Urban gardening has seen a massive rise in popularity in recent years, driven by the increasing demand for locally grown food, environmental sustainability, and on an individual level—the desire for self-sufficiency. Among the innovative solutions transforming these urban gardening trends are floating garden boxes, a revolutionary design helping at-risk communities that struggle with both flooding and water conservation.

Floating garden boxes are particularly useful for cities facing challenges like limited space, poor soil quality, and frequent flooding. Areas like Des Moines, Iowa are making plans to put these into place wherever they possibly can. They’re not just a gardening trend for dock owners—these garden boxes are providing practical, eco-friendly, and aesthetically-pleasing solutions that allow everyone to grow fresh produce even on flood-prone land.

What Are Floating Garden Boxes?

Essentially, floating garden boxes are just like they sound—garden beds that float on water. We construct ours using waterproof materials that stand up to all sorts of weather conditions. Once set up, add soil and plants like in traditional raised garden beds. The difference, however, is that these boxes are designed to rest on bodies of water such as ponds, lakes, or even flood-prone areas like riverbanks or marshlands. The buoyant design makes them a perfect fit for places where traditional gardening might not be feasible due to fluctuating water levels or poor soil conditions. 

There are many reasons dock owners, CSAs, community shelters, and HOAs might opt for a floating garden bed over traditional fixed raised beds. They come with some big benefits, including water conservation, pest management, and easy access to gardening without the need for a lot of space. Floating garden boxes also help reduce the risks associated with flooding, as they are able to rise with the water levels instead of being submerged and destroyed. 

The Growing Need for Innovative Urban Gardening Solutions

Cities like Des Moines, Iowa, are increasingly turning to our garden boxes for urban gardening as a means of addressing food insecurity, reducing carbon footprints, and revitalizing parts of the city. We’ve already started working with local food banks and shelters by putting a plan in place for floating garden boxes in 2025! 

Urban environments often present unique challenges for traditional gardening and space is incredibly valuable. With limited land availability, areas with poor soil quality, and the inevitable risk of flooding, gardeners and community leaders need creative solutions that are both effective and sustainable.

One of the major issues faced by communities in flood-prone areas is soil erosion and contamination from standing water. In the Midwest, where flooding can be a seasonal concern, the need for new gardening solutions that are both resilient and adaptive is more beneficial than ever. Floating garden boxes enable people to grow their own food even in areas that are typically unsuitable for traditional gardening.

Schwig’s Garden Boxes: Supporting Communities in Des Moines, Iowa

Our mission at Schwig’s Garden Box company is constructing these floating beds that solve urban gardening challenges in flood-prone areas. Based in the heart of the Midwest, we’ve made it our goal to provide sustainable gardening tools to urban communities in areas like Des Moines, Iowa, where flooding and land degradation have long been barriers to effectively managing food systems and the output of neighborhood community gardens.

Schwig’s Garden Boxes are specifically designed to hold heavy materials like soil and plants while floating on water, providing an efficient way for urban gardeners in Des Moines and other flood-prone areas to grow crops without worrying about soil erosion or the impact of flooding. These floating garden beds are made from high-quality, weather-resistant materials that can withstand even the harshest environmental conditions. This durability ensures that the boxes will remain intact, even during periods of intense rainfall and flooding.

Benefits of Floating Garden Boxes for Urban Gardening

For cities like Des Moines, Iowa in the Midwest, floating garden boxes offer several valuable advantages:

1. Water Efficiency: Floating garden boxes allow for optimal water retention and circulation, reducing the need for constant irrigation. This is especially important in flood-prone areas, where water levels fluctuate often.
2. Flood Resilience: Since floating garden boxes can rise and fall with water levels, they stay functional during floods, unlike traditional garden beds that may be destroyed or damaged by high water levels.
3. Accessibility: Floating garden boxes are easy to access and maintain, even for people or organizations who may not have large outdoor spaces. They are perfect for urban environments with limited land availability.
4. Sustainability: By enabling local food production, floating garden boxes reduce the carbon footprint associated with transporting food from far distances. They also provide an eco-friendly alternative to traditional gardening methods by preventing soil erosion and runoff.
5. Improved Food Security: In cities like Des Moines, floating garden boxes contribute to food security by enabling residents to grow their own fresh produce, reducing reliance on grocery stores, and ensuring access to nutritious, locally grown food.

Schwig’s Impact on Des Moines and Beyond

Schwig’s is helping to foster a new wave of urban gardening in Des Moines and other Midwestern cities. By providing floating garden boxes to local residents and organizations, Schwig’s is not only helping to solve the practical issues of gardening in flood-prone areas, but also empowering communities to take charge of their own food production. 

For more information, contact us here: https://floatingagrihood.com/contact