Geumcheon-gu Box Garden Plot Leasing

From March 21 to 25, Apply via Geumcheon-gu Office Website or In-Person... Free Companion Garden Rental for Elderly Living Alone Facing Leisure and Outdoor Activity Restrictions Due to COVID-19

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Geumcheon-gu (Mayor Yu Seong-hoon) is distributing ‘eco-friendly box gardens’ to residents, allowing them to cultivate crops in unused spaces such as verandas and rooftops.

The program targets Geumcheon-gu residents or institutions and organizations within Geumcheon-gu. This year, a total of 1,000 box garden sets will be distributed: 700 sets for individuals and 300 sets for groups.

The box garden consists of a plastic box, soil, seedlings, and a user manual. There are three types of product sets available, and applicants can choose their preferred type when applying. Individuals may apply for up to 2 sets, and groups up to 5 sets.

Individuals or groups wishing to apply can do so from March 21 to 25 via the Geumcheon-gu Office website’s ‘Integrated Reservation’ system or by visiting the Parks and Greenery Division at the district office.

The final selection results will be posted on the district office website on March 28 and applicants will be notified individually. Selected residents or groups must pay a fee of 8,000 KRW per set into the designated account. The box gardens will be delivered by courier between April 19 and 22. Delivery will be made only to the Geumcheon-gu address provided at the time of application.

Additionally, Geumcheon-gu will provide 200 companion gardens free of charge to elderly residents living alone. Selected seniors, recommended by local community centers, will receive one air-purifying plant pot and eight mushroom cultivation bags of five types (distributed in four phases).

Considering the COVID-19 situation, pre-cultivation education will be conducted online. The course titled ‘Basics of Urban Agriculture Practice’ will be held on April 18 and 19, and mushroom-related education for companion gardens will be provided via shared videos. When cultivating crops in the box gardens, participants can receive consultation and monitoring from professional garden managers by phone or visit upon request.

Geumcheon-gu also plans to hold an ‘Experience Essay and Photo Contest’ to share the experiences gained by participants while cultivating their box gardens with other residents.

Yu Seong-hoon, Mayor of Geumcheon-gu, said, “We hope that residents, exhausted and depressed due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, will regain small daily happiness and mental and physical health by cultivating crops in the box gardens,” and added, “We encourage those interested to actively apply.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.