Monty Don’s series on gardens around the world begins with a fascinating episode on chinampas, the ‘floating gardens’ of Mexico City which go back to the Aztecs, and features the ‘organoponicos‘ (kitchen gardens) and ‘huertas‘ that enabled Cuba to survive the ‘special period’ after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The community organization that underlies farming in Cuba, providing medicines as well as food,without any fertilizer or excessive watering, should be a lesson to us all.

On the way he visits what may be the world’s oldest tree, and amazing combinations of concrete and jungle.

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