How Small Urban Gardens Can Transform Lives and Landscapes

Having grown up around a garden and watched my parents care for it, I realized that I had inherited the green thumb. It all began in 2011, shortly after I completed my Permaculture Design Certification (a spontaneous and defining decision that I have never turned my back on!). I recall standing outside our home, gazing at a small, dry berm by the parking lot, a space most people overlook......and thinking, what if we could revive this patch? From what I understood then and still believe now, even the most challenged land holds potential, and that's where we start to demonstrate that this concept truly works!

I didn’t have acres of land or a large farm to work with or test out this "new permaculture stuff" I had learned, but I had this one forgotten slope of soil. And that’s where the story began really.

We started working with the soil up, bit by bit, and started planting a mix of vegetables, herbs, fruit trees, flowers, and creeping plants to start off with, anything that could take root and build life back into the soil. It wasn’t glamorous. For the first three years, it was slow, often discouraging work. But soil regeneration takes time. You wait. You learn patience. You celebrate every earthworm, every sprout.

Then something shifted. The tiny berm began to change over time. The vegetables came up more strongly, the moringa, lucaena, and banana trees reached for the sky, and the once-barren patch became an oasis of abundance. Neighbours and friends began to notice. It was the one spot you couldn’t walk past without stopping,  to breathe, to watch, to feel connected to. That small experiment became my living classroom, proof that transformation doesn’t start with large tracts of land, but with intention and care, right where we are. Over time, that berm has grown into a lush microclimate, one that provides shade, fruit, flowers, and a sense of hope.

When I established Harvesting for Good East Africa six years ago, it was driven by the belief that every space, regardless of size, has the potential to sustain both us and the planet. In a setting where Nairobi is increasingly developing with high-rise buildings and continues to do so with almost no planning for green spaces, or by cutting down beautiful, mature trees, the intention is to become a growing metropolis. However, to be a successful metropolis, there must be a focus on replanting, re-wilding, greening, creating microclimates, and providing shade trees, among other considerations.

Our work is deeply rooted in the mission of bridging the gaps that often exist between urban homes, passionate gardeners, and the innovative principles of permaculture design. We believe that it is entirely possible to create functional, edible landscapes that not only serve practical purposes but also enhance the aesthetic beauty of these urban spaces. This convergence of utility and beauty is essential, as it resonates with the desires of many city dwellers. At the heart of it, isn’t that what everyone wants?

Our approach has always been about empowering people,  gardeners, homeowners, and community leaders  to rethink space, to grow food in harmony with nature, and to spark that ripple effect across their neighbourhoods whether urban, or taking it back to their communities. And it works. There’s no shortcut to regeneration. It takes time, patience, and a lot of observation just like tending to a garden.

Our balcony garden now thrives under the shade of an old mulberry tree that we never meant to plant, and now it anchors the space, creating a lovely guild. Beneath it, layers of bushy climbing roses, and bougainvillea create a wild canopy that feels like a small English cottage garden in the middle of Nairobi that we hoped for. There’s nothing better than coming home to this sort of oasis. I spend a lot of time observing, re-twining plants and adding more diversity at any given chance. Our dog simply digs this too, she’s often nestled under the mulberry tree or on the balcony alongside the shamba.

There’s a sense of calm, of life, that these spaces bring. They’re not just gardens,  they’re sanctuaries.

Urban gardens are powerful. They remind us to slow down, to reconnect, and to nurture something that gives back oxygen, food, beauty, and biodiversity. They cool our cities, store carbon, and create homes for pollinators and wildlife. They remind us that kindness, to ourselves, to others, and to the earth,  begins with small, consistent acts.

And today, on World Kindness Day, I can’t think of a better symbol of kindness than a garden.  Gardens and re-wilding  teach us patience. It offers without expectation. It gives life, even when no one is watching.

So, wherever you are,  whether you have a balcony, a wall, a driveway, or a forgotten corner, plant something. Start small. Watch what happens. The transformation may take years, but it will be worth it.

Because every green space, no matter how tiny, is an act of kindness, to the earth, and to ourselves.

 We’re just an email and a phone call away if you would like to get started. Reach out if you'd like to set up a meeting with us in the new year.