When Linda Lee was young and living in the heart of Hong Kong’s urban metropolis, her father found peace in a small cluster of greenery in their flat.
He stood in the corner every day, tending to each pot. Lee’s father was a tough character. He did not talk much. But Lee saw his face relax whenever he tended to his “garden”.
Today, Lee works at Farmacy, an urban farming organisation that uses hydroponic technology – in which plants grow in a water and mineral solution rather than soil – to create mobile farms and farm labs in Hong Kong.
These spaces are usually compact, indoor, climate-controlled environments.
Lee leads urban farming experience days about once a month. It is a time when participants can set aside their usual worries and engage all five senses amid the greenery at Farmacy’s headquarters in Shau Kei Wan.
The list of hands-on activities includes plant rubbing – an artistic technique that captures the texture of different leaves by placing them under a piece of paper and shading over them with crayons or pencils – and seed art. Visitors can also try aromatherapy.
