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From The Times
October 3, 2009

Microtrends

Roll-out gardens

Murad Ahmed

Modern life is not compatible with gardening. After all that typing and eye strain in the office, who wants to put his back out trying to maintain a vegetable patch?

- For those too busy – or lazy – to contemplate ploughing their own furrow, a solution is at hand. English designer Chris Chapman has created roll-out vegetable mats. They are perfect for the busy family that wants to eat home-grown food, but usually orders in its organic groceries from a supermarket website.

- The underside of the mat is pre-treated with fertiliser and it contains seed pouches that biodegrade over time. This way, the plants have time to develop before coming into contact with other nutrients, increasing the chances of germination.

- And you can choose from a variety of gardens: vegetable or herb, summer or spring. Small signs are also provided to help you figure out where your carrots and cauliflowers have been planted.

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