Aztec Gardens
One of the Aztec’s most amazing inventions was the floating garden, which enabled them to grow crops in shallow areas of a lake. This was particularly important because it allowed the Aztecs to grow food without having to water crops. It also kept them from having to use important space for gardens, since they lived on an island. To build the floating gardens (also called chinampas), the Aztecs fenced in areas and then layered mud and plant matter until the garden bed reached above the lake in height. Trees were sometimes used at the corners for support. The chinampas produced up to four crops a year and provided most of the food for the city of Tenochtitlan. The Aztecs were able to grow corn, beans, squash, tomatoes, amaranth, chili peppers, and flowers on these floating gardens. The floating gardens were key to the Aztecs being so successful, since they made food without extra water. As you can see, the floating gardens were a great invention because they floated (which is pretty cool!), while also producing food for the Aztec people.