Posted on

Green Front Gardens Reduce Physiological and Psychological Stress


METRO.NEWS – THERE is growing evidence that being in natural spaces — whether while gardening or listening to bird song — has a positive effect on mental health. Being in nature is also linked to improved cognitive function, greater relaxation, coping with trauma and alleviating certain attention deficit disorder symptoms in children.

However, most of these studies have specifically looked at the effect of public green spaces, rather than private gardens. During a time when many people are at home due to Covid-19 restrictions, private garden spaces have been the most accessible green spaces for those who have them. But do these small green spaces have the same benefits for our mental health?

READ THE FULL ARTICLE: https://www.metro.news/green-front-gardens-reduce-physiological-and-psychological-stress/2236961/

Posted on

This 2-Acre Vertical Farm Produces More Than ‘Flat Farms’ That Use 720 Acres

GOODNEWSNETWORK.ORG – From an ag-tech startup named Plenty, a two-acre indoor vertical farm produces yields that would normally require a 720-acre ‘flat farm’—and it can be done with 95% less water.

Saving water is critical in an agricultural state like arid California, where Plenty is set to supply fresh produce for 430 Albertsons grocery stores.

The vision is truly one out of Star Trek, with Plenty’s use of robotics and artificial intelligence to ensure perfect plants year-round.

The reasons to support indoor vertical farming are varied, ranging from climate-related benefits to removing cumbersome logistical challenges like long-distance transportation.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE: https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/2-acre-vertical-farm-plenty-grows-350x-more/

Posted on

Technology Helps Move Agriculture Indoors

ISRAEL21.C.ORG – Greenhouses and urban farm factories are expensive to set up but pay off in higher yield, quality and market value, growing all through the seasons.

Grain crops will always need large fields. But tomatoes, leafy greens, peppers, and strawberries are some of the many fruits and veggies that thrive indoors under precisely controlled conditions.

Though it costs more to raise produce in greenhouses or urban “farm factories,” the payoff is higher yield, quality and market value. The plants can grow year-round with less fertilizer and pesticide.

READ THE FULL STORY: https://www.israel21c.org/the-technologies-helping-move-agriculture-indoors/

Posted on

Fresh Herbs Make A Great Gardening Addition For Holiday Cooking

OAOnline.com – As your summer gardening winds down, it is a good time to plant a few herbs for your holiday cooking. Nothing is better than stepping out your backdoor and picking fresh herbs. Parsley, rosemary, sage, oregano, cilantro and chives are all great additions to dishes for the fall. Lavender and mint can be used for cooking, as well as teas and essential oils.

Each of these grow well in pots. In fact, mint should definitely be grown in a pot because it is so invasive. Mint spreads by the roots and if you plant it in a bed or a garden, it will quickly take over where you plant and everywhere around it. You will be digging and pulling roots for years to come.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE: https://www.oaoa.com/people/lifestyle/gardening/master-gardeners-fresh-herbs-make-a-great-gardening-addition-for-holiday-cooking/article_962aad78-109e-11eb-b33c-6367f9bb291a.html

 

Posted on

Urban gardening just got a whole lot easier and more sustainable

Vogue.com.au – How many dead plants are you responsible for? How many green-tinged dreams of becoming an amalgamation of Martha Stewart and Gwyneth Paltrow have ended in sad, withered herbs on your windowsill?

If you see yourself here and have minor amounts of regret or PTSD from killing plant after plant but still want to grow and garden, we may have just stumbled on the solution for you. Urban gardening is on the rise, as our homes are getting smaller and cities fuller, there’s still the urge to surround ourselves with greenery, especially if that greenery is ripe for eating. And Queensland-based Airgarden wants to help you do just that, by growing and gardening with their vertical, aeroponic garden.

READ THE FULL STORY: https://www.vogue.com.au/vogue-living/design/calling-all-green-thumbs-urban-gardening-just-got-a-whole-lot-easier-and-more-sustainable/image-gallery/202bc517e73c8cf6a5de1a8880a81d5c

Posted on

As the Pandemic Continues, Urban Gardening Is Growing on New Yorkers

Samuel S. T. Pressman had wanted to build a food garden on the rooftop of his Clinton Hill apartment for years. The artist and sculptor had lived on a farm when he was younger and had studied Sustainable Environmental Systems at Pratt. But in a city with a “time is money” mentality, he never found the right moment to start his passion project.

That changed when New York underwent a statewide Pause order in mid-March. Now, Samuel’s Food Gardens is tackling the city’s food insecurity problem by providing fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs to community gardens that advocate for food security. “I wanted to explore what most people’s living situation is here,” Pressman said, “where they don’t have any land and have hardly any outdoor space that they own, and how they can still be able to grow some food using a system that is designed to actually make it possible to grow more food than you think per square foot.”

READ THE FULL ARTICLE: https://bedfordandbowery.com/2020/07/as-the-pandemic-continues-urban-gardening-is-growing-on-new-yorkers/

Posted on

What Seeds Should I Be Planting RIGHT NOW?

Growing food at home is one of the most rewarding things you can do for yourself and your family right now. Maybe you feel like the current growing season has passed you by, and you will need to wait until next spring to start? or maybe you want to try something new this coming fall or winter?

Regardless of why you found yourself reading this article, we’re going to point out some great tips for growing your favorite fruits, vegetables, and herbs.  We’re here to help you become successful at year-round gardening.

All vegetables need either a cool growing season, or a warm growing season to be healthy and prolific. Learning your correct grow zone/location is crucial to having a bountiful harvest. You may even want to contact your local Extension Office for exact planting dates and schedules.

The graphic above shows you:

*These exact dates will obviously vary based on your location but this should help get you started!

 

SPRING  March 1st – May 31st

SHOP SEEDS FOR SPRING

WHAT TO PLANT NOW: In early spring, focus on sowing crops like: radish, carrots, turnips, peas, lettuce, spinach, kohlrabi, broccoli, cabbage, leeks, collards, onions, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, cauliflower, and herbs such as parsley, cilantro and dill.

As the season progresses, you’ll be ready to start your summer crops such as: tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, melons, cucumbers, squash, strawberries & more!

MORE THINGS TO DO: In early spring, you will want to start your seeds indoors and begin prepping your garden beds. Get a new garden hose or invest in a self-watering irrigation system. Learn how you can water more efficiently as things start to heat up and dry out. Sharpen and clean all of your garden tools to make sure they’re ready when you are.

As soon as the ground can be worked you should begin to:

  1. Amend your soil
  2. Remove any weeds
  3. Compost

 

 

SUMMER June 1st – August 31st

SHOP SEEDS FOR SUMMER

WHAT TO PLANT NOW: Continue planting your summer favorites such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squash, melons, potatoes, onions, herbs, and maybe a few more root crops and leafy greens before it gets too hot for them. If you’re into fresh herbs, summer is the perfect time for growing basil, mint, lemongrass and chives.

MORE THINGS TO DO: Now is the time to get outside and “button-up” any gardening chores before the summer heat makes even the simplest jobs seem unbearable. Make sure you water your plants deep and regularly to ensure they aren’t drying up during the much longer, warmer days. As temperatures rise, so does your flexibility in terms of planting. No longer are you running the risk of an unexpected freeze damaging your newly planted seedlings, and your heat-loving crops will actually begin to thrive!

MORE TIPS AND TRICKS:

Herbs & Veggies to Plant NOW for a Summer Garden – View

Heat Loving Veggies & Herbs You Can Grow RIGHT NOW in Summer! – View

12 Plants That You Can Grow This Summer To DETER Mosquitoes – View

Have a Better Summer Garden With These 7 Tips! – View

 

 

FALL  September 1st – November 30th

SHOP SEEDS FOR FALL

WHAT TO PLANT NOW:

Most gardeners will agree, the crop they look forward to planting the most during fall is garlic! Drop your favorite soft or hardneck varieties as long as the soil remains workable (for most this falls somewhere between September/October). If you get them into the ground early enough, potatoes will do well until your first freeze arrives.

Fall is also the best time for planting blueberry bushes. Start planting your fall root vegetables such as carrots, radishes, beets, turnips and parsnips. Love salads? Your favorite greens will thrive in the cooler temperatures of fall.

September – October is prime time for sowing your favorite cover crop varieties! “A cover crop slows the velocity of runoff from rainfall and snowmelt, reducing soil loss due to sheet and rill erosion. Over time, a cover crop regimen will increase soil organic matter, leading to improvements in soil structure, stability, and increased moisture and nutrient holding capacity for plant growth.” source: nrcs.usda.gov

MORE THINGS TO DO:

As summer winds down, be sure to replenish the nutrients in your garden beds by adding fresh compost or manure. We hope you’ve collected seed from your previous harvests by allowing them to “go to seed” and then harvesting them for future growing seasons. Learn about Seed Saving tips and tricks.  Clean out any cold-frames you may have or the greenhouse in preparation for winter months ahead. Cut back any dead or dying perennials and clean/sterilize your garden tools. Take cuttings from your favorite herbs before they are destroyed by frost. Continue to enjoy them throughout fall and winter by growing an indoor container garden or grow them in the windowsill.

MORE TIPS AND TRICKS:

How to Plant a Fall Garden. Step-by-Step – View

Plant these seeds in July/August – View

Fall and Winter Gardening Made Easy – View

16 Crops To Plant NOW for Fall! – View

Our TOP 10 Favorite Fall & Winter Gardening YouTube Videos! – View

Quickest Crops to Mature for a Fall & Winter Harvest – View

 

WINTER  December 1st – February 28th 

SHOP SEEDS FOR WINTER

WHAT TO PLANT NOW:

Grow sprouts & micro greens!  Most of your favorite spring and summer vegetables do well in the form of sprouts, so get your “nutrient fix” by starting a tray of them in the windowsill of a south facing window. Love to cook? Herbs can be planted in small pots or containers indoors if you supply them with enough light.

Do you still have some crops left out in the garden from fall? Some would say that beets, parsnips, carrots, Brussels sprouts, kale, turnips and rutabagas all taste sweeter after a frost!  So don’t be in such a hurry to pull these from your vegetable beds.  Let winter come, then enjoy!

MORE THINGS TO DO:

For most gardeners, winter becomes a season of rest. A lot of us enjoy taking a few months off, regrouping from the long hauls of summer and fall, but if you’re still craving fresh food from your garden, we have great news! You STILL have options!

Southern states and warmer regions can grow most of their favorite fruits, veggies and herbs all the way through winter, without hesitation.

Gardeners in the north who want to get a jump-start on the next growing season, will be able to start their favorite spring vegetables indoors and then move them outside once the threat of frost has passed.

MORE TIPS AND TRICKS:

How to Store Vegetables for Winter – View

10 Vegetables You Can Over-Winterize – View

It’s Winter!  What to do in the garden now?! – View

Most Popular Seeds to Plant Now for Fall/Winter Gardening – View

 

ENTER YOUR LOCATION —AND GET YOUR OWN PLANTING CALENDAR!

 

Posted on

Doorstep delights: why front gardens matter

Photograph: Pål Hansen/The Observer

Last month, with more time at home than usual, Charlotte Harris, one half of the landscape design duo Harris Bugg, decided to dig up her paved front garden in Newham, east London. “It was a discussion we’d been having for a while,” says Harris, who gardens with her girlfriend Catriona Knox. They’d already removed the paving from the back garden of their house, which is in a densely populated area of the city undergoing vast amounts of regeneration. “Around here every bit of green space feels precious,” she says. “Obviously there are parks, but I think each of us has to take responsibility for any space we have.”

As you’d expect in a city, the new front garden needs to work hard to accommodate bins, bikes and a composting hot bin, but Harris is determined to plant as much as possible in the rest of the space, including a small tree (on the shortlist are a Sichuan pepper tree, hawthorn or a Chinese fringe tree) underplanted with perennials and bulbs.

In an area where 50% of the front gardens have no plants, the ones that do provide moments of joy. Harris’s neighbors include a couple who boast “the most beautiful magnolia” in their shady spot, while on the opposite side another front garden has been turned over to an abundant veg patch complete with frames and climbing squash. “They were the inspiration, really,” adds Harris. “It’s a gift isn’t it? It’s the ultimate in gardening altruism, because your back garden is for you to enjoy, but your front garden is about improving everyone’s experience.”

READ THE FULL STORY: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/jun/07/doorstep-delights-why-front-gardens-matter

Posted on

Scientific Gardening: A Personal Experiment with Hydroponic Gardening

It’s that time of year again – to get your hands dirty and plant the yummy array of veggies you’ve picked for your garden. Traditionally, we plant our gardens in the ground, but last year my boyfriend and I investigated the topic of hydroponic gardening and were fascinated by the idea! He and I both being handy people plus his science major helped set us up for success with this new endeavor.

Don’t get me wrong, you don’t need to be super handy and/or have a science major to have hydroponic gardening work for you. When doing our research on how to get this project started, we found multiple pre-made kits you can buy online.

There are a couple of things to note if you want to try this project for your garden, which I will explain… roots cannot get direct sunlight indoors, therefore if you have five-gallon buckets laying around that you want to use, be sure the sun cannot penetrate through the plastic. When you hold the bucket up to the sun and can see through the plastic, similar to when you shine a flashlight on your fingertips at night, you need to spray paint them with a of couple coats until the sun can’t get through. Also, when it comes to nutrients and PH levels, be sure to do specific research on what your veggies will want.

READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE: https://www.sentinelsource.com/elf/scientific-gardening/article_f43ae68e-a5ba-11ea-8fe6-2f0b2336e337.html

Posted on

Ron Finley’s gardening MasterClass will teach you how to grow food & change your life

MasterClass.com

If you want to learn to grow your own food, there’s no better teacher than Ron Finley. Lucky for you, he now offers a MasterClass on gardening — and shared some tips to take to heart.

While California is one of the nation’s leaders in agricultural output, smog-cloaked and concrete-coated Los Angeles is hardly considered representative of the Golden State’s verdancy. But don’t tell that to South Central L.A. native Ron Finley, who in 2010 embarked on a guerrilla gardening project by growing food on the humble strip of soil sitting adjacent to the sidewalk in front of his house. Despite objection from local authorities, Finley persevered with his groundbreaking initiative, and the legend of the Gangsta Gardener was born.

TAKE AN ONLINE GARDENING CLASS NOW: https://www.masterclass.com/classes/ron-finley-teaches-gardening?utm_source=Paid&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_term=Aq-Prospecting&sscid=61k4_2zswy

 

Posted on

The Easiest Gardening Trick Ever: Vegetables You Can Regrow in Nothing but Water

Mehriban Aliyeva/Getty Images

These days, it seems like everyone is jumping into the victory garden trend, enjoying the benefits of a soothing activity in the fresh air while reaping fresh and tasty produce to eat. But even those who don’t have a yard, or just don’t want to get dirt under their nails, can still enjoy the miracle of growing something that’s destined for the dinner table—without even ordering vegetable seeds.

That’s because you can start an indoor garden from your kitchen leftovers. No soil required!

We talked to master gardener Linda Tyson, owner of garden design and maintenance company South Suburban Garden Girl, and Kevin Espiritu, author and the founder of Epic Gardening, to get their tips on growing vegetables without getting down and dirty.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE: https://www.realtor.com/advice/home-improvement/regrow-vegetables-in-water/

Posted on

The indoor farm revolution – NASA INSPIRED

NOTE FOR 2020 READERS: This is the eleventh in a series of open letters to the next century, now just 80 years away. The series asks: What will the world look like at the other end of our kids’ lives?

Dear 22nd Century,

For all the pain, grief and economic hardship the 2020 coronavirus pandemic has sown, a handful of green shoots seem to have taken root in its blighted soil.

Green being the operative word, because many of these developments could be a net positive for the planet. In lockdown, many of us are seeing what our cities look like without smog. Office workers are experiencing office life without the office; just last week, Twitter announced that most of its employees could work from home forever, while much of Manhattan is reportedly freaking out about what could happen to commercial real estate. Thousands of companies just discovered they can still function, and maybe even function better, when they don’t chain employees to desks or force them to make a soul-crushing, carbon-spewing commute 10 times a week.

READ THIS FULL ARTICLE: https://mashable.com/feature/indoor-garden-farming-grow-your-own-food/

Posted on

The benefits of container gardening and why it’s an adequate substitute for conventional gardening

Photos: Lance Ellis | EastIdahoNews.com
Photos: Lance Ellis | EastIdahoNews.com

Most times when we think of gardening, we envision a nicely laid out plot of straight rows of beans, corn, and other garden veggies. Often, we don’t consider other opportunities to produce great crops away from the garden and in unconventional methods.

One of these ways is through container gardening. Not everyone has the acreage or square footage in the yard, such as people who live in apartments, to plant a garden. Others may not have the time or energy required to manage and maintain a garden plot. Container gardening can offer the benefits of fresh produce and the satisfaction of growing your own crops without the extra responsibilities of a conventional garden.

One of the added benefits of container gardening is being able to protect your crops from damaging frosts at the beginning or end of the season by bringing the entire plant and container inside a garage or other shelter.

Containerized gardens are also easier to cover with protective fabric or another covering to save them from frost damage.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE: https://www.eastidahonews.com/2020/04/the-benefits-of-container-gardening-and-why-its-an-adequate-substitute-for-conventional-gardening/

Posted on

Portable veggie patch for renters with compost station and wicking beds

Renting and gardening… what are you supposed to do? Pour all your love (and hours of work) into the garden, only to leave it all behind when the lease ends? Or, you can get creative! Make a portable and productive garden (even in a courtyard) that provides loads of herbs, salad and vegies… with leftover space for a prolific compost system.

That’s what Steve and Rabea North from Melbourne did, but with the added innovation of a water-saving collection of up-cycled, DIY wicking buckets and tubs.

The criteria for their garden was simple – sustainable, portable, cost-effective and productive – so it was off to the local Indian takeaway for some alternatives to store-bought pots. “They had loads of 10 litre food grade buckets and polystyrene broccoli boxes that were destined for landfill, so we bought as many of those home as we could” Steve says. This is where the next level of innovation and ideas comes in. “Where appropriate for the plants, these have been converted into mini wicking beds” says Steve. Rabea explains that “A wicking bed is a self-watering container, and any renter can build these simple, portable wicking beds for $5-$10 each. They’re perfect for growing fruit and vegies using half the water (and effort) when compared to conventional pots”.

LEARN MORE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlNpf3O_MsE&fbclid=IwAR1KmcK3JvuaFTnaJoTkKa5gZ_eN2mihe5uW0eed8_an8DihCjKcVb65T6Y

Posted on

Apartment Gardening: Yes, It’s a Thing, and Yes, You Can Do It

You’ve successfully babied a houseplant or two, and now you’re ready for the next step. But how do you garden without a yard? Living in an apartment doesn’t mean you can’t grow things: It just takes a little ingenuity and planning. Start small with a few pots, window boxes or hanging baskets to get comfortable, and add more as you gain confidence. Before long, you’ll be expanding your greenery to cover your balcony, windowsills and stair railings.

1. Check your light levels

The most important factor is making sure you have the right light for your plants. Indoors, south-facing windows provide the most light, and you’ll be able to grow houseplants that need bright light (such as rubber trees and fiddle leaf figs) here. Herbs, such as thyme, parsley and rosemary, also do well in bright light or on a windowsill. Another solution? Invest in a stand-alone LED grow light, or one that comes with a shelving kit for a dark corner of your apartment.

Just wait until you see how easy apartment gardening can be, thanks to these simple tips.

Read all 8 tips here: https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/apartment-gardening-yes-thing-yes-110000213.html

Posted on

Doctors Are Now Prescribing House Plants for Anxiety and Depression

Thanks to science we now know that nature is basically a wonder drug. Spending time outside helps hospital patients recover faster, eases depression and anxiety, boosts the immune system, reduces blood pressure, and even increases happiness. The only trouble with trees is that it is impossible to prescribe in pill form.

But while you can’t shrink a tree to the size of a prescription bottle, you can miniaturize nature in the form of potted plants. And for certain patients, British doctors feel that’s a great place to start. Some are actually prescribing houseplants to those suffering from anxiety and depression to help lessen their symptoms.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE: https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/doctors-prescribing-house-plants-anxiety-depression.html?fbclid=IwAR0iitcmBZvNORe0umeGJdj0V_BnNvgYsvwmqyt_OMQw7QRGoN3eubE8V_0

Posted on

The best indoor herb garden

Are you an herb aficionado or garnish lover? Add fresh herbs to every meal by investing in an indoor herb garden.

Sometimes you can’t make it to the store, or an outdoor garden simply isn’t in the cards. An indoor herb garden is a convenient and cost-effective solution. Not only are all your ingredients on hand in a pinch, but also you’ll have attractive greenery enlivening your kitchen or windowsill. It’s so easy to grow an indoor herb garden, that some children even have their own.

If you think the idea of having an indoor herb garden is growing on you, then take a peek at our buying guide. We’re including our top choice, the AeroGarden Bounty Indoor Garden, which can grow nine plants at once.

Here are your options when choosing indoor herb gardens: https://www.chicagotribune.com/consumer-reviews/sns-bestreviews-home-the-best-indoor-herb-garden-20191218-hqsfkzy7efefroz22khblz4vmu-story.html

Posted on

LG Will Unveil an Indoor Farm for the Consumer Kitchen at CES 2020

LG Electronics (LG) will unveil an indoor gardening appliance at CES® 2020, its first foray into the booming indoor gardening movement.

With CES right around the corner, the announcements are pouring in for new gadgets and products to be on display at the Las Vegas show, including those that will change the way we cook, eat, and think about our food.

Appliance-maker LG is the latest. The company announced this week it will unveil a smart gardening appliance for the consumer kitchen at CES 2020, one that uses advanced lighting, temperature, and water control to let consumers grow greens year-round inside their kitchens.

The as-yet unnamed appliance takes many of the functions found in commercial-scale indoor farming and applies them to a device specifically made for the average consumer. Software, controlled via the user’s smartphone determines the precise “recipe” of LED lights, air, and water the plants need and when that recipe should change based on the time of day. The goal is to replicate “optimal outdoor conditions by precisely matching the temperature inside the insulated cabinet with the time of day,” according to the announcement from LG.

READ THE FULL STORY: https://thespoon.tech/lg-will-unveil-an-indoor-farm-for-the-consumer-kitchen-at-ces-2020/

Posted on

Delhi, Techie-Turned-Farmer Will Get You Growing Air-Cleaning Plants in Just 2 Hrs

Kapil Mandawewala had a cushy job in a leading IT firm in San Francisco, USA. The position of a Senior Consultant at Deloitte Consulting meant that Kapil had easy access to all the luxuries he wanted. And yet, something pricked at him. Kapil wanted to pursue something that will bring a positive difference in society.

Always conscious about his health, diet, and lifestyle, Kapil decided to leave the well-paying job in favor of starting organic farming in India to suit his goals. His family owned a 22-acre farm in Gujarat, thus he shifted base to his hometown. Instead of continuing with chemical farming on this vast patch of land, he cultivated wheat, rice, millet, and vegetables organically.

For the first couple of years, Kapil faced losses in lakhs. But his perseverance soon reaped rewards. This invoked the curiosity of people from far and wide. Especially Delhi.

READ THE FULL STORY: https://www.thebetterindia.com/201872/delhi-smog-solution-how-to-grow-indoor-plants-air-clean-weekend-workshop-lifestyle/

Posted on

Boys, girls club members help run container farm

The equivalent of a 2-acre farm that grows 500 heads of lettuce a week hides inside a 40-foot-long metal box in a parking lot near the police station in downtown Troy.

The container farm, as it’s called, or Freight Farm, after the Boston-based company that first introduced hydroponic growing systems in repurposed shipping containers, is a project of the Boy & Girls Clubs of the Capital Area. The $90,000 container farm was a gift from the SEFCU credit union, which for the past two years has operated a similar container farm at its offices near the Harriman state office campus in Albany.

Launched over the summer and overseen by two adult staffers, the farm gives young people who participate in the Troy club’s after-school programs hands-on experience planting, growing, harvesting and selling fresh produce. Although the farm now grows only greens, including two types of lettuce plus kale and Swiss chard, seeds are available for a variety of items, from radishes and beets to herbs and flowers. They are being considered for future crops, according to the club.

READ THE FULL STORY: https://www.timesunion.com/living/article/Youths-get-hands-on-lessons-in-food-production-14557531.php#photo-18489751