What Are the Benefits of Wading Pool Gardens?
- Wading pool gardening allows for the intercropping---planting a variety of plants---of plant species within gardens. According to Ebenezer, intercropping ensures the health of plants through diversity. A diverse array of plants in one container creates varied nutrient needs and replenishment and promotes a healthy, disease-free garden rich in nutrients. Intercropping with good groundcover plants will also reduce weed development.
- Wading pool gardening conserves soil and water, according to Ebenezer. Watering practices in traditional wading pool gardens ensure a fair amount of water is retained in the garden and typical water leakage is a sure indication to halt watering. Soil is not overturned and exposed to erosion forces when contained within a wading pool garden.
- Wading pool gardens use urban wastelands effectively. Ebenezer reports, "Vacant lots, brownfields, unused parking lots and rooftops" are all excellent urban wasteland areas waiting for enclosed gardens such as wading pool gardens to cultivate needed fruits and vegetables in poor, overcrowded urban settings. Utilizing these spaces enables impoverished families and residents of urban areas to grow fresh produce.
- Wading pool gardens are typically inexpensive to build. They require a small child's wading pool, a tool to punch several holes 2 inches above the ground around the edge of the pool, enough soil to fill the pool and seeds for planting. A single wading pool garden supplied frugally could cost less than $50. Compared to the price of land, this expenditure is quite small for a productive garden.
- The ability to gather many different styles of containers similar in size and shape to wading pools and then utilize these containers as gardens provides "creative ways to recycle," says Ebenezer. Recycling containers will also significantly reduce the costs of wading pool gardening while promoting healthy living and reducing landfill aggregation. A trip through the neighborhood on trash pickup day may produce several suitable containers for wading pool gardening.