Bringing Gardening Indoors

It’s amazing what can happen when three forces join together with a mission to inspire people to garden indoors!  

Lawn and Garden Retailer spoke to Brian Riddle, owner of Homestead Gardens near Annapolis, Maryland, about his decision to open the Modern Homesteading department – a yea-round indoor gardening department –in his store.

Roof Top Gardens flourish from Hong Kong to Philly

Green roofs are springing up from Hong Kong to Philadelphia as more and more cities and communities realize the benefits green roofs provide for people and the environment.

From growing edibles to planting colorful perennials and natives that attract beneficial wildlife, green roofs provide a relaxing escape from the noise and pollution of city life. As an added benefit, roof top gardens reduce rainwater runoff that contributes to flooding and pollution, and help cool buildings by absorbing heat.

With so much to offer, even big corporations like Philadelphia based PECO Energy have jumped on the green roof bandwagon.

They partnered with  PHS (Pennsylvania Horticulture Society), known for the prestigious Philadelphia International Flower Show, to design and maintain PECO's 45,000 square foot green roof  perched eight stories high above the crowded streets.

PHS provides plans, plants and maintenance, and conducts walking tours where visitors can enjoy breathtaking views of the city along with areas that feature large planters filled with a variety of native grasses and perennials.

This fits nicely with PHS's green initiatives to educate and grow stronger communities by supporting urban farming and community gardens, restoring vacant land, planting trees and more.

Around the world, rooftop farms are springing up on top of skyscrapers like in Hong Kong, where urban dwellers of the modern asphalt jungle grow fresh fruit, veggies and herbs for better health and wellness and the incomparable fresh taste of homegrown food.

From walking tours to a peaceful escape from a harried day, nothing beats the simple pleasure of enjoying Mother Nature where green meets blue.

Let us know if your city is planning to add rooftop gardens and if not, why not? Cost to build and maintain? Or not enough interest?

Lynne
Garden Media Group
photos credits: NYC Rockefeller Center rooftop gardens by David Shankbone, Wikipedia Commons

Fruits and Veggies Inspire Edible Packaging

"Could it soon be commonplace to eat your snack and then its package, too? Could an order of gazpacho arrive at your table in a tomato-like capsule? Could you stick a straw in a huge grape and sip wine," wonders Annie White of Inside Grower.  

Annie has discovered the next big thing in food and gardening, edible packaging!

Wikicells creates a new way to package food and drinks using the rules and methods of nature—also known as biomimicry. 

Wikicells imitate natural packaging, such as grapes and oranges, by enclosing food and liquids in an edible membrane comprised of natural food particles held together by nutritive ions. A hard shell generally protects the soft skin and is either entirely edible (like a grape skin) or biodegradable (like a coconut shell).

If you find yourself in Paris, you can taste some of the professor’s edible experiments and inventions at his storefront, Lab Store Paris.

Read more interesting things like this from Annie when you subscribe to her weekly email! 


-Katie @KatieGMG
Garden Media

A town wraps its arms around edibles

Once upon a time, not so long ago, a small Victorian mill town in England united over gardening, and hasn't looked back.

Todmorden, in West Yorkshire, has experienced a food renaissance of sorts. Um, not the kind that attracts foodies and gourmands, but the type that is a quiet revolution of trust, sharing, and uniting around a common goal... food sharing.

Over coffee, Mary Clear, a grandmother of ten and co-founder of Incredible Edible, and Pam Warhurst, the former owner of the town's Bear Cafe decided to help educate the residents (and the world) about growing food - with a twist - and stimulating the economy.

The goal? To make Todmorden the first town in the country that is self-sufficient in food.

Town residents grow edibles in raised beds on the canal towpath, on their lawns, and throughout the 70 large beds around town. And get this... the bounty of veggies, berries and fruit is FREE for the taking.

Locals are encouraged to linger over a sprig of your neighbor's thyme, or appreciate the size of beans and peas, experience the mouth-watering juiciness of an heirloom tomato, and pause to chat with neighbors over recipes for currants, as they commune over the pleasurable satisfaction of growing food and sharing slices of life.

Thievery? Nonsense, say the founders. Everyone shares with glee. "We trust people. We truly believe -- we are witness to it -- that people are decent," says Mary. What a concept.

The "gentle revolution" as she coins it seems to be working. Today, hundreds in the town are growing and sharing communally, even planting sweeps of herbs at railroad stations. Young and old are side-by-side, passing secrets about pickling, canning and preserving - even bread making.

And local business is "growing" as well. The Bear now sources all of it's ingredients from farmers within 30 miles. And their local school is setting up a fish farm to teach the young new skills and offer locals access to fresh food.

Brigadoon? Perhaps. But 21 other towns throughout the U.K. are onboard and interest from Canada to Hong Kong have perhaps sparked a "quiet revolution." 

'Once upon a time'  may indeed be here and now.

Share what you think of this novel concept. We'd love to learn if your town is considering this concept, or wants to stamp it with its own unique brand of sharing the love.

~Lynne
 Garden Media Group
photos: Mary's garden and Debbie's garden (Incredible Edible)

Growing Vertical!

Here at the Garden Media Group, we've been sharing the growing trend in vertical gardening for the past couple of years. Last year, the Chelsea Flower Show in the U.K. showcased a steely vertical garden that soared skyward, a monolith that married high tech engineering with the king of green.

The gold-medal winning B&Q Garden was an enormous structure and the largest towering garden ever displayed at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

Skyfarming has arrived. From one wall brimming with plants, the other with solar panels powering an elaborate hydroponic watering system, the ingenious design looks more at home on Battlestar Galactica than in cities. The glass high-rise was full of window boxes brimming with vegetables and plants. Click here to view the video.

Notably, what caught my eye was the 'insect hotel' designed by school children. Pure genius.

The designers' vision is to encourage people and communities to "develop more sustainable food growing spaces and enhance urban greening." In my opinion they succeeded.

Do you think it's time we really make a concerted effort to invest in skyfarming and vertical green towers throughout our cities and even sleepy communities? Let us know!

Lynne, Garden Media Group
photo credit: theguardian.co.uk

A "Royal" kitchen garden

For those of you fortunate to travel to England this year in May, be sure to check out the RHS Chelsea Flower Show from May 22-26th. The display gardens look like works of art and inspirational guide posts  to help you transform your patch of earth into a masterpiece.

Among the award-winning exhibits from last year's show, the M &G Garden stands out as a "modern take on a traditional garden."

To watch a video of this garden, click here...

It could be the playful and artful blend of ornamentals and edible plants, with French lavender underplanting potted citrus tees. Or perhaps it's the graceful cabbages and beans happily mingling with clematis and roses. No matter. Pure delight.

Whatever your fruit, veggie, flower or herb preference, this garden is a working model for those of us not so inclined to add "Royal" to our names (as Royals are apt to do when they visit Chelsea.)

Whether you have a large garden or a small balcony garden, add  herbs for color, fragrace, health and beauty. Plus, they fit nicely in any size container, border or space. Tuck in some veggies and adorn with berries and flowers and voila!- you'll have a garden that's fit for a King or Queen!

Enjoy!
Lynne, Garden Media Group

GMG's Friday Find - The Growers Exchange

As any good gardener knows, January & February are always filled with anticipation for the arrival of gorgeous new plant catalogs. This week's Friday Find is the just released 2012 catalog from The Growers Exchange.
 
Full of great growing tips for your favorite culinary, medicinal and aromatic herbs and flowers, as well as interesting facts, high quality pictures and more! They've also added more pages this year to include even more Potted Herbs and Potted Herb Garden Kits, Tools and Garden Accessories to give you the best selection possible.

And, just for requesting a catalog, you’ll get multiple discounts found inside and even some additional savings for referring your friends. This is definitely a resource worth holding onto for reference while planting.

Request a FREE catalog today and start planning your spring herb garden early...click here!

Like The Growers Exchange on Facebook here!
Follow them on Twitter here!

Keep sending me your ideas for our Friday Find!
-Karen
GMG

The Year of the Experimental Gardens "TAKE 2"

Last week, I shared with you that one of the great things about working for a company that specializes in the garden/green industry is becoming aware of great products and places.

This year I went out on a limb and did some experimenting in my garden. I planted a raised garden, six Topsy Turvy® planters, a few veggie containers and even some veggies in my fish pond. Check out my post from June 29 where I shared a little about my Campania International container garden with Organic Mechanics Potting Blend and the great success I am having with my peppers and cucumbers.

Most of the plants in my 4x8 raised garden are gorgeous with lush green leaves and plenty of fruit. I used a recommended blend from my buddy, Mark Highland, the Organic Mechanic, of a 50/50 blend of top soil and Organic Mechanics Planting Blend and I added some Dynamite plant food.

The cucumber plants are lovely and are growing larger every day. Their fruit are smaller than my pinkie but they are coming along. The two tomato plants are lush and green and have several small fruit growing on them. Most of my 16 pepper plants are lush and full and look very healthy and happy. Unfortunately, a few were planted too shallow and although they have fruit on them, the leaves are spindly and don’t look healthy. Remember, this was the year of the experiment and not all experiments are successful!

I have six celery plants that are very full and lush and are waiting to see them grow. I had eight heads of romaine lettuce which we have harvested and they were delicious! We’ve just added seed for arugula, red romaine, green leaf lettuce and squash. Let’s see what happens with these!

Thanks for visiting my raised garden! Next week I will share my experience with my Topsy Turvy® planters and my attempt at hydroponics!

Tracey – GMG

Edibles Are Still Hot for 2011

Go ahead and mix it up! Berries next to tomatoes and azaleas under grapevines may sound odd but are a growing trend according to the professional landscape designers of APLD.

Fresh berries like raspberries and blueberries you can pick right from home are spiking in popularity. Blueberries offer four seasons of color and juicy berries rich in antioxidants.

Try the first-ever pink blueberry “Pink Lemonade” (pictured here) from Briggs Nursery. This pink blueberry bush provides delicious fruit rich in anti-oxidants plus four seasons of color -- white flowers in spring, bright pink fruit in summer, great fall color and finally dusky auburn stems in winter

And according to a recent survey by the Garden Writers Association, about 16 percent more American households planned to add a veggie garden and an additional 12 percent planned on adding an herb garden. Why? More than three-fourths of respondents felt veggies are less expensive with better taste, quality and nutrition.

So go ahead and plant more berries and veggies for a tasty and healthy spring! To see a complete list of 2011 Gardening Trends, visit GMG.

-Stacey

GMG

GWA Finds Edible Trend Continues in 2010

According to the 2009 Edibles Gardening Trends Research Report conducted by the Garden Writers Association Foundation (GWAF) in November, over 41 million U.S. households (38%) grew a vegetable garden in 2009. More than 19.5 million households (18%) grew an herb garden and 16.5 million households (15%) grew fruits during the same period.

Did Edibles Gardening Grow in 2009?
There was definitely a growth in edibles gardening in 2009 from both experienced gardeners and an influx of new gardeners. Among those that grew edibles gardens this year, 92% had previous experience and 7% (7.7 million households) were new to edibles gardening. One-third of the experienced gardeners reported growing more edibles in 2009 than in the previous year, while 46% reported they grew about the same as 2008, and 19% grew less than the previous year.

Will Edibles Gardening Continue to Expand in 2010?
When asked if they planned to continue their garden for 2010, 37% of households reported plans to increase their edible gardens, 29% reported they planned to plant about the same as 2009 and only 1% reported they would plant less than this year. Although a significant number (15%) remained undecided regarding their 2010 plans, the strong response for growing more edibles next year should carry the market to a new level of activity.

The main reason given for increasing or maintaining edible gardening for next year was to supplement household food supply. The most common reasons given for planting less next year were: lack of success in 2009 (14%), cost (13%), loss of interest (8%) and time involved (4%).

Consumer Information Sources
With over 7 million households becoming new edibles gardening participants in 2009, the GWAF investigated where consumers were getting their gardening information. The top response was friends, which has been the leading response in almost every past survey. Having magazines, books, retailers and newspapers in the third through sixth positions was also not a surprise. However, websites are now listed as the #2 information resource but were #5 as recently as March 2009.

The 2009 Edibles Gardening Trends Research Report is the fourth and final trend report of the GWA Foundation for 2009. The study was conducted by Technometrica Market Intelligence of Oradell, N.J., in November.

Pictured above: Margie Grace, APLD International Landscape Designer of 2009 and 'Pink Lemonade' blueberry from Briggs Nursery.

Click here to see Garden Media Group 2010 Garden Trends

Edible Walls

Check out this story from the New York Times.Edible gardens are in. Green walls are in. Now we can eat the walls!

(In the photo: GOING VERTICAL Brad Zizmor, left, had edible walls installed on the deck of his Manhattan apartment with the help of Kari Elwell Katzander, a landscape designer, and two workers.)

Edible walls — metal panels filled with soil and seeds and hung vertically.

They may sound like a piece of Willie Wonka’s chocolate factory. In fact, they are the latest development in green roof technology. Like green roofs, edible walls include a thick layer of vegetation on the outside of buildings to provide insulation and reduce heating and electricity costs.

But unlike green roofs — and their vertical cousins, green walls — edible walls also produce fruit, vegetables and herbs in far less space than typical gardens. That’s why advocates of urban farming have embraced them as a way to lower food costs, increase nutritional quality and cut fuel consumption and carbon emissions by using fewer delivery trucks.

Read more and go to Garden Media Group for more gardening trends.

Taking Back the Land for the Greener Good

Margie Grace, owner and head designer at Grace Design Associates in Santa Barbara, CA, tells us on the launch of Zester Daily that we need to liberate our land and create something new that’s just right for each of us.

In her op-ed piece she says: "We’ve been trapped in our self-made residential land use nightmare. We may not be able to un-grid the gridding of America, but we don’t have to take it lying down.

It’s time to reclaim our land for our greater good. Take that food-producing garden from the back 40 and put it wherever we want. Reunite the ornamental with the edible—roses beside tomatoes, corn anchored by geraniums, azaleas under grapevines.

Ten years back, I ditched the lawn and planted an ornamental garden. Then added fruits and veggies. Who knew what would ensue when I planted those proverbial seeds?

These days, I park my car and decompress, wandering along the edge of the driveway futzing with flowers, popping a few snap peas and tomatoes into my mouth, watering my corn-in-a-planter, returning to sanity before I go inside.

Do it your way, I say. My veggies are in pots because, darn it, past age 50 all that bending and stooping is no fun. Maybe you like getting on your hands and knees to till the soil—go for it! Maybe you never grew a thing in your life. Here’s your chance to try. Plant a seed, see what grows."

Click here to read the entire column by Margie Grace, APLD Landscape Designer of the Year.