Microgreens

Microgreens, greens harvested after the first leaves (called cotyledons) appear, may become the ultimate home-grown food of the future. They are nutrient-dense and can be grown year-round near a sunny window with minimal time or effort. Common vegetables used for microgreens are: arugula, broccoli, beets, cabbage, celery, chard, cress, endive, mustard, pea and radish. Today, I planted some arugula in a covered container with drainage holes on top of fresh potting soil. I covered the sowed seeds with a paper towel and watered them well. After about 2 weeks, in a sunny place, sprouts should appear. At this point I'll take off the towel and wait for a few more days. After the first leaves appear, I'll be ready to harvest the greens for a fresh salad, sandwich or entree. Of course, using old food containers to plant in and buying seeds in bulk makes this effort very cost-effective. I often order from johnnyseeds.com. Also, a great book on the subject is "Microgreens, A Guide to Growing Nutrient Packed Greens" by Eric Franks and Jasmine Richardson.

Vertical gardening

Living walls have transfixed my imagination since 1998 when I stumbled upon one of Patrick Blanc's installations at the Fondation Cartier in Paris. For the last decade I have tried, without avail, to create some small version of my own. The first attempt was with an old shoe holder that had plastic pockets. I grew plants in yogurt cups and popped them into the shoe pockets on top of felt made from recycled bottles for drainage. This effort worked well but was not very visually pleasing. The next step, with the help from my husband, was sewing a planter out of recycled felt and and old shower curtain. Because our sewing machine could not handle the density of the fabrics, we had to hand-sew most of the sections. This was a lot of work. Recently we found a similar version by the Woolley Pocket Gardening Company at Vessel (our favorite store in Boston.) Because these products were on sale at half price, we were able to justify the purchase and got two small wall planters. The next step was to go to Logee's in Danielson, Connecticut while visiting friends. This nursery has the largest collection of exotic houseplants I have ever seen. It is a horticultural wonder world! After surveying our options, we chose some sturdy succulents. We still want to make our own planters but it is nice to put some greenery up in the meantime.
Get inspired and check out Patrick Blanc's website at www.verticalgardenpatrickblanc.com.

Helping an old wall

One of my projects this winter is securing funding for our community garden's much needed improvements. Continuously tilled since 1923, this particular community garden is one of the oldest in the United States. Today, the retaining wall that encloses the site is in need of repair. This structure was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC.) The CCC, created by President Roosevelt during the Great Depression, was a public relief program for unemployed men. A local historian told me that walls built with round field stones and concrete caps are typical of this era. I confirmed this information by researching our park department's annual reports in the local library. As is delineated on the wall's weather-worn inscription, the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act (ERA), which extended the CCC program, funded the project in 1935. Finding this information was lucky because the CCC's walls are usually not registered as historic landmarks. Many of these structures are falling apart without anyone knowing about them. Bolstered by this knowledge, I submitted an application for funding to restore the wall. If successful, I'll follow up with other grant programs for a new gateway and educational signage. Fingers crossed!
A great website for finding funding sources, for nonprofit efforts, is the foundationcenter.org.

Calacademy

We recently visited San Francisco and toured the California Academy of Science. Located within Golden Gate Park, this new facility contains hundreds of exhibits of the natural world and is an exemplar of sustainable design. Gardeners will be especially impressed by the 197,000 square foot living roof! This verdant creation, designed by Renzo Piano, uses seven hillocks to suggest the city's rolling topography. The stability of these mounded slopes are ensured by biodegradable trays which allow plant roots to grow and intertwine (the Biotray by Rana Creek Nursery is now commercially available.) Horticulturalists also sought sturdy species of native plants. The most prominent perennials are Strawberry, Self Heal, Sea Pink and Stonecrop. Annuals such as Tidy Tips, Goldfield, Miniature Lupine and California Poppy are also used. As in any garden, the space will continue to change and grow. The Academy is planning to expand the roof's habitat in order to protect the endangered Bruno elfin butterfly and the Bay checkerspot butterfly. Read more about this remarkable living museum at www.calacademy.org.

Living christmas trees

The New York Times ran a story this Tuesday on a California-based service that rents out potted Christmas trees (their website is livingchristmas.com.) Customers can actually rent the same tree year after year and watch it grow. Other outfits donate their inventory, after the holiday season is over, to reforesting efforts.

The idea of a living Christmas tree is intriguing. Last year, the United States alone farmed, cut and sold 28.2 million spruces, pines and firs for the holidays and another 8.9 million artificial trees were imported (according to Nina Shen Rastogi in this month's Oprah magazine.) Considering an average conifer absorbs up to one ton of carbon over six decades, an opportuniy to help our environment may be lost.

This year, my husband and I decided on a potted spruce. We got a good price because we purchased it a few days before Christmas (generally, living trees should not be in a heated home any longer than a week.) We also identified a non-profit organization that will take the tree, care for it over the winter and plant it on the grounds of an affordable housing development when the warmer weather arrives. In the meantime we are enjoying our noble tannenbaum knowing it will live on into the new year.

Season's Greetings

Community gardening

Community gardens are a great resource for people who want to exercise their green thumbs. A few years ago, I did some reserach and found a publically-owned site just a short distance from our home. Although my plot is small, just 5 feet by 10 feet, I have been able to grow three seasons worth of fresh vegetables for my family. We also share the bounty of several fruit trees and a large red raspberry patch. Of course, as with most folks, the horticultural advice and support from other gardeners is the best part of the experience.

Yesterday, I finally put my little plot to bed for the winter. I searched for any remaining brussel sprouts (none), weeded out any extraneous vegetation and put a cover of chopped up leaves on top of the soil. As in most community gardens, we only use organic products and make sure to not compost with invasive species. Those of us using leaves for plot cover are also careful not to use anything swept from streets or driveways. This is because car exhaust can emit heavy metals and other toxins that can get mixed in with nearby organic material. Thankfully, the small yard we share with our condo association had just enough leaf litter to cover my plot - so I assisted our property management efforts as well.

For those looking for a community garden in their area, the American Community Gardening Association is a good place to start. Their website can direct interested gardeners to local land trusts or horticultural organizations with available locations.

Introduction

The following blog details my humble efforts to garden in a dense, urban setting with no particular landscape to call my own. After years of puttering around inside my home, I have finally decided to reconsider my traditional ideas about gardening. Thankfully, horticulture does not require private property or expansive open space. I have found plenty of places to garden within community settings and adopt-a-lot programs. I have also discovered that my small townhouse can provide many opportunities for green roof structures and vegetated walls. Most surprisingly of all, being landless has led me to envision the entirety of our living environment as a garden. The organic growing methods and green design standards I employ now take on a greater sense of importance. It is an alternative approach to gardening that, in its own small way, helps point toward our future on this fragile planet.