Plant boxes for the concrete jungle

In May, a course in box cultivation will start at Opistotalo in Tikkurila for the second time. No previous farming experience is required. The teacher of the course, gardener Elina Sauvola, will guide you from the very beginning. Almost all plants from herbs to root vegetables are suitable for box cultivation. Peas and beans also yield crops. To please the eye, you can sow various flower seeds.

Experience the miracle of growth in the city

Box cultivation is possible even in the middle of an asphalt yard. Heidi Majavuo and Riikka McLean, who participated in last year’s course, tried urban farming for the first time and were immediately smitten. According to Heidi and Riikka, it was easy to start farming as guidance and advice were available throughout the course. They enjoyed a variety of crops throughout the summer, including lettuce, radish and herbs.

Heidi also contemplated how growing vegetables and root vegetables herself taught her to appreciate them in a different way and value the time, effort and patience required for their cultivation. It is so easy to pick up products from a grocery shop.

Courage and help from the group

Farming in the Opistotalo yard was also a communal experience. The participants had their own WhatsApp group, through which they shared tips and experiences as well as their successes and challenges. Help was always available for watering if you were not there to do it yourself. People did not allow their fellow course participants’ plants to wither in the summer heat.

Urban farming is well worth a try. You can grow potatoes even in a bucket on the balcony. Urban farming does not require any larger farms or longer distances than that. Both Heidi and Riikka intend to continue their hobby. Heidi is already working on new cultivation boxes.

The “Kaupunkiviljelijäksi!” course can be found on Ilmonet with the code V230964.

^{This article was published in Residents' magazine 1/2023. Read the other articles on the resident magazine home page!}