By Cindy Naas

Instead of standing in front of the house shouting “Get off my lawn!”, several families in the U.S. and Canada are creating inviting gardens where the lawns once were.

Artist/architect/landscaper Fritz Haeg has designed and implemented 6 front yard gardens which are meant to make us all question the reasoning behind the landscapes surrounding our homes.

Haeg’s ‘Edible Estates’ are created to be beautiful oases in city neighborhoods which both grow large amounts of food and invite neighbors and passers-by to wander through these gardens. Read the rest of this entry »

By Cindy Naas

A friend has recently become interested in gardening.

He’s growing a few herbs in pots on a very small front porch, but has three sets of bow windows on the west side of his home.

He asked me to come up with a list of veggies which would be appropriate for growing in window boxes, and that is an interesting question.

Window boxes have their own set of challenges, but there are many people who have no other access to growing anything. These planters are Read the rest of this entry »

By Vanessa Richins

As the gardening season slowly draws to a close, there are still many opportunities for urban gardening fun.

One of these could be a Seed Exchange Party!

Perhaps you had a bumper crop of your favorite heirloom bean. Sue, who also lives in your town, may have extra tomato seeds. Joe has squash seeds.

If everyone brought their seeds to a party, everyone could end up with three different kinds of seeds for next year instead of just one.

First, you would need to save some seeds. Methods differ for every plant, but for most, let the fruit sit on the stem until it is fully mature or dried out. You should be able to remove the seeds and save them for future use. Be sure to Read the rest of this entry »

By Cindy Naas

Kathie, good for you for adding a fruit tree to your garden!

A well-maintained peach tree should give you one of the best highlights of your gardening year.

Nothing is better than a warm juicy peach fresh from the tree.

Fruit trees can produce crops of fruit as early as one year after planting, but this should be discouraged. It is best to pinch off the blossoms or snip off the tiny fruits before they begin to develop.

The tree should instead be allowed to put all its energy into developing a healthy root system for the first year or even two. Allowing the tree to set and bear fruit in its first year probably caused the small size of these peaches.However, there are some other factors which might account for the small size of your peaches.

Here are a few things to remember about peach trees:

1. Peaches need Read the rest of this entry »

By Vanessa Richins

Are you searching for the perfect gift for your favorite urban gardener?

Here are some ideas that I think may work well.

Matchstick Garden

Would you like to get your children involved in gardening? Try the Matchstick Garden! Each one holds 10 matchsticks, with seeds embedded in the tips. Simply take one out and plant it, tip down. It won’t be long before you have a whole little garden growing. There are four different kinds available : Mixed Herbs, Wildflowers, Italian Garden and Mixed Greens.

Nyokki Monkey

Do you think the Chia Pet is too old school? Upgrade and buy a Nyokki! Named after the Japanese word for “grow”, these cute little sculptures can be planted again and again with grass seed, which will grow as their hair. There are several designs available, including a frog and a monkey.

Consultation With an Urban Gardener

Do you live in New York or know someone who does? Buy them a Read the rest of this entry »