Floating garden boxes offer unique benefits that make them a practical and sustainable solution for food production in both urban and flood-prone areas. This is exactly why Midwestern organizations are turning to Schwig’s for floating garden boxes that can help produce food in flood-prone zones and areas with contaminated soil. 

These unique gardening systems not only enhance food security but also contribute to environmental sustainability. Plus, they look great! Here are a few benefits to incorporating floating planters into your community’s gardening plan. 

Space Efficiency

One of the most significant advantages of floating garden boxes is their ability to make use of otherwise underutilized water spaces. In urban and downtown areas, available land for traditional gardening can be limited, costly, or even completely unavailable if the proper plan isn’t in place. Floating garden boxes, however, can be deployed on lakes, ponds, canals, reservoirs, or drainage areas, transforming these spaces into productive food sources. 

By utilizing these bodies of water, community organizations can grow food without competing for valuable land, which is particularly important in densely populated cities where every square foot counts. This space-efficient solution is helping urban areas and islands—often limited by land availability—take full advantage of their water resources for food production. Midwestern cities that experience frequent flooding can benefit from floating garden boxes during heavy rains and runoff. 

Water Conservation

Water is an increasingly scarce resource in many parts of the world. Traditional soil-based gardening often requires significant amounts of irrigation, particularly in regions affected by droughts or water shortages. However, Schwig’s floating garden boxes actually make use of the water in which they float, utilizing it as the primary growing medium for plants. This water-based system reduces the need for external irrigation, making it a highly efficient way to conserve water. In drought-prone areas, this ability to reduce water usage can be a game-changer, making food production easier to manage. 

Flexibility and Mobility

Another major advantage of floating garden boxes is their flexibility and mobility. Unlike traditional in-ground gardens, which are fixed in one location and at-risk of being destroyed during rainstorms or runoff, Schwig’s floating garden boxes can be easily placed wherever it will best serve the community. This could be for aesthetic reasons (dressing up a pond in a park) or influenced by environmental factors (marshland that is underutilized). 

This mobility allows gardeners to adjust the placement of the boxes based on factors like water conditions, available sunlight, or seasonal changes. For instance, during the hot summer months, floating garden boxes can be moved to areas with more shade to protect crops from extreme heat, or they can be shifted to optimize sunlight exposure in the winter. They can also be placed in back ditches behind buildings where runoff might impact other types of stagnant planters. This adaptability ensures that plants have the best growing conditions possible throughout the year, allowing for a greater variety of crops and shifts for seasonal produce. 

Climate Resilience

Floating garden boxes are particularly valuable in areas prone to flooding or unpredictable weather patterns. These boxes are designed to float above water levels, which means they can withstand periods of heavy rainfall and flooding without compromising the integrity of the fruits and vegetables. Floating gardens offer resilience against challenges like soil erosion, flooding, and extreme droughts. By remaining above rising water levels, these garden boxes can continue to produce food even in the face of adverse weather conditions, offering a reliable growing source when other forms of gardening may fail.

Low Maintenance and Sustainability

Schwig’s floating garden boxes are designed to be low-maintenance and highly sustainable. They require fewer resources to maintain compared to traditional gardening methods, along with other planters that aren’t as resilient to weather patterns. This low-maintenance and sustainable approach makes floating planters an attractive option for communities seeking to increase food production, reduce their environmental footprint, and provide gardening opportunities to all. 

Several community organizations and agrihoods have already started putting Schwig’s floating garden boxes into place. For more information, reach out today and see if our floating planters are a good fit for you.