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Touring Facebook’s Rooftop Garden Where The Views Are Grand – And So Are The Plants
Did you know that Facebook has a nine-acre rooftop garden? Even in the wintertime, the garden boasts spectacular views of beautiful plants and interesting structures. The whole garden was built so that employees could have a space to walk outdoors, since there isn’t much room for them to walk inside the building.
“Ninety percent of the garden consists of native California plants. The 350 trees are a mix of evergreens and deciduous, with a variety of flowering types. The path system that wraps around the roof is one-half a mile long. There are breakout spaces for people to meet at frequent intervals. Resident and migrant birds share the space with employees.”
To view more of the gardens and read the entire article, visit: “Inmenlo.com“
Urban Farms Lay the Groundwork for Cleaner Air
A new state law has passed within the last few years that lets urban areas create “Urban Agriculture Incentive Zones”. These are area’s in which private landowners will receive a tax reduction rate if they use their vacant land for urban agriculture.
“This is a very welcome development. The benefits of urban agriculture are well established and include access to community gardens, revitalization of vacant lots, increased availability of fresh fruit and vegetables and healthy outdoor physical activity.”
To read the rest of the article, visit: “VoiceOfSanDiego.org“
10 Urban Gardeners You Should Follow On Instagram
“Goodbye snow boots and chilly nights: Spring is here to stay! Along with breaking out our favorite pastel colors and springy floral manicures, springtime means getting our butts back in the garden and growing some delicious veggies and beautiful greens. But for us apartment dwellers, saying we’re going to start gardening and actually putting all the urban gardening hacks into practice is a very, very different story. For any small-space gardeners looking for a little extra motivation this spring, peruse these 10 urban gardening Instagram accounts for maximum Insta-garden inspiration.” source- “Brit.co”
1. Houseplant Journal: Based in Toronto, Darryl Cheng is a lover of all things green and indoor. Check out his dedicated houseplant blog that offers tips, tricks and hacks on how to grow stunning plants, all without leaving the house. (Photo via @houseplantjournal)
2. Urban Gardeners Republic: Boasting the largest online community of urban gardeners worldwide, Urban Gardeners Republic is an awesome resource for anyone who’s thinking about starting an urban garden. Their account is curated from community bloggers around the world through the hashtag #UrbanGardenersRepublic, meaning there’s always something exotic to check out on their page. (Photo via @urbangardenersrepublic)
3. Edible Balcony: If there’s anyone who knows how to turn a small space into a delicious garden oasis, it’s Edible Balcony. Get ready for some tomato envy, everyone. (Photo via @ediblebalcony)
Hey! If you’ve got an Instagram account you’ve got to follow! Lots of cool urban organic garden pics. That is, if you’re into that kind of stuff. 😉 Follow Urban Organic Gardener on Instagram!
To Find out the OTHER 7 TOP Urban Gardeners on Instagram visit: “Brit.co“
Philly Urban Farmer-Activist Wants all of North Philly to Bloom
A decayed Philly neighborhood isn’t discouraging one resident at all. Tommy Joshua says; “I’m the product of this decayed neighborhood,” Joshua who is 36 years old, said cheerfully. He spent his childhood in the area and still recalls how he and other kids turned “a desolate urban environment into fun” with games like “chase the trash.”
Now as an adult, Joshua is concentrating his energy into urban farming near the North Philly Peace Park. They started by clearing a vacant lot near a housing project and set out to grow herbs and vegetables. They’re even growing apples.
“But things at the park came to a halt in December 2014 when the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) sought to reclaim the land, which it owned, to begin preparing to build new homes there.”
To read the rest of the article, visit: “Metro.Us.com“
Mulch Much? The Benefits of Using Mulch in Your Garden
One of the best ways to bet on a healthy garden, is to incorporate using some kind of mulch. Mulch comes in many forms, and doesn’t have to be expensive. The info-graphic below will help explain the in’s-and-out’s of using mulch in your vegetable garden.
“The most basic benefit of mulch is moisture retention. Yields are directly affected by the amount of water in the soil. And, in dryer climates where rainfall is scarce, gardeners will want their soil to retain as much water as possible. Simply by covering the top of the soil in a thin layer of organic material, you will drastically reduce the level of moisture evaporated from the soil. The graphic below shows just how dramatically mulching can reduce evaporation. Mulching can retain up to 80 percent of added moisture in your soil. When you keep the top of the soil protected from direct heat, it will lose less water, and thus be a better environment for your plants. Great mulch also has the ability to breathe, and not become a place where mold issues arise, which would be unhealthy for plant life.”
Source: Fix.com
Plants That Naturally Repel Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes can quickly ruin the enjoyment of your outdoor garden experience. Ordinary repellents are full of nasty chemicals that you probably don’t want to put onto your family, and bug zappers are annoying. It also can be debated, how effective candles or incense really is.
The threat of contracting a disease from a mosquito is very real. Not only are humans being infected with dangerous illnesses, so are animals including household pets. Over one million people are said to die each year from contracting diseases from mosquitoes. In the US, the most common disease is West Nile, but they also carry diseases like malaria, dengue fever, dog heartworm, chikungunya and the recent Zika Virus, which is responsible for outbreaks in tropical areas throughout the world and was found in 2015 for the first time in the Western Hemisphere. More can be learned about the Zika Virus, here.
To help keep mosquitoes from using your yard as a breeding ground, make sure you eliminate all standing water, trim back un-needed vegetation, and consider planting these mosquito repelling plants.
Plants that Naturally Repel Mosquitoes:
1. Basil
2. Catmint
3. Garlic
4. Lavender
5. Lemon Balm
6. Lemon Grass
7. Lime Basil
8. Marigolds
9. Pennyroyal
10. Rosemary
11. Tansy
12. Wormwood
Source: “SeedsNow.com“
A Huge, Rooftop Farm Takes Root In Chicago
“The owner of the two-acre vertical farm — New York-based Gotham Greens — claims there’s no bigger rooftop greenhouse in the world.”
In Chicago, on nearly two acres of land, a greenhouse sits on top of a factory in the historic Pullman neighborhood. The owners of Gotham Greens, claim there is no bigger rooftop greenhouse IN THE WORLD.
“It’s hard to picture what a 75,000-square-foot greenhouse really feels like when you’re in it,” says Viraj Puri, CEO and co-founder of Gotham Greens, which began producing lettuce crops here in October. The climate-controlled commercial facility will produce leafy greens year-round — even through Chicago winters — for customers including local restaurants and grocery stores.”
Read the entire article at: “DJC.com“
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Ready to Sign Up? Visit, https://urbanorganicgardener.cratejoy.com/
Guerrilla Gardening- How to Make a SEED BOMB!
Source: Fix.com
Rich Harvest From Egypt’s Rooftop Gardens
Over the last couple of years, urban rooftop gardening has become the new “thing” in Eqypt. The benefits of gardening on rooftops are many, but some of the obvious include: improving aesthetics, better insulation for buildings, purifying pollutants in the air and they create a pleasing communal space for residents in urban areas.
“The American University in Cairo’s Rise institute offered a full-day training session to the public last month on designing and implementing rooftop gardens in Cairo, for 1,300 Egyptian pounds (Dh609) per person. The German government aid organization GIZ has supported a rooftop farming pilot project in the informal Cairo district of Ezbet El Nasr.”
To read the entire article, visit: “TheNationalae.com“
How to Create a BEE-FRIENDLY Garden [INFO-GRAPHIC]
Source: Fix.com
Farm Animals In Urban B.C.? The City’s Listening.
In residential areas near Battle Creek, backyard chickens, goats and honeybees may become more common. Recently, there have been proposed ordinance changes that would allow urban dwellers to keep small livestock, bees and grow gardens all in their backyard.
The new ordinance changes would also allow urban residents to sell fruits and vegetables grown on their property between certain hours.
“Urban farming could be beneficial for the city.” They’ve “pointed to studies that claim urban agriculture raises home values, generates additional economic activity, creates jobs and helps increase access to healthy food.”
To read the rest of the article, visit: “BakerCreekEnquirer.com“
‘Urban Gardening’ Now Legal for City-Dwellers in San Antonio
San Antonio’s city council has recently changed city codes that makes it legal to grow and sell food from your own backyard. One resident recently bought two vacant lots next to his home and has transformed them into a vegetable garden!
Read the entire article at: “Kens5.com”
Vertical Gardening- Save Space by Growing Up [INFO-GRAPHIC]
source: “CustomMade.com“
From Armory to Farmory: A Sneak Peek Inside
You won’t believe what’s happening inside of an old military armory in downtown Green Bay.
“The non-profit group NeighborWorks Green Bay is spear-heading the construction of the Farmory.”
They are looking forward to serving it’s community with locally grown produce such as leafy greens and herbs. Not only that, but they’ll have mushrooms and even fish with their aquaponic set-up.
Read more about the Farmory, here at: “WBay.com“
Facing Severe Food Shortages, Venezuela Pushes Urban Gardens
Recently, Venezuela has declared a “food emergency”. Because it is facing a shortage of bread, milk, and meat, along with other staples…the government has urged Venezuelans to help feed themselves by growing food in their own urban gardens. They’ve also encouraged keeping chickens, even in urban areas.
Josefina Requena is one citizen who has heeded the call. “Cucumbers, green pepper, passion fruit and other produce grow in the front yard of her home in a slum in Caracas, the Venezuelan capital. She also has a chicken coop.”
Read more about the new Urban Gardening trend happening right now in Venezuela.
66 Things You Can Grow In Containers
