Design the garden on nature's terms and reduce unnecessary yard work

Designing a garden on nature's terms offers a beautiful and harmonious environment with less need for unnecessary yard work. With the following tips, you can create a garden that is easy to maintain, sustainable, and environmentally friendly.

1. Choose Perennial Plants

Planting and maintaining annual plants can be labor-intensive. Instead, choose perennial plants that grow year after year without the need for constant replanting. Perennial plants, such as perennials, shrubs, and trees, require less maintenance and provide continuous beauty to your garden.

Here are a few examples of plants from a traditional Finnish garden:

Perennials: Coral bells (Heuchera), peonies (Paeonia), bergenia (Bergenia), and daylilies (Hemerocallis). These plants bring color and structure to the garden for a long time, and their maintenance needs are usually minimal.

Shrubs: Mustila hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata), fragrant bramble (Rubus odoratus), rhododendron (Rhododendron), and black currant (Ribes nigrum). These shrubs are hardy and offer beautiful blooms or berries in different seasons.

Trees: Lilac (Syringa vulgaris), spruce (Picea abies), and juniper (Juniperus communis). Lilacs offer beautiful blooms and a wonderful fragrance, spruces bring greenery and structure throughout the year, and junipers withstand sun and drought.

2. Use Ground Cover Plants

Ground cover plants are a great way to reduce weed growth and the need for raking. They cover the soil surface, preventing weeds from germinating and keeping the soil moist. Good ground cover plants include stonecrops, creeping strawberries, and creeping thyme. These plants help keep the garden tidy and well-maintained with less effort.

3. Favor Natural Planting Areas and Use Ground Cover

A traditional lawn requires regular mowing and maintenance. Instead, you can create natural planting areas that mimic natural landscapes. Flower meadows, pastures, and forest floor-type areas require only minimal maintenance.

For example, a wildflower meadow provides a beautiful and natural alternative to a traditional lawn. Kuntta, or forest sod, is an excellent alternative to traditional lawns. Kuntta consists of a forest floor onto which moss, heather, and other natural plants have been transplanted. It requires little maintenance and trimming, making it well-suited for an organic garden.

4. Choose the Right Plants for the Right Places

To make gardening easier, it is important to choose plants that are suitable for the garden's conditions. Find out what kind of soil and light conditions your garden has, and choose plants that thrive in these conditions.

Plants that are naturally resilient and adaptable require less care and are less susceptible to diseases and pests. For example, ferns and hostas are well-suited for shady areas, while for sunny spots, it's advisable to choose spring epimedium and liverworts.

5. Reduce Watering Needs and Utilize Rainwater

Choose drought-resistant plants that thrive with little water. Use mulches, such as wood chips or bark mulch, to retain soil moisture and reduce the need for watering. Collecting and utilizing rainwater is an effective way to save water and support plant growth. You can direct rainwater from the gutter to planting areas that require more watering.

6. Utilize Natural Elements

To make gardening easier, utilize natural elements such as stones, trees, and shrubs. Stone paths, bark mulches, and natural fences such as wood, hedges, and brushwood fences create a beautiful and low-maintenance garden that blends into the surrounding nature.

7. Use Climbing Plants

Climbing plants are an excellent way to bring height and greenery to the garden without a lot of maintenance. For example, hops, wild grape, and clematis grow quickly and provide dense coverage for pergolas, fences, and walls. Climbing plants require only minimal care and can create beautiful green surfaces that provide protection and privacy.

Summary

By designing the garden according to nature's terms, you can create a beautiful and low-maintenance environment where unnecessary yard work, such as raking and mowing, is reduced. By choosing perennial plants, using ground cover plants, favoring natural planting areas and kuntta, and utilizing the right plants in the right places, you can create a sustainable and environmentally friendly garden.

An organic garden offers not only visual pleasure but also a habitat for many beneficial organisms.

The property service Huoltokarhu will design, implement, and maintain the yard of your dreams.

Author: Patrick Björksten, CEO of Huoltokarhut

Tendering platforms for contracts – Paid visibility and disregard for user safety

Competition platforms, such as Remppatori and Urakkamaailma.fi, promise to facilitate the meeting of contractors and customers. But how well do they actually serve their users? Based on our experience, the services have serious shortcomings in both pricing and safety, which can be detrimental to both contractors and customers.

Remppatori's High Costs – The Price Squeezes Out the Competition

Remppatori advertises itself as a user-friendly platform, but the reality from the contractor's perspective is different. To participate in requests for quotes on Remppatori, a contractor must pay a monthly fee of 200 euros, which does not guarantee getting any contracts. Such a high price limits participation to companies that can afford to pay the monthly membership fee – which reduces the number of offers.

The results speak for themselves: On Remppatori, individual requests for quotes receive an average of fewer than three offers. This means that customers do not get to genuinely compare prices and services, which often leads to overpriced contracts. In other words, the customer pays too much while the contractors pay for visibility without any guarantee of success.

Urakkamaailma.fi – Hidden Costs and Disregard for Safety

Urakkamaailma.fi offers free access to requests for quotes, but only under certain conditions. The contractor can participate in requests for quotes free of charge if there are fewer than three offers. If the competition is tougher, meaning there are more than three offers, the contractor must obtain a Premium membership, which costs 80 euros per month.

This creates a contradictory situation: the free service is enticing, but in practice, to utilize the service, the contractor almost always has to purchase a paid membership. Additionally, Urakkamaailma takes a 5.5% commission on the price of the work for the contract. This means that even if the Premium membership has been paid, an additional fee will be charged for each won contract.

Although this commission is transparent, it increases the total costs of the contracts. For example, on an 18,000-euro job, a 1,000-euro commission remains with the platform. It significantly increases the final price of the customer's project.

Safety Issues Are Overlooked

Our experience with Urakkamaailma's customer service raises serious questions about the reliability and safety of the service. We contacted Urakkamaailma to warn them about a scammer we noticed operating on their platform. We expected Urakkamaailma to act quickly and respond, but instead, our emails were completely ignored.

When we asked a month later if the scammer was still active on the platform, we received no response whatsoever. In a situation where the security of the service and user trust are at stake, such indifference is inexcusable.

We also requested a Premium membership as a reward for bringing the scammer to their attention. However, this was not considered a valuable enough service by Urakkamaailma for them to recognize us as a contractor. Such actions give the impression that the platform's security is not a priority, even though it should be the platform's most important task.

What Should Customers and Contractors Know?

From the customer's perspective, both platforms promise a lot, but the end results are often disappointments. At Remppatori, the scarcity of offers drives up prices, and at Urakkamaailma, the hidden costs of the service are reflected in the final sums of the contracts.

For contractors, the situation is also difficult: due to high membership fees or commissions, participating on the platforms can be an expensive gamble. Additionally, the security practices of the services are alarmingly lax, which may expose both customers and contractors to scams.

To get the best price for your project, it's worth the effort to request quotes from multiple companies directly on their own websites.

Written by Patrick Björksten, CEO of Huoltokarhut

Espoo is making business with expropriations

Espoo has attracted attention and criticism in recent years for its land use policy. Especially the expropriations, through which the city acquires plots of land, have sparked discussion. Allegations that Espoo is acquiring plots at below reasonable prices and selling them at a profit to construction companies have led many to question whether the city is pursuing the interests of its residents or its own.

Background

Eminent domain is a legal procedure in which the state or municipality can take possession of private land in the name of public interest. This is often justified, for example, by the construction of infrastructure projects such as roads, schools, or hospitals. However, in Espoo, expropriations have also been used in urban development projects aimed at densifying the urban structure, such as building more apartment buildings on already owned lands.

Sales Below Market Price

The redemption prices are determined based on the assessments commissioned by Espoo from its partners, which are not intended to correspond to market prices. The assessments are made with the interests of Espoo and its partners in mind. This leads to situations where landowners lose their property for less than its true value. The landowner's own appraisal has little significance for the outcome.

Based on the zoning plans, it is reasonable to expect compulsory purchases, among other areas, along the Espoo Coastal Trail and in the Kaitaantie district.

Espoo City Defense

The city of Espoo defends its expropriation practices by appealing to the public interest and the city's development needs. City representatives argue that without expropriations, many important projects would be delayed or remain unimplemented, which would hinder the city's growth and vitality.

All expropriations are carried out in accordance with laws and regulations. The city always strives to negotiate with landowners first and only resorts to expropriations as a last resort. The amounts of compensation are based on impartial assessments, and the city believes they are fair.

The Role of Construction Companies

However, criticism has arisen because Espoo seems to be making significant profits by selling the expropriated plots at a profit to construction companies. Construction companies, in turn, benefit from the cheaply acquired plots, on which they can build new apartments or commercial spaces. This creates the impression that the city uses expropriations to pursue economic benefits, rather than solely in the name of the public good.

New residential blocks have been built on these lots, which have been sold at a significant profit. This has been very profitable business for the construction companies, as well as for the municipality which gets more municipal taxpayers. However, these areas are often so-called Kela blocks, which bring additional costs as well as unrest and crime. This is largely because the apartments have been designed to be as small as possible to maximize the return on the block.

Effects on Residents

Expropriations and the business model surrounding them directly affect the residents of Espoo. Landowners lose their property below market value, and their ability to influence the process is limited. This creates distrust and bitterness towards the city administration.

Residents are also concerned that Espoo's growth strategy will lead to "ghettoization" and a reduction in the already limited green spaces. The densifying urban structure brings challenges, such as increased traffic emissions and the strain on public services.

Author: Patrick Björksten, CEO of Huoltokarhut.

Charity scam: Hyvän mielen milleniaalit ry – The importance of background checks for clients and companies

The real estate and maintenance sector is overshadowed by the dishonesty of its actors, both companies and customers. In this blog, we address the issue of verifying a customer's background.

Finnish companies in the field suffer from trusting their customers too much. Services are sold on credit, advance payments are not requested, or the customer's creditworthiness is not properly checked. Excessive trust in the customer's words can lead to situations where invoices remain unpaid and the contractor bears the financial responsibility.

A Job That Turned Out to Be a Scam

We received an order from Hyvän Mielen Milleniaalit ry through the Urakkamaailma.fi service. The representative of the association mentioned wanting to build a complex with a hot tub, grill, and sauna hut to serve low-income families in their charitable activities.

At the meeting, the client stated that they were wealthy but had previously been low-income, which had created a desire to use their resources to help other low-income individuals. Low-income families could come to the soon-to-be-completed complex to spend the weekend and relax for free.

We concluded the contract using the Urakkamaailma.fi contract template. Before the work began, we provided the client with our own more comprehensive contract template to fill out.

Background Checks Revealed the Truth

The representative of the association had no credit history and had been declared insolvent. It also turned out that the charity organization did not actually help other low-income families but financed the representative's own needs. He had also ordered services from other companies in the name of the same association without the intention of paying.

The association had a good credit history and had been established six months earlier. The representative had also requested the possibility of a smaller advance payment.

We had prepared for the task for hours, gathered materials, traveled, and even managed to do an hour of shoveling before the truth became clear.

Recommended Payment Arrangement to Avoid Scams

To reduce the risk of financial losses, we recommend the following payment structure for even slightly larger projects:

30% as an advance payment before the start.

30% at the halfway point of the project.

40% upon completion of the work.

This way, you reduce the risk of all costs falling on you.

Checking the Customer's Background

Checking credit information is easy and costs around 10 euros. The service is offered, for example, by Asiakastieto. The verification requires the subscriber's personal identification number, which must be requested when drafting the contract. This way, you ensure that the customer is creditworthy, and the personal identification number is required for the legal collection of the payment claim.

Investigating the Organization's Website

On the website of Hyvän Mielen Milleniaalit ry, money is requested via a bank account number, as well as various electronics and furniture to be donated to their address. However, the charity is completely anonymous, and the families or individuals being helped were not mentioned at all. The association operates in Kokemäki.

Author: Patrick Björksten, CEO of Huoltokarhut.

Corruption in public procurement: How municipalities exclude small businesses from tenders

Background

The purpose of public procurement tenders is to ensure that municipalities receive the services and products they need at a competitive price and with high quality. The procurement notice must be made in the public procurement portal (HILMA) when the value of the procurement exceeds the national thresholds: Goods and Services 60,000 euros. Construction contracts 150,000 euros (2024).

Criteria for Procurement Notices

Many municipalities and municipal-owned housing companies set conditions in their procurement notices that favor large companies. For example, high turnover requirements and extensive reference lists create obstacles for small businesses that do not have the same resource base as their larger competitors. These requirements effectively eliminate small players from the competition at an early stage, even though the work could be carried out by a smaller company.

As an example, we can mention the procurement announcement made by Espoon Asunnot Oy in the spring of 2024 for a project worth approximately 30,000 euros, which involved the renovation of wooden parts of fences and waste shelters. This project required a turnover of 500,000 euros in two consecutive years. In addition, the reference project requirements were more than tenfold: the bidder would have needed to have 12 references for wood component restorations valued over 30,000 euros from the past two years.

Such criteria lead to only one or two participants taking part in the procurement announcements. The announcements are often tailored for specific companies, and the conditions are set so strictly that only a few can meet them. This excludes small businesses from the competition, even though they could provide the necessary services or products with high quality and at a competitive price.

Overpriced Projects

The corruption in public procurement often manifests in the form of overpriced projects. The latest example of this is the construction projects at Kuusijärvi in Vantaa. The cost of the smoke sauna rises to as much as 2.2 million euros, the toboggan hill costs 600,000 euros, the bonfire site 600,000 euros, and the accessible swimming beach 500,000 euros. Could a smaller company have completed these projects for a fraction of the cost?

However, example organizations state on their websites that they prefer local, including small, operators in their tenders. This creates an impression for outsiders that public procurements are functioning as they should.

Small businesses like ours at Huoltokarhu have a lot to offer to public procurements, such as fair and transparent pricing, quality, and local expertise. When procurement announcements are opened to those outside the good old boys' network, residents get the best possible value for their tax money and local businesses get a fair chance to succeed. To combat corruption, even construction projects under 150,000 euros should be opened to public competition.

Author: Patrick Björksten, CEO of Huoltokarhut.

West metro – Espoo becoming next Vantaa

The completion of the Western Metro was a significant step for public transportation in the capital region, but the challenges it brought have raised concerns among Espoo residents. In particular, the apartment blocks planned along the metro line for tens of thousands of new residents, replacing former green areas, have sparked a debate about whether Espoo is prioritizing the interests of its residents or the agendas of companies and property investors. Many are concerned that the small apartments in the block of flats, often occupied by Kela clients, will bring with them the problems familiar from Vantaa and East Helsinki.

Previously peaceful neighborhoods in South Espoo, such as Tapiola, Matinkylä, and Kaitaa, have been examples of Espoo's diverse and green urban structure. Now, these areas are seeing even denser and new apartment building developments. The fear is that Espoo will follow in Vantaa's footsteps and the city will become even more ghettoized. The small apartments in apartment blocks often attract low-income and socially dependent residents. This increases the risk of social problems developing in these areas.

In areas of Espoo previously considered safe havens, crime and unrest are increasing due to intensified construction, which undermines the sense of security and quality of life for all residents. With the arrival of new residents, health centers become congested, class sizes in schools increase, and the number of S2 students rises even further. The migration of families with children to suburban municipalities has already begun.

Environmental Impacts

Southern Espoo is also known for its diverse water areas, green spaces, and parks, which offer residents the opportunity to enjoy nature and outdoor activities. In the forests of Espoo, several protected plant species, forest types, and animals can be found. However, under the guise of the Western Metro, apartment blocks have been planned over the nature sites. The city of Espoo justifies this by saying it is a measure against climate change. According to the city, dense apartment living along the metro line is ecological because you don't need a car along the metro line.

However, this development leads to a significant reduction in Espoo's greenery and proximity to nature. Some of the new residents drive cars, and as green areas decrease, air quality deteriorates even further. This also burdens healthcare, as poor air quality causes illnesses.

The Western Metro has undoubtedly improved public transportation and brought Espoo closer to the center of Helsinki, but now we must ensure that overly dense and one-sided construction does not turn Espoo into the next Vantaa.

Author: Patrick Björksten, CEO of Huoltokarhut

Corruption at the expense of nature – This is how a construction project is pushed through in a protected area

Nature is irreplaceable, but it often comes second to economic interests. This happened in the area around Hannusjärvi in Kaita, Espoo, where a protected forest is forced to give way to construction projects. The zoning change was pushed through with incomplete environmental studies that supported the client's interests. The construction was justified by the claim that the metro would attract new residents to use public transportation, making the apartment blocks environmentally friendly. However, large parking garages have been built in the area, and some residents will inevitably use cars, which will worsen air quality and exacerbate traffic congestion.

Hannus Forest has been home for years to several protected species, such as flying squirrels, rare mosses, and plants. The area's significance for the Hannusjärvi ecosystem is also undeniable, as the forest's catchment area regulates the lake's water quality. Nevertheless, the fate of the area was sealed by environmental assessments conducted under the client's terms, which had significant deficiencies: The reduction of the flying squirrel's habitat was justified by the claim that the future apartment buildings' yard trees would be suitable for the movement of flying squirrels, so the flying squirrel's habitat would significantly decrease. This completely ignored the fact that the trees have not even been planted yet, and a row of young trees in the courtyards of the apartment buildings does not provide the same shelter and food for flying squirrels as an old forest. The poles along Länsiväylä were presented as a solution for flying squirrels to move between their habitats. The poles were built at a cost of over 100,000 euros, even though they are located far from the squirrels' jumping tree range. The decision was justified by GPS tracking data indicating that a single flying squirrel had crossed the Länsiväylä once. Other protected species were almost completely forgotten. In Hannusmetsä, a few funded moss and plant species can be found, but no concrete measures were taken to protect them.

The Sacrifice of a Delicate Ecosystem

Hannusjärvi is largely dependent on the surrounding forest's catchment area, which regulates the lake's water quality and prevents eutrophication. The destruction of the forest endangers the pond's ecosystem, which has been maintained by a local association through volunteer efforts. The disruption caused by the construction project and the transformation of the filtering forest floor into stones and asphalt surfaces mean that the restoration of the pond will require increasingly more resources in the future. The years of work by volunteers are at risk of going to waste.

Survey Full of Deficiencies

The construction project was defended by a resident survey that mapped out what should be built in Kaita. Options included, among others, more services, shops, and rental apartments. 100 Espoo residents responded to the survey, but only five of them were from the Kaitaa area. Nevertheless, the survey results were used to justify the zoning change. The genuine concerns of local residents, such as nature conservation and infrastructure sustainability, were completely ignored.

Whose Interests Does the Zoning Change Serve?

The project primarily benefits the lobbyists, municipal decision-makers, developers, and investors, as well as the City of Helsinki and the Espoo parish, which sold the Hannusmetsä plots for construction. Nature, local residents, and the recreational value of the area will suffer in the path of greed.

Author: Patrick Björksten, CEO of Huoltokarhut

Why do renovation companies keep their prices secret?

The opacity of pricing by renovation and maintenance companies is a frustrating and suspicion-inducing phenomenon. Why do these companies refuse to disclose their prices on their websites? It could be about misleading business practices and the deliberate deception of customers.

Firstly, the lack of price information allows companies to manipulate prices to the detriment of the customer. The customer ends up in a situation where they cannot easily compare the prices of different providers, but are forced to contact each company separately. This slows down decision-making and makes the customer's life more complicated.

Secondly, price concealment enables unfair pricing. When prices are not publicly available, companies can adjust prices according to the customer, often raising them unnecessarily. This can lead to less knowledgeable or busy customers paying significantly more than those who do more thorough comparisons.

Thirdly, a lack of transparency may indicate hidden costs. When price information is not openly available, companies can easily add extra costs to the bill without prior notice. This can lead to unpleasant surprises and disputes at the billing stage. Customers deserve to know in advance what the services cost and what additional charges might be expected.

Companies should prioritize their customers' needs and provide clear, easily accessible pricing information.

In summary, the lack of pricing information from renovation and maintenance companies is a red flag.

Author: Patrick Björksten, CEO of Huoltokarhut

Overpriced renovations for the elderly – This is how forced sales work

Recently, there have been an increasing number of cases where door-to-door salespeople specifically target elderly widows, often over 70 years old, offering them overpriced renovation and other services. This phenomenon is causing concern among both the elderly and their relatives. The phenomenon is driven by corporate greed. Companies order a list of properties in the area corresponding to a postal code. The search can be targeted, for example, based on the property's year of construction, the resident's age, or gender.

It is common for a company selling overpriced renovations or other services to target their home visits, for example, to elderly individuals over 70 living alone in single-family home areas. These targeted door-to-door sales exploit the often diminished physical and mental condition of the elderly. Their tactic is continuous pressure and manipulation, starting with a friendly conversation and gradually escalating into a more aggressive sales pitch. Salespeople may visit multiple times even if the elderly person has already declined the offer the first time. Such persistent pressure can make the elderly person feel insecure and anxious, which may lead to consent just to get the salesperson to leave.

The overpriced services we have encountered have included, for example, electrical repairs, roof repairs, window replacements, or pest control. The prices of these services are many times higher compared to the actual market prices, and the quality often does not meet standards. The elderly may not be aware of the true costs of services or may not be able to compare prices, which makes them particularly susceptible to accepting bad deals.

The salespeople working in these companies often operate on a commission basis, which motivates them to more frequently and brazenly engage in the financial exploitation of the elderly and the deterioration of the victims' financial situations. Often, the elderly may use their savings or the service is sold on an installment plan, which can cause long-term financial difficulties.

It is important that relatives and close ones are aware of this phenomenon and take care of the elderly. Regular contact and discussions with the elderly about potential sellers is the best way to ensure that they understand their right to refuse services and salespeople. Companies that we have noticed practicing this in Espoo include, among others, Lämpölux, Rottapojat, and Ideko.

Author: Patrick Björksten, CEO of Huoltokarhut

Corruption in the property management sector: Residents pay too much

The property management industry is a central part of Finnish housing, and its task is to take care of the administration and maintenance of housing companies. However, the industry's unspoken practices are corruption, inadequate tendering, and insider trading. These problems not only jeopardize the finances of housing companies but also unnecessarily increase the living costs for residents.

The effects of corruption

Corruption in the property management sector can manifest in many different ways. One of the most common forms is arranging contracts and procurements in a way that benefits certain companies or individuals, often acquaintances of the property manager or members of the housing company's board. Such practices can lead to housing companies overpaying for services and repairs. When the choice of a maintenance company or renovation firm is based on personal relationships or bribes, the quality of services often declines and the price increases.

Unclear contracts and hidden costs

In many cases, the contracts between the property manager and the housing company are complex and difficult to understand. This allows property managers to add hidden costs to invoices without the housing company's board or residents noticing them. Hidden costs can be related, for example, to additional administrative tasks that were not originally agreed upon or unnecessary services that are not actually needed.

Lack of transparency

The lack of transparency is one of the biggest problems in the property management industry. Residents of housing companies often do not have sufficient information on how the fees they pay are used. Lack of information can lead to residents being unable to monitor whether the expenses are justified. This allows property managers and board members to act without fear of being questioned.

Residents' opportunities for influence

Although the boards of housing companies make decisions about the actions of property managers, residents have the right to participate in company meetings and influence decision-making. Unfortunately, in many housing companies, residents' participation is minimal, and decisions are made within a small circle. Meeting fees are often small or non-existent, and therefore the roles of the housing company's chairman and others are considered "token jobs." When the effort does not receive fair compensation, it exposes one to accepting bribes and perks.

Therefore, it is advisable for a resident of the housing company to ask Huoltokarhut or other reliable operators to participate in the tenders, so that the residents' fees remain reasonable, without the additional costs brought by corruption.

Author: Patrick Björksten, CEO of Huoltokarhut

City deer - How do i protect the plantings?

City deer are a familiar problem for many gardeners, especially in urban areas and during the winter, as they cause havoc in gardens. Fortunately, you have two means above all others for protection: a high fence and the right plant choices. In this article, we will go through how you can best protect your garden from deer with this combination.

High fence

A tall fence is one of the most effective ways to keep deer out of your garden. The fence should be at least 2 meters high and should extend to the ground so that deer cannot get under it. Especially a spruce hedge, hawthorn hedge, tall wooden fence, or game fence are good options because they provide dense and high protection that prevents deer from entering the area.

The right plant choices

By choosing plants that deer usually don't eat, you can reduce your garden's attractiveness. Here is a list of plants that deer most often leave alone:

Bulbous plants: Daffodils, crocuses, scillas, spring bells, and grape hyacinths.

Perennials: Peonies, Aquilegias, silver-spotted deadnettle, geraniums, columbines, irises, hellebores, rue, lady's mantle, bleeding hearts.

Shrubs and shrub species: Willows, lilacs, spireas, currants or blackcurrants, rhododendrons, honeysuckles, mahonias, magnolias, forsythias, spindle bushes, silverberries, ashes, hazels, blackberries, autumnal viburnums, and barberries.

Trees: Birches, spruces, junipers, hawthorns.

When you need help designing a deer-proof garden or building a fence, Huoltokarhut offers expert planning and execution. Contact us and let's create your dream garden together.

Author: Patrick Björksten, CEO of Huoltokarhut.

Tips for urban gardening

Urban gardening has gained popularity worldwide, offering many benefits such as self-sufficiency, increased comfort, cost savings, pesticide-free produce, eco-friendliness, and an interesting hobby. Let's take a closer look at how urban farming can improve the quality of life for city dwellers.

Self-sufficiency

Urban gardening increases self-sufficiency by providing the opportunity to grow one's own food. This reduces dependence on the monopoly of Finnish grocery stores and imported food. By growing your own tomatoes, herbs, and leafy greens, for example, you can ensure the availability of fresh and healthy food year-round.

Increase in comfort

Urban gardening enhances comfort in the city environment. Green roofs, balcony gardens, and community gardens bring nature closer to urban dwellers, which improves overall comfort and well-being. Taking care of plants and being exposed to soil microbes promotes the health of both children and adults.

Saving money

Growing your own food can save money in the long run. Although starting out requires some investment in seeds, soil, and necessary tools, growing your own vegetables and herbs often becomes cheaper than buying them from the store. In their garden, one can favor more expensive and exotic varieties that they wouldn't normally be able to afford.

Pesticide-free

When you grow your own food, you can be sure that harmful pesticides have not been used. This is an important advantage, especially for health-conscious and environmentally friendly consumers. Organic farming in the home garden is easy and safe, and it ensures clean and healthy food.

Ecological aspect

Urban gardening is ecological. It reduces carbon dioxide emissions associated with long-distance food transportation and industrial agriculture. Additionally, urban green spaces improve air quality and help combat climate change.

What plants can be grown?

In urban gardening, a variety of plants can be cultivated. Easy and popular options include, for example, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, herbs (such as basil, mint, and parsley), leafy greens (such as lettuce and spinach), and root vegetables such as carrots and radishes. Various berry bushes such as currants, raspberries, and gooseberries are also easy to care for and thrive well in an urban environment.

City farming offers urban dwellers a concrete way to improve their quality of life and their environment. It brings self-sufficiency and freshness closer, increases comfort, saves money, offers pesticide-free options, and promotes ecological sustainability. Additionally, taking care of your own garden brings many benefits that enhance well-being. Urban gardening holds great potential that is definitely worth harnessing.

Author: Patrick Björksten, CEO of Huoltokarhut.