As the Aztec population grew, more food was needed. To solve this problem, Aztec engineers created “floating” gardens.  First, they built a series of rafts and anchored each to the lakebed. Vegetation and reeds were piled on top of a raft.  Then, they piled on enough dirt to be able to grow crops.

To further secure the floating gardens, mud retaining walls were built up around the raft to hold it in place. These also acted as walkways that connected the many floating gardens of the Aztec capital city of Tenochtitlan. 

The floating gardens were quite successful. The Aztecs used the gardens to grow chili peppers, squash, corn, tomatoes, and beans.

The Aztecs created more land by filling in marshlands and swamps. They created even more by designing dikes to hold back the water.

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