(Image: Tattfoo Tan)
Upon first glance, shopping trolleys may not be the most practical of vehicles to use for gardens. But New York artist Tattfoo Tan makes a compelling case for why mobile edible gardens may be the way forward. By making use of abandoned shopping trolleys and old luggage through converting them into food sources, he’s tackling waste and food issues all at once.
Finding growing space in cities is becoming ever so difficult. Rather than wait for an allotment to open up, or going on a geurilla gardening mission, why not make use of what’s lying around to grow your own veg and herbs. This way you can then take these around the community to show off and for others to enjoy. Or you can chain your garden wherever you’d like, as the less portable option.
(Image: Tattfoo Tan)
The use of a shopping trolley as one of the vehicles for the home grown food is an interesting choice. It’s heavy on the symbolism, as we usually associate shopping trolleys as something to transport piles of food from a supermarket. Instead, Mobile Gardens is using these trolleys as the source and growing location of local sustainable food stuff.
If you’re feeling inspired to get your hands a little bit dirty, visit Tattfoo’s site for DIY instructions to make your very own Mobile Garden. Also have a look at the Subversive Gardener and these Seed Bombs. Good, green, mischievous fun.
(Spotted on Green Muze)
Katherine Hui is currently the Social site editor at Green Thing, a web-based public service in London that inspires people to lead greener lives through creative content.
Before this, she worked as the Development Manager at Social Innovation Camp, an organization that encourages people to use web and mobile-based technology to mobilise social change. She oversaw 300 ideas submission and helped build 20 prototypes – five of which have gone on to get further funding or investment.
Katherine’s came over to the UK form Canada in 2007 for an MSc program at the London School of Economics. Before arriving in London, she managed a small environmental start-up in Vancouver called the Canadian Climate Change Alliance.
Katherine is football mad. She is a loyal supporter of Arsenal FC, plays for Islington Borough Ladies FC and coaches for Gunners in Islington in her spare time. Her second favourite hobby is kite surfing and she can sometimes be found chasing the wind.
