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Currently, floating gardens are a trend in the world. In urban areas, green spaces are always sought. Which is why sustainable architecture is becoming more and more popular. One of the various solutions, floating gardens give the opportunity to create natural spaces.
Which can even provide solutions for problems related to climate change and agriculture. We will show you some ideas of floating gardens and how it can help much beyond just enjoying nature.
About 500 years ago, the Aztecs surprised the world with “Chinampa”, or as it is known today “floating garden”. These are small stationary artificial islands, built in a freshwater lake for agricultural purposes. Chinampan was the ancient name for the southwestern region of the Valley of Mexico. And that’s where the technique was, and continues to be, the most used.
The floating gardens are based on building a series of narrow islands, which are six to ten meters wide and 100 to 200 meters long. Layers of vegetation, earth and also mud are used for its creation. The lake or water surface where they contribute provides moisture filled with decomposing organic waste, which fertilizes the island’s soil.
In this way, they contribute productively to the crop. Floating gardens have become very popular particularly in areas with very strong and long rainy seasons. Due to the design and construction of the floating gardens, they are ideal to replace the land that suffers from floods all the time.
Floating gardens are an innovative trend
The floating gardens also provide sophisticated and very beautiful structures such as aquatic terraces. With an excellent alternative and eco-sustainable irrigation system. This trend is undoubtedly inspiring many experts to create new garden design projects in different parts of the world.
A floating garden can take many forms, even down to pontoons or floating platforms. They can also come in a variety of sizes, from small individual islands to longer islands or walkways. In urban areas you can create floating gardens with bodies of fresh water such as lakes, canals and also in ponds.
It is not recommended in the seas as the tide could damage the structure of the gardens. Some gardens are built starting from a floating plant underlayer such as water hyacinths. Starting from this sub-layer of plant material, flora or food products are then planted to grow on top.
However, there are those who use materials with natural floating properties. These materials such as plastic and wood use it as an underlayer. Floating gardens provide habitat for different species both aquatic and terrestrial.
They also provide many options and opportunities for urban agriculture and for mitigating climate change. The size as well as the strength of a floating garden will undoubtedly depend on its construction. As well as the raft and the weight of the crop that is placed on it.
Floating gardens provide many benefits. Improves water quality, slightly reduces air pollution mitigating climate change. Similarly, it also behaves as an excellent habitat for various aquatic species, insects and birds in urban areas.
Floating gardens for cultivation
As we already mentioned, floating gardens should not be done in areas of water that are affected by tides or strong currents. Since they have a greater risk of disintegrating. However, flooded land or small ponds can be used. The floating gardens are held in position by tying them to the posts.
It is worth mentioning that not all crops work well in floating gardens. Short-rooted and short-season crops generally grow very well. Of course, crops with a wet rooting nature grow and thrive much better than those crops that are preferably dry.
Floating gardens are not that difficult to build. They can even benefit you with lots of nutritious vegetables for your home consumption. The Dal Lake Floating Gardens in India’s Kashmir Valley are excellent examples of these.
For these types of gardens, a floating base is made from natural materials such as dried bamboo sticks. They can also take roots from grasses and weeds that grow wild in the water. In reality the functionality and versatility of these gardens are majestic.
Since in addition to being islands with edible products, they are also perfect for aquatic life. They can be an excellent spot to welcome fish, frogs, and turtles. Even when the roots of the plants are already developed, they automatically become a resource to filter, oxygenate and clarify the water.
In fact, floating gardens can be used in other bodies of water where you need cleaning. These can filter toxins as well as all contaminants from the water and return oxygen to you. For example, one of the most polluted waterways in the United States is the Gowanus, which is located in New York.
Floating gardens as a water purification system
There they experimented with this floating structure, which performs a phytopurification process. They placed 30 different types of plants, which act like sponge, absorbing and eliminating pollutants. They purify the water and return to the city some healthy air.
Well, while floating gardens are great for growing a variety of vegetables and fruits, much more is used to grow just five of them. The most common that they grow are tomatoes, squash and cucumber. And as for fruits, the most common in floating gardens are melon and watermelon.
How to build a floating garden
They are made entirely with natural materials, so building one is very easy to do. First cut the bamboos and tie them tightly with twine. With this you will be forming the base of your floating garden.
In the same way, and if you prefer, you can also use vines or young trees to build the base of your garden. Once you have your base or frame, then cover it with palm or banana leaves. If you don’t have any of these options then you can choose to cover your base or frame with straw.
Make sure to tie everything with twine to make a very solid floating base. After covering your base with palm leaves or straw. Add a layer of planting media and compost and plant the seeds or seedlings. Keep in mind to seal the open ends of the bamboo with wax, if you chose to use this natural material.
With this seal you will make the bamboo float much better. And at the same time it will not allow it to rot with water. Once you have the compost spread at the base and the seeds or seedlings are sown, the waterings can be done. If you wish, you can also place stakes or pylons under the water. With this you can keep the floating garden in the same place.
Floating gardens can address poverty
From the structural orientation first used by the Aztecs. They used a raft woven with water hyacinths and on it they placed earth and manure. Today’s farmers have been able to recreate to farm without the need for farmland.
Without a doubt, this is one of the most innovative technologies used to combat poverty. Especially in areas or places where weather conditions often damage agriculture. In countries like Bangladesh, which are now below sea level in many localities, they have no land to farm.
So floating gardens allow farmers to grow without suitable soil. In reality, climate change is an issue that should not be neglected. For example, continuing with Bangladesh, they suffer from many floods and rising sea levels.
Therefore, both scientists and politicians in the country agreed to report that by 2050, rising sea levels will flood about 17 percent of the earth and displace about 18 million people. Of course, the work of farmers is also difficult in periods of drought.
Practical Action is an organization that helps to reduce a bit of all the obstacles that farmers go through. They indicate that “growing conditions are already challenging as the clay soil hardens during the dry season (November to March) while prolonged rain during the monsoon (June to October) causes flooding.”
Beautiful floating garden project
Therefore, floating gardens are the most suitable option for farmers to adjust and adapt to the climatic conditions, and at the same time they can have control of their crops. So that they can market with them and also benefit their families.
That is why this innovative farming system can economically benefit low-income families. Since with these gardens they can increase the income of farmers and at the same time in their homes. Of course, growing your own food also reduces household expenses by obtaining vegetables without pesticides and throughout the year.
That is another excellent benefit that floating gardens provide, food safety. Thanks to the efforts of the Practical Action organization, hunger has reduced in various rural areas of Bangladesh. Since with this cultivation system, residents can consume at least 1,800 calories a day.
Growing their own food products and many healthier since they do not have pesticides. According to an expert, long-term exposure to pesticides include tumors, blood or nerve disorders and much more. So by decreasing your exposure to these chemicals and growing in floating gardens, you get benefits for your overall health.
According to the World Bank, agriculture has been key to fighting poverty and hunger in Bangladesh. Between 2000 and 2010, poverty fell from 48.9 percent to 31.5 percent. This is due to the efficiency they have obtained with the cultivation system and at the same time that they have been able to increase income.
Solutions for housing and cultivation in water
Even more than 87 percent of the rural population earn income from agricultural activities. Of course, it is also worth mentioning that, in the same way, an improvement in the health of consumers has been obtained by healthy crops.
Today in the modern era we can appreciate many floating garden designs around the world to enjoy their beauty. Without a doubt, this is an incredible example of what humanity can achieve by creating wonders in water. And not only for enjoyment but also to solve agricultural problems and even housing.
In 2017, the Parc Rives de Seine was inaugurated in Paris, it emerged as a remodeling project, which allows Parisians to enjoy nature, with areas used as floating gardens along the Seine. These gardens have fruit trees, native plants and grasses.
In the Netherlands floating gardens were developed to attack and partly solve the problem of accumulation of water caused by the geographical depression. In this part of the world, the ground is below sea level. Which together with the accumulation of rainwater cause drainage problems.
Floating system for solutions in climate change
The floating garden was built in the port of Rotterdam and is based mostly on the principles of a circular economy. Rainwater is collected, filtered, and then given to the animals to drink. Which is perfect as it allows for constant drainage. We have already mentioned to you about Bangladesh. Where there is an agricultural production system with floating gardens, which are based on hydroponic crops.
On the other hand, floating river fish farms have been created in Japan. In both cases they provide great solutions for growing and rearing fish in unexpected areas. These have been designated as World Agricultural Heritage by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
