Urban 'garden owners' nurture a love for farming

Xu Min and her husband Hou Yucheng spend their days surrounded by academic papers, computer screens, and endless streams of data. Xu is a professor at a top university in Shanxi province. Hou is a power systems researcher.

Their minds are constantly engaged in high-level analysis, logical reasoning, and intellectual problem-solving.

But on weekends, they trade their keyboards for shovels.

This year, the young couple discovered an unusual form of stress relief: becoming "garden owners" in the "Family Garden" project at the Taiyuan Botanical Garden in Shanxi.

While neither of them knew much about the nitty-gritty of gardening, they were determined to learn. Their home is far from the botanical garden and they can only visit about once every two weeks. Yet, this small plot of land, with an area of 17 square meters, has become a precious commodity, a "spiritual sanctuary" for themselves and their 2-year-old daughter.

"We rarely get to see vegetables in their natural growing state," Xu said, examining a radish ready for harvest in their plot. "Here, we can witness it all with our own eyes."

For Xu, the experience of gardening offers a kind of relief that is unmatched. "Being immersed in nature, my whole mood lifts," she said.

She compares the experience to a real-life version of the classic online game QQ Farm. "The kids have a blast, and adults feel completely relaxed too. There's something incredibly satisfying about picking vegetables with your own hands."

Her husband, Hou, agrees. "Working in the garden fully relieves our mental and physical fatigue," he said. "We plan to renew our lease next year and maybe choose a plot with a better location."

Across many Chinese cities, leasing land in the suburbs to grow vegetables is becoming increasingly popular. The Taiyuan Botanical Garden launched its garden-rental program in 2022. Plots range from 10 to 50 sq m. Once rented, the "garden owner" gets yearlong land use rights and ownership of all the vegetables harvested.

There are two options: a self-planting zone at 60 yuan ($8.84) per sq m, where visitors do all the work themselves, and a managed zone at 100 yuan per sq m, where professional farmers handle the cultivation and the renters simply show up to enjoy the harvest. The botanical garden offers easy-to-grow varieties suited to the local growing season: cucumbers, tomatoes, leafy greens, cabbage, and peppers.

"We provide tools, planting guidance, and a reliable water source," said Li Fang, a staff member in the botanical garden's operations department. "The number of participants grows every year. This year, more than 160 households have signed up, and our revenue continues to increase."

For many urbanites, growing vegetables represents a shift in lifestyle. They are no longer satisfied with shopping, watching short videos, or gym workouts. They want something more "grounded".

The farming has also expanded the owners' social circles. Li told China Daily that garden owners share planting tips in exclusive chat groups and often compare their vegetables' growth while working side by side in the fields.

Zheng Lili is an office worker in Taiyuan who used to live a monotonous, home-to-office life. In March, she signed up for the program as soon as she heard about it.

" I feel much safer eating the vegetables I plant myself," she said. She rented a 15-sq-m managed plot and visits every two days, spending about an hour each time helping with light maintenance.

"Gardening replaces mental fatigue with physical exhaustion," Zheng said. "When I'm working the soil, I don't think about work problems or social obligations. I can completely quiet my mind and relax."

Zhao Yu, a young mother from Taiyuan, often brings her 5-year-old daughter to water the plants, loosen the soil, and watch the seedlings grow.

"The sense of accomplishment from participating in the whole process is enormous," she said with a smile.

"I basically don't go to the gym anymore. Gardening has completely replaced my workouts. I never imagined it would be this physically demanding," she added.

For her, growing vegetables is no longer just farming — it's a new, integrated way of life. "At a deeper level, growing vegetables is not just an agricultural activity. It's an emotional connection deeply rooted in our cultural bloodline," said Jiang Jianbo, director of the Shanxi Humanities and Geography Digital Industry Research Institute.

He explained that in tending their gardens, people build emotional bridges to their ancestors and develop a stronger appreciation for China's land-based traditional culture.

Contact the writers at zhuxingxin@chinadaily.com.cn