Plantforlife Encourages People In The City Not To Give Up On Their Dream

As two fifths of urbanites wish they could plant their way to the Good Life...

Ever dreamed of taking a step back from the fast paced frenzy of everyday life in exchange for leading the ‘Good Life’? You’re not alone, as new research from PlantforLife reveals in the last two years alone,  nearly half  (45%) of people in the city have dreamt of leaving their hectic lives behind to lead a more fulfilling (39%) sustainable (29%), and greener life (23%) in the country[i]. 

With over 40% of urbanites confessing they want to escape the city to relieve stress, it seems everyone’s got the same thing on their mind- nearly half (47%) wish they could wind down to a slower pace of life, 41% would love more space to grow their own food and over half (56%) crave to be outdoors, leading a healthier lifestyle.   However, this dream of country living isn’t just a fantasy as the research reveals that people are already starting to take their own sustainable measures:

·62% grow their own fruit and vegetables

·42% collect and re-use rain water to water their plants

·27% grow strawberries in hanging baskets

·14% plant greenery up against their walls to increase insulation

·10% grow dwarf root vegetables in hanging pots 

·10% re-use old chimney pots for growing flowering plants and

·7% use grow lights to extend their growing space indoors

 
With two fifths of the nation (40%) admitting they want to know how they can achieve a more sustainable life in the city, PlantforLife has teamed up with Channel 4’s ‘Landscape Man’ and garden designer Matthew Wilson, to develop the ‘Urban Guide to the Good Life’ -offering inspiration and guidance to those unable to pack their bags and move to the country. It’s an easy to use guide which shows just how simple it can be to live a greener, more sustainable life in the urban jungle, no matter what outdoor space you have.

Matthew says, The city has its challenges when we talk about simple, sustainable living but there are small steps that all people can take to make a difference. Gardening is an easy first step to introduce positive effects to the environment and can even help you save a few pennies along the way.  Incorporating hanging baskets to grow your own fruit and veg or building a mini greenhouse for the smallest of windowsills, are just a couple of easy ways towards making a greener, more sustainable future simple.

The ‘Urban Guide to the Good Life’ shares Matthew’s top ’Good Life’ tips, from showing you how fruit and veg can be grown in small containers ideal for rooftops or balconies, to selecting the best plants for your urban garden, along with many more to encourage sustainability within your very own garden setting!
 

Taking it to the extreme Whilst you equip yourself with the good life the easy way, we thought we’d reveal some of the most extreme ‘solutions’ that city slickers have been starting to take, in a bid to achieve sustainable living:

·Installing a wind turbine to harness wind power

·Creating their own ‘gutter garden’

·Catching rainwater from their roof

·Keeping a shovel in the car to collect horse manure for use in their garden instead of peat

·Keeping chickens

·Diverting rainwater to be used again

·And some even keep hens on their balconies and patios to collect fresh eggs every morning!