Tokyo: Greening the World's Largest City
Even the most indefatigable city gardeners can at times lament the lack of available space to showcase their horticultural wares. Occasionally, dispirited by concrete and pavement, gardeners are prone to wildly speculate on urban neighborhoods teeming with greenery. To combat any oncoming urban malaise, the world's largest city offers some fresh inspiration for the dedicated, practiced and resilient city gardener.
Tokyo-DIY-Gardening is an open sourcebook for urban gardening in congested cities and compact spaces. Created by Jared Braiterman and Chris Berthelsen, the site documents the resourceful and creative efforts of Tokyo's gardeners. The city's gardens fill concrete corners, curbsides, rooftops and neglected urban "dead spaces". As noted on their site, Tokyo is "‘messy’ with the handmade and rich with natural habitat and plant life." Through photos, articles and presentations, the site wonderfully chronicles the daily, informal and familiar practices that connect people with their immediate environment.
Photo credits: tokyo-DIY-gardening.org