Daniel Jager waters the plants on the balcony of his apartment in Stockholm, Sweden, September 29, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

They are doing it on the rooftops, on tower block balconies and even on a disused railway: Swedes have discovered a passion for urban gardening as a way of growing fresh food and getting back in touch with nature.

Part of a global movement, an increasing number of Swedishcity-dwellers are growing their own in window boxes and allotments or are visiting public gardens built in or on industrial or office spaces.

"Up on the roofs we are able to create more bio-diversecities," said John Block, who leads guided tours of Malmo's Augustenborg Botanical Roof Garden.

Stretching over 9,500 square meters on top of localgovernment office blocks, the garden is more than just a pretty space, he said.

"With the help of these new green areas, we're making abetter urban environment with their cooling capacity and reduction of air pollutants."

Inspired by New York's Highline, a garden built on anelevated railroad, and Berlin's Prinzessinnengarten, a reclaimed wasteland, a Stockholm neighbourhood has turned a disused railway into a communal space for hundreds of amateur gardeners.