardens offer more biodiverse landscapes when compared with monoculture farms, which can sequester more soil carbon.
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5. Decreased Greenhouse Gas emissions: As outlined in this research paper, when vegetable gardens are grown instead of lawns, GHG emissions are reduced. Additionally, industrial food harvesting, storing, and transportation has far higher GHG emissions as opposed to home grown food.
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6. Noise Reduction: Urban gardens can also act as noise buffers. Plants can absorb, deflect, or refract sound, making green spaces quieter and more peaceful. Various studies have shown that incorporating dense shrubbery or vertical gardens can be particularly effective in reducing noise pollution. Since noise pollution can cause cardiovascular problems, this is a human health benefit, too.
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7. Microclimate Regulation: Small urban gardens can create microclimates that moderate local temperatures. By providing shade and releasing moisture through transpiration, gardens can reduce the urban heat island effect. This is especially beneficial during hot summer months. To maximize this effect, one study suggests “An urban garden shouldconsist of mixed vegetation to reach thermal comfort services.”

Community and Personal Well-being

“The link between green infrastructure and human well-being implies that equitable access and distribution of quality green spaces is a human rights issue.” - Alessio Russio and Guiseppe Cirella, Agriculture 2020

Beyond the environmental perks, urban regenerative gardening has profound social and psychological benefits.

1. Fostering Community Spirit: Gardens act as hubs where neighbors can meet, share knowledge, and work together. For example, neighbors can trade plants or exchange seeds, or collaborate together. I’m also reminded of this episode of BBC’s Big Dreams Small Spaces, where renowned expert Monty Don helps two neighbors combine their front yards into a shared garden plot!
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2. Enhancing Mental Health: Engaging with nature has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety. Studies also indicate that home gardening can decrease dementia risk by 36% in people over 60.
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3. Creating Safe, Recreational Spaces: Green spaces in urban areas provide safe havens for children to play and adults to relax, promoting physical activity and well-being.
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4. Improved health: A study from 2022 noted that when home gardens had a range of plant diversity, symptoms from allergies could be reduced. Additionally, eating homegrown produce helps to improve gut microflora that can help better absorb nutrients from the food.

Food Security and Biodiversity

Urban regenerative gardening also addresses critical issues of food security and biodiversity.

1. Increasing Local Food Production: Gardens in urban settings can produce significant amounts of fresh produce, reducing dependence on imported food and enhancing food security. As one study notes, “home gardening can account for an important share of the local offer of perishable food items, such as vegetables or medicinal and aromatic plants, playing a vital role in the promotion of household food self-sufficiency.”
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2. Promoting Biodiversity: By planting a variety of species, urban gardens create habitats for pollinators like bees and butterflies, crucial for a healthy ecosystem. A diverse garden is more resilient to pests and diseases, promoting a balanced urban ecosystem.

Case Studies that Showcase the Ecosystem Benefits of City Gardens

While my experience primarily lies in rural regenerative gardening, the principles of soil health, biodiversity, and sustainable practices are universally applicable. Through research, community engagement, and adapting these techniques, we can create thriving urban gardens together.

Looking back at my days living in the city, I now see the untapped potential of my apartment balconies for gardening. These small spaces could have blossomed into a serene escape from the urban chaos. In one apartment, despite the air pollution and construction noise, I could have created a small haven of greenery that might have even helped mitigate some of those urban stresses.

Urban Homesteading with a backyard garden, chicken and quail

Asia is an urban gardener living in zone 7b at Yellow Door Urban Homestead.

She says, “Our (mine and my daughter) garden journey started during the COVID quarantine. My daughter eats all things healthy and I did not. The garden has helped me to eat better, gives me a place to relax and exhale at the end of the day, helps bring me clarity…it’s an amazing ‘hobby.’”

Asia’s organic garden is a mix of raised beds, grow bags, trellises, a greenhouse, chicken and quail run, and perennial fruit trees.

Asia discusses some of the different ways that she practices affordable gardening: “What is it that I can do that is not very expensive. Because the point of this is to grow your own food, but you don’t want to grow your own food at a cost that is going to be more than the store.” To garden with less expenses, Asia recommends no-dig gardening and repurposing free materials. She also saves her own seeds to reduce costs. This all adds up to a money-saving garden, which is especially important as supply and demand have increased costs for many gardening products.

In order to grow as much as she can in her backyard, Asia turns to grow bags. She says,, “I do a lot of growing in bags - it helps me to have more space to grow. I couldn’t make the bed big enough to grow the same plants in it. I use bags, and that has very much extended my growing space. There’s probably about 60 of them.”

Asia’s garden is a testament to how much food you can grow in a small urban lot. She says, “I want people to know that you don’t have to have a lot of land, and you don’t have to have a lot of space, to grow a garden that produces a whole lot of food.”

There are a few other methods Asia utilizes to maximize her growing space:

• Trellises for vertical growing for cantelope and beans, made from cattle panel
• Cuts perennials to keep them the size she wants them to be
• Greenhouse has shelves to maximize growing space and is multi purpose for drying and seed starting.

As for harvests, Asia’s garden helps her to not need to buy vegetables throughout the summer, and she gets enough produce to preserve for use throughout the year.

Perennials in her garden include  blueberries in containers, strawberry bed, grape vine, tree collards, fig, asparagus, and peach.

She grows a range of herbs - not just chamomile and oregano but also echinacea, feverfew, mugwort, verbena, and even marshmallow!

In her garden tour from May 2024, Asia showcases how she practices interplanting. Zinnias grow tall with the support of stakes, with beans interplanted in the same bed. A marigold, and some scabiosa and sunflower flowers. This is a classic regenerative technique to help reduce pest pressure and create a more robust soil ecosystem.

Other eco-friendly practices Asia turns to are homemade fertilizers such as Comfrey tea, making compost in a 2 bin system, and harvesting water in a collapsable rain barrel

Even in the city, the wildlife appreciate Asia’s garden, as evidenced by a bird nest with eggs hatching in one of her trees!

In regards to growing in the city compared to gardening in rural settings, Asia mentions that her pest and predator pressure is a lot less. “When you talk about growing in an urban setting in your backyard, there are things that you don’t have to deal with that you deal with out in the country or where you have lots of land.”

petits moments and her productive balcony garden

While she doesn’t live in a major city, petits moments zone 8 balcony garden in France is an inspiring ecosystem. With a balcony of only 3.2 square meters (34 square feet, maybe with dimensions of around 4ft by 8ft?), she cultivates an eco-friendly garden that produces a surprising amount of food.

What stands out to me about this balcony garden is not only the benefit that the gardener receives from it - but also how she tends to the local wildlife population with a handmade bird feeder, an insect hotel, and a repurposed bowl as a bird bath. She says, “when living in an urban area, I found that it’s essential to help feed native birds, as their natural food sources have become more and more limited.” She notes that birds “help keep that insect’s population in balance,” which likely supports her plants in terms of pest control.

Once a month, this balcony gardener makes her own homemade compost to improve the health and structure of her soil. She pulls dead and decaying plants, kitchen scraps, mixes it all together in a bokashi bucket. Once it breaks down, she can add that to her soil.

In terms of her other garden inputs, she utilizes organic amendments such as worm castings, organic fertilizer, and uses natural pest control methods. Some examples of how she controls pests are with methods like homemade castile soap solution, trap crops, companion planting, and plant diversity.

Not one to waste water, she finds innovative ways to keep her garden hydrated, especially in the summer. As a couple of examples, she waters her garden with ice buildup from her freezer, or rice wash water from cooking.

Of her water conservation efforts, she says, “For a sense of context, I grew up in the north eastern part of Thailand, which is known to be the driest and droughtest region in the country. As a par to the culture, I was taught ot be resourceful with water and it is a habit for me to try to find a way to reuse water when possible. My family woudl reuse laundry water and water from dishes in our garden.”

Her planting style focuses on intercropping as opposed to monoculture. She mixes vegetables, flowers, and herbs together in order to improve the biodiversity of her balcony. For her containers, she practices hugelkulture to conserve the amount of soil she uses

Her crops include tomatoes, chard, chili peppers, eggplant, radishes, lavender, rosemary, nasturtium, salad greens, leafy greens, strawberries, calendula, and plenty more.

Even during a record-breaking heatwave, her garden still thrived and she was able to get substantial harvests.

Expert Insight on the Power of Urban Gardens

Dr. Shalene Jha, an assistant professor in integrative biology at the University of Texas, has spent years studying agroecosystems. She emphasized in an interview with the US National Science Foundation, “urban farms and gardens currently provide about 15%-20% of our food supply, so they are essential in addressing food inequality challenges. What we're seeing is that urban gardens present a critical opportunity to both support biodiversity and local food production.”

Dr. Jha's insights underscore the multifaceted benefits of urban regenerative gardening. As cities continue to grow, integrating more green spaces dedicated to food production and biodiversity will be crucial.

Not only does this approach help fight against hunger and cultivate community, but it also promotes sustainability and overall health. Urban regenerative gardening isn’t just about growing food; it’s about cultivating a healthier, more resilient urban ecosystem.

Speaking about a more resilient urban ecosystem, experts are also discovering ways that urban organic gardens can bolster bee populations. Damon Hall, a biologist at Saint Louis University, says “we can do some real conservation in cities” in this article from Yale Environment 360, which highlights the role urban gardens can play in conservation efforts. This is shown in Hall’s study, which found that urban pollinator gardens could support higher bee diversity than surrounding rural areas.

Urban gardens can become sanctuaries for humans and wildlife alike. As we’ve seen in our case studies, birds are welcome in the urban yard and balcony, and insect hotels provide a much needed habitat for beneficial bugs. These green spaces offer a lifeline amidst the hustle of the city.

These expert insights highlight the broad and deep impacts urban regenerative gardens can have—from supporting biodiversity to building stronger communities.

Conclusion

Urban regenerative gardening is like planting hope in the heart of the city. It offers a multifaceted solution to many challenges our urban environments face today, from combating pollution to fostering community spirit and enhancing food security. As we incorporate these green oases into our cities, we don't just grow plants; we cultivate resilience, nurture biodiversity, and reconnect with the rhythms of nature.

Remember, every small step counts. Whether you're starting with a single pot on a balcony or transforming a vacant lot into a community garden, your efforts make a difference. The journey might be slow, like a seed sprouting into a mighty tree, but it's incredibly rewarding. Let's embrace urban regenerative gardening and watch together as our urban spaces transform into thriving, resilient ecosystems.

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