In my research I've solidified the initial conclusion I made that little is done in the way of landscaping in Tonga. Yet I vegetation is plentiful and in pictures, many Tongan homes maintain some amount of plant life whether it be for food, aesthetics or just because it was there. I've been thinking that it would be interesting to explore what are the contributing factors that limit landscaping around homes, and even in more public places. This kind of topic would explore more of an urban planning approach. But I think that identifying obstacles a developing country faces in creating some type of infrastructure. In terms of homes, it seems that most people are hindered in developing their own plots of land because 1) many people don't own they land 2) 24% of the people are below the poverty line and 3) people are closer to the natural landscape. Also plants are used for a variety of reasons, but it seems that their potential as ornamentals is often overlooked. These are just a few of the initial things I thought about and found online.
According to the CIA world fact book 25% of the population lives in an urban setting, with a 1.6% annual change. With increased urbanization, there is often an increase in public areas used as parks and plazas. This often comes as a result because a population becomes more removed from nature, and such areas attempt to fill in the gap. In Vava'u I have found a few potential resources to better understand the landscape there. The botanical gardens are owned by the minister of agriculture and food. There is contact information for the gardens and I'll send an email to them pretty soon.
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