Gardening Without Ground - Barbados & Colombia

Interpersonal communication allowed for the development of gardening projects for the ageing with groups such as Pro Vida, an aged care organisation in Colombia. Community participation in buying the 'bottle garden' goods supports the ageing as active & contributing members of society.

Ageing, Population, Agriculture, Economic Development

For the ageing population, bending over to garden (which is often a key source of nutritional food), gets increasingly difficult. Once made, these "bottle gardens" can be placed at a comfortable height for seniors. "The bottle is cut in half. The top narrowed half is placed firmly upside down in the bottom half. The upper part of the double utensil then has room for a plant in minimal soil & the bottom portion contains water. As the hole remains visible it is easy to check on the water supply whilst, in a tropical climate, the tight fit of the upper section prevents mosquitoes from breeding in the still water". The San Juan de Dios day centre in Bogota runs a large hydroponics programme within the centre for consumption & market. The more active elderly do all the work of cultivation & all senior members share in the proceeds; edible & otherwise. These water gardens are suitable to almost any environment & have positive implications for future plant production in areas where only poor soil exists. In addition, the use of recycled plastic bottles makes this an environmental project.