connected the water supply, and
invested countless hours and dollars
in seeds and soil, hoping to establish
a veggie patch of sorts. Within weeks,
the spring sunshine and light rains
brought our patch to life. With much
attention and more good weather,
we soon had vine tomatoes, climbing
beans, capsicum, zucchini, eggplant,
sunflowers and a whole lot of herbs. We
also had wasps, and we soon noticed
that our produce was being harvested
for us … by the local rat population!
Fortunately, Naomi and her
family, who live on the Peak, have
had more luck. They started their
garden late last summer after being
inspired by an article about rooftop
farms in Hong Kong. Naomi says,
“
The biggest challenges for our plants
so far, (we only started in September,
so we haven’t been through typhoon
season yet!) are getting them enough
water and keeping them out of the
wind.” The farmers behind HK
Farm say the key is knowing what
will grow successfully in each season,
and sticking to more local varieties
such as Asian vegetables. A sunny,
well-ventilated windowsill is also the
perfect place for plants that need
protection from monsoon winds and
rain, which is why pots and planter
boxes that are portable are perfect.
As for the bugs, it’s likely an
outdoor garden will attract insects of
the right kind too. The bees at HK
Farm help with pollination. And in
Naomi’s garden, their presence adds
to the joy she gets from her crop;
“
The bees
love
the pumpkin flowers.
There are always one or two up there
buzzing around. And that makes me
very happy!”
Junior gardeners
All kids love getting their hands dirty,
and involving them in the process
of growing things is a great way to
connect with the outdoors, however
tiny your patch of it is. For little
ones who may be impatient to see
results, the time between planting
and harvesting might get a little
boring, but the end result can have
unexpected benefits. Naomi says,
“
The kids
loved
it in the beginning, but
can’t really be bothered now. They
do like picking the veggies though –
mostly cherry tomatoes, rocket and
All kids love
getting their
hands dirty, and
involving them
in the process of
growing things
is a great way to
connect with the
outdoors, however
tiny your patch of
it is.
basil. And it’s rare that the tomatoes
make it all the way back to our flat!”
It’s so easy to forget about the
source of your food here, when so much
is imported and barely resembles the
original plant by the time you buy it at
the supermarket. Teaching kids where
their food comes from, and involving
them in the process of growing it, can
be enormously beneficial. Our own
modest kitchen garden, now just a few
herbs, some lettuce, a single tomato
vine and a lemon tree, is a source of
great interest for our three-year-old. He
keeps a close eye on the tomatoes and
lets us know with great delight when
they’re ready to pick. A notoriously
fussy eater, he’ll also happily eat herbs
and veggies straight off the plant, which
would otherwise be rejected if they
were served up on a plate.
When you grow your own
produce you have the added benefit
of knowing exactly what went into it,
and can avoid nasty pesticides and the
like. Naomi says, “Our tomatoes are
miles better than the ones in the shop!
And the pleasure I get out of running
upstairs and picking some rocket, basil
and tomatoes for my lunchtime salad
is enormous. I never thought I could
do that in Hong Kong!” Does it get
any more organic than that?
April 2013
63