URBAN GARDENING in Parkspring Village

Andrade, Russel James

Malabanan, Tamsyn

Polido, Kiarel Dominique

Regalado, Karl Louise

Introduction

Urban gardening can be defined as the practice of producing vegetables and fruits within

urban environments for household consumption as well as for sale to the rapidly growing

urban population (Windhoek & Oshakati, 2002). As more people from rural areas flock to

central districts, suburban populations also expand, resulting to higher demands for housing

and employment. This expansion more often than not leads to poverty due to unmet demands

for employment, and environmental damages due to the pollution brought about by the

increase in population and emergence of impervious and impermeable surfaces and

structures. Urban food gardening is perceived as a complementary strategy to reduce urban

poverty and food insecurity, and enhance urban environmental management (RUAF).

Though the kinds of behavioral and economic incentives facing the household with regards to

its motivation to practice urban gardening vary (Nugent), lifestyle behavior is seen to be the

best predictor of vegetation cover in public rights-of-way areas, as was observed in the study

performed by Grove et al. on household characterization and its implications for the

vegetation of urban ecosystems (2006). In addition, a study on the urban gardening project in

Philadelphia has shown that urban gardening is positively associated with community

involvement and life satisfaction (Blair, Giesecke, & Sherman, 1991). Urban gardening also

provides physical and psychological relaxation, which is reportedly among the factors

leading to its practice (RUAF).

Despite not being a major contributor to the GDP, especially in an urban setting where the

economy can be largely dependent on the secondary and tertiary sectors, urban food

gardening is being practiced by certain communities because of its economic benefits, their

motivations ranging from production for home consumption to supplementary employment

(Nugent). According to RUAF, in Cagayan de Oro, urban farmers generally eat more

vegetables than non-urban farmers of the same wealth class, and also more than consumers

from a higher wealth class, who are able to afford and consume more meat.

Given all the aforementioned observed economic, social, health and environmental benefits

of urban gardening to different practicing communities, it is imperative that a more effective

and well-implemented regulation and management plan regarding the promotion of urban

gardening in Philippine communities be conceptualized and put into action. It is an area not

clearly understood by most planners and policy makers but should be given greater credit as a

component of agricultural development strategies (Thaman, 1995). There is an unstable

equilibrium in the emergence and existence of central districts and developed areas in the

Philippines, which results to rapid and extensive urban sprawl in the suburbs; an intensive

and adequate land use and land cover (LULC) plan that addresses the impacts of this

development is necessary to mitigate its negative consequences.

As of 2010, May 1st, the total population in Laguna province is two million six hundred sixty-

six thousand eight hundred forty-seven (2,669,847), which indicates a ninety-four and eight

tenths percent (94.8%) increase from the 1990, May 1st census. Two hundred ninety-four

thousand three hundred ten (294,310) or eleven percent (11%) of Laguna’s population resides

in the City of San Pedro, making it the most populated city in the province (CPH, 2010).

San Pedro City has the closest proximity to the National Capital Region (NCR), where

majority of the country’s major central districts are located. This proximity justifies the

growing population and expanding urbanization in the province, particularly in San Pedro; as

more people coming from farther provinces flock to Metro Manila to hunt for employment,

the demand for residential and commercial structures consequently increases in the province,

which further leads to the boost in the real estate industry in the area.

The increasing emergence of impervious and impermeable surfaces invoked by the high

demand for concrete structures and other materials with the same quality have caused the

allotment of natural vegetation and agricultural lands to be put in the margins. The continual

increase in built-up areas and the decrease in natural vegetation pose a threat not only to the

area’s environment but also to the practice of agriculture and production of local crop and

vegetable plants.

This study focuses on the residential sector by observing how community members in one

village – Park Spring Subdivision – are able to cope with the expanding urbanization in the

area. Guided by the notion that preserving the balance between built-up and vegetation areas

in an urban setting is the key to an ideal community, this study aims to 1) determine the

factors that motivate particular community members to practice urban gardening, and the

perceived benefits of the practice to the practitioners and their fellow community members;

2) observe commonalities and trends when it comes to the plants that practitioners grow in

their gardens, and 3) serve as a stepping stone for further research on the topic of urban

gardening and its management plan and implementation in the context of Philippine

communities.

Figure 1 Google Earth image of Park Spring Subdivision

Figure 2 Google Earth image showing built-up area extension from Metro Manila to the City of San Pedro

Methodology

This study utilised both quantitative and qualitative data collection tools, but is rooted in a

qualitative epistemological position that recognises the importance of locating the research

within a particular social context.

Data Collection

Data collection consisted of surveys, interviews, as well as gathering data from studies

previously done that are related to our study on Urban Gardening. The interviews and surveys

were conducted with urban gardening practitioners in Parksprings, San Pedro, Laguna. Such

a qualitative approach is valuable here due to the varying experiences and practises of the

respondents when in came to urban gardening. Upon collecting the qualitative data derived

from said interviews and surveys, careful manual analysis was done to determine the

implications of their responses given their respective situations and/or facticities. Recent

research on urban gardening or urban farming and culture were consulted to validate

collected data.

Results/Findings

Figure 3

Based on our surveys and interviews, both males and females practice urban gardening.

However, majority of the practitioners are females (See Figure 3). Women are more attracted

to gardening because they want to do something during their idle time. That is not to say that

females were unproductive. It just so happened that in the village, most of the females were

left in their homes to do household chores or manage their homes while their husbands were

at work. Usually they were able to finish the household chores ahead of time giving them a

lot of free times for other things i.e., gardening. Initially we assumed that it was probable that

there were more females than males who practise urban gardening because in the Philippines,

helpers are usually females. And since they are the ones left at home, then most likely they

are the ones who garden. We were proven wrong because of all our interviewees and survey

respondents, only one (1) of them was a helper.

Aside from that, the lot of our female respondents love cooking. They want to cook for the

family. They want to make good, healthy food for their tired and hardworking husbands as

well as their children. They also want the best ingredients that are just within their reach. This

is similar to why African women in Doss’ study frequently grew subsistence crops while men

grew cash and export crops (Doss, 2002). This was exactly what our female respondents

20  67%  

10  33%  

Male-­‐Female  Ratio  that  practises  Urban  Gardening  

Females  

Males  

answered when we asked them why they chose to garden in the first place; they said that they

decided to garden for own consumption. They said they maximised their use of their

backyard or the adjacent vacant lot to plant fruits and vegetables so that when they need fresh

and homegrown crops, they have easy access to said crops.

According to a study in Africa, females garden more than males because they want to enjoy

the fruits of their labour. Females do not easily give their labour unless they are going to

enjoy or benefit from it (Doss, 2002). It was not because they were selfish. It was simply that

they wanted to see and feel the fruits of their sacrifices.

Figure 4

As one grows older, one’s time for other things usually increases because one’s productivity

level diminishes due to limitations posed by aging. In fact, in the Philippines, most people are

out of the labour force as soon as they hit the age of 60. Surprisingly, our data stated

otherwise. We found out that females aged 20-30 years practice urban gardening more than

those in their 50s and above (See Figure 4). This is due to the fact that that specific time

frame is when most Filipino females get married and start their own families. Another

probable reason for this could be that most students graduate at this age group and not every

graduate is lucky enough to land a job soon after. So this leaves quite a number of people

with time on their hands.

0   1   2   3   4   5   6  

20-­‐30  

31-­‐40  

41-­‐50  

51-­‐60  

61-­‐above  

Male  

Female  

Figure 5

A solid sixty-seven percent (67%) of our respondents, had already been practising urban

gardening for one to five years. Twenty-one percent (21%) have only just begun. Eight

percent (8%) had been doing it for six (6) to ten (10) years already. And the remaining four

percent (4%) had been doing it for more than ten (10) years.

It was mentioned previously that the respondents were asked why they practised urban

gardening; they all gave different reasons (See Figure 6 and Figure 7). Our surveys and

interviews showed that men were more pragmatic compared to women. Most of both parties

said that they practise urban gardening primarily for their own consumption. They wanted to

cut the costs of not just buying food but also commuting to the market, so they resorted to

gardening. It not only minimised the expenses, it also aided in their practice of leading a

healthy lifestyle. Forty-seven percent (47%) of our respondents stated that they practice urban

gardening for leisure. Contrary to the stereotype that gardening was taxing and time-

consuming, according to a fair share of our respondents, they thought otherwise. In fact, there

were a few who even said that gardening was a way for them to de-stress.

21%  

4%  

67%  

8%  

Urban  Gardening  Practise  (How  Long)  

<  1  year  

>  10  years  

1-­‐5  years  

6-­‐10  years  

Figure 6

Figure 7

The small size of gardens and the problems of access to land result in the scattering of plots.

The number of urban gardening practitioners that own the land they are utilising in

Parkspring Village San Pedro, Laguna (based on the survey) are greater than that of the

practitioners that do not own the land (See Figure 8). Those who did not own the land

29%  

53%  

3%  4%  

11%  

Reasons  for  Urban  Gardening  (Female)  

Leisure  

Own  Consumption  

To  share  with  neighbours  

To  destress  

ProJit  

40%  

7%  

53%  

Reasons  for  Urban  Gardening  (Male)  

Leisure   To  help  environment   Own  Consumption  

informed us that they had asked for permission before they planted their crops. The real

owners of the lands were either out of town, or even out of the country for work and so they

do not really have the time nor are they even physically present to use their land, leaving it

stagnant. In some cases, practitioners that do not own the land asked the landowners if they

could have a portion of their harvest once their crops are ready. This promotes good social

relationships amongst neighbours.

Figure 8

In the legal aspect, in Rosario, Argentina they have a policy on converting stagnant land into

an urban gardening site. The optimization of vacant land and its transformation into

cultivable land was introduced because of the economic collapse that the country was facing

in December 2000 and the increase of poverty rate (Dubbeling, 2004). In the Philippines,

there is no specific policy that promotes the use of stagnant lands for gardening but it is

highly recommended by the local governments. In subdivisions like Parkspring Village in

San Pedro, Laguna the homeowners have no knowledge of an existing policy in their village

but some of them still opt to practise urban gardening since they believe they are not doing

damage to anyone or anything.

One of the many reasons why people do not go into farming or gardening in an urban

area is because of time, the lack of it. Gardening is perceived by most as something that is

time-consuming. Given how busy people usually are in urban centres, it is not that surprising

40%  

60%  

Number  of  households  that  own  the  land  used  for  urban  

gardening  

No  

Yes  

if not a single household in a subdivision practised gardening or planting. It is different in

Parkspring Village in San Pedro, Laguna. Most of the urban gardening practitioners in the

village tend their gardens everyday (See Figure 9). They make it a part of their daily routine.

They water their crops and pull the weeds that infest their garden area. Some of the

practitioners, though, visit their gardens seldom for they have to go to work or school; but

they always see to it that they attend to the needs of their gardens at least twice a week

(usually in the weekends). Some crops can go for a few days without water so the

practitioners can leave their gardens unattended.

Figure 9

Some full-time urban gardening practitioners allot most of their time on planting and tending

the crops they own. Which explains why in our study, thirteen percent (13%) spent four (4)

hours a day in their gardens or farming lots (See Figure 10). The others who are not fully

engaged in gardening do not know how much time they put on planting because they said it

varied according to the availability of their time. Small-scale urban gardening can be

observed and practiced easily if it was just for relaxation and distressing purposes only. The

time our respondents spend on gardening usually depended on their purpose and of course the

crops they planted. The practitioners who make profit with their produce allot more time

while the practitioners who just plant for their own consumption and relaxation allot less time

in gardening. The biggest portion of our respondents allots 3 hours a day. This is mostly

because of the thirty (30) people we interviewed and surveyed, not one of them planted just

45%  

22%  

22%  

11%  

Frequency  in  days  (per  week)  Everyday   Once  a  week   Twice  a  week   Thrice  a  week  

one crop. The least number of crops planted was four (4). So it is probable that that is the

reason why they spend more time than one would expect in the garden.

Figure 10

The table below shows the eight most common vegetables and crops surveyed in the subject

area and the lengths of time (shown in months) until the first harvest which ranges from two

to nine months. Due to the lack of data on the length of time until harvest for the rest of

plants that were surveyed, it is not possible to test for the correlation between the choice of

plant among the gardeners and the waiting period until the plant is ready for harvest. It is

13%  

19%  

19%  13%  

10%  

10%  

16%  

Frequency  (in  hours/minutes)  

4  hours  

3  hours  

2  hours  

1  hour  

30  minutes  

<  10  minutes  

Unsure  

0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  

okra  

ginger  (luya)  

malunggay  

ampalaya  

sitaw  

kalamansi  

kalabasa  

kamote  

guyabano  

lemon  grass  

patani  

onion  (sibuyas)  

guava  

alugbati  

petchay  

potato  

SpeciFic  Crops  Planted  

No.  of  Households  

however observable that five out of the eight most preferred plants require only at most two

months until they are ready for harvest.

Table 1 Eight most common vegelatbles and crops surveyed in the subject area and the length of time

from planting until first harvest

In the Resource Centres on Urban Agriculture and Food Security (RUAF) report, and studies

such as that of Grove et al. (2006) and Blair et al. (1991), it has been sited that lifestyle

behavior can be seen as a viable predictor as to why certain households practice urban

gardening. It may be stated therefore that the waiting period until the plants are ready for

harvest does not significantly affect a gardener’s choice of plants. The results of the survey

also indicate that most households practice urban gardening for the purpose of leisure and

relaxation.

Aside from leisure and relaxation, another dominant response among the households when

asked about their reasons for practicing urban gardening is for the purpose of producing food

for their own consumption which may be classified as an economic reason. This can be

associated with the research performed by Nugent which garnered a similar outcome, and

may explain why most of the plants surveyed, which range from root crops to fruit trees, are

all edible. The fact that Park Spring Subdivision is home to middle income families further

contributes to this assumption.

Finally, it has also been considered that a gardener’s choice of plants may be slightly

correlated with the convenience of growing and maintaining them. The results show that

most of the plants surveyed are perennial – plants that have a life cycle that is more than two

years long (Merriam-Webster) – and are relatively easy to plant. Also, most of the gardeners

who were surveyed do not spent more than two hours tending their gardens, which is

probably why they would opt for plants that demand less upkeep and maintenance.

 

The chart above classifies the plants that were surveyed to six plant classifications – fruit

vegetables, fruit trees, root crops, legumes, medicinal or aromatic plants, and vegetable trees.

The descriptive statistics shows that fruit vegetables, such as okra, eggplant, tomato and

ampalaya, are the most common plants that are observable in the study area, followed by fruit

trees and root crops. These results may have steamed from psychological factors.

Fruit vegetables are relatively easy to plant – especially because most of them have large

seeds – and more convenient to maintain, and some of them may turn out to be quite

attractive, turning the garden not only into a reliable food source but an aesthetic asset to

one’s home. Fruit trees on the other hand require less maintenance and upkeep, and they

provide shade and help in wind control once they are fully grown. Root crops are extremely

easy to plant and most of them require less space, which is probably why they are the third

most common plants surveyed in the study area.

Plants need sun, water and nutrients to grow. The nutrients can be taken from air or soil. If

there is an ample supply of nutrients in the soil, crops are more likely to grow well and

produce high yields. If even one of the nutrients needed is in short supply, plant growth is

limited and crop yields are reduced. Fertilizers are needed to obtain high yields because they

supply crops with the nutrients the soil lacks. By adding fertilizers, crop yields can often be

doubled or even tripled. (IFA, 2013) A few of the practitioners of urban gardening in

0  5  10  15  20  25  30  35  40  

ClassiFications  of  Surveyed  Plants  

Parkspring Village also use fertilizers (See Figure 11). Majority of them use organic

fertilisers because it is more affordable for them and they believe it to be less harmful to the

environment as it is more “natural”.

Figure 11

Urban gardening is very beneficial to the practitioners themselves and the whole community

of practitioners (See Figure 12 for the chart of perceived benefits). For one, gardening makes

them feel relaxed. When they need time to unwind, they garden. Females also became more

practical about gardening because they realised that gardening could be profitable, however

minimal, and some of our respondents sell their crops to their neighbours. On the other hand,

males started to “think green” when they garden. They wanted to help conserve the

environment by planting fruits and vegetables within their vicinity that they felt would help

maintain the balance of the ecology in the long run. Generally, the highest rated perceived

benefits of urban gardening are its therapeutic or relaxing effect and the free consumption.

Figure 12

22%  

45%  

33%  

Fertilizers  

both  organic  and  commercial  

organic  

commercial  

0  2  4  6  8  10  12  

BeneFits  of  Urban  Gardening  

BeneJits  of  Urban  Gardening  

Patel, in his study, stated that aside from urban gardening improving local food supplies and

puting marginal lands to wise use and as it absorbs wastes in the form of compost, urban

gardening “also became places for social interaction.” (Patel, 2008) This was also true in our

case study. According to some of our interviewees, they were able to forge new relationships

solely because of urban gardening. Their neighbours whom they did not really speak with

before would approach them to ask about their garden and slowly, those rare visits became

more frequent and some relationships even developed to actual friendships. Urban gardening

also serves as an “[e]ducational process that changes the minds and actions of people so they

can "help themselves" attain economic and social well-being” since they have the opportunity

to grow and produce things of value, according to Patel.

Recommendations/Potential Directions

It would be a good idea to do a bigger scale study. We only interviewed and surveyed thirty

(30) people from the village. It would be better if everyone who practised urban gardening in

the village were interviewed that way one can also map the urban gardening practise in

Parkspring Village and determine why it is so. An in-depth analysis of the specific crops

planted would also aid in this study. As well as a more thorough interview since more data

could be gathered using that method. One might also delve into the legal aspect more and

realise what laws or even just social protocols or agreements are followed when it comes to

urban gardening. The feasibility of urban gardening to be applied in Metro Manila,

specifically in places with minimal land (i.e. condominiums), can also be a probable direction

for this study. In line with that thought, one might also find the concepts of hydroponics- the

process of growing plants in sand, gravel, or liquid, with added nutrients but without soil- or

aeroponics- the process of growing plants in an air or mist environment without the use of

soil or an aggregate medium (known as geoponics)- interesting to study given how most

subdivisions or dwelling places, especially condominiums which is the vogue of modern

living, do not have enough space for gardening.

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