By Michael Nolan

If you have an interest in gardening and have spent any time on the Internet at all in recent years, you’ve heard of “The Garden Girl“.

Her videos have informed and inspired many all over the world, and she is more popular than ever in this day of the downtrodden economy when people are desperately searching for ways to maintain and enrich their own lives without increasing their food budget.

What intrigues me most about Patti Moreno isn’t just that she is one of the most prolific urban gardeners I’ve come across in recent years, but that her roots are in my beloved New York (I spent several years living in the city and still consider it home).

I found genuine inspiration in Read the rest of this entry »

By Michael Nolan

I can’t contain my excitement any longer.

My cucumbers are almost ready to eat but even with my voracious appetite, I can’t eat them all!

What in the heck am I gonna do with a bushel of ripe cucumbers and a full belly?

Thank the gardening gods for those who have gone before us and the knowledge they passed on, because I would be lost without homemade pickles! I firmly believe that everyone is entitled to my opinion so I have decided to share my own personal recipe for Simple Summer Pickles with my Casual family.

Be warned though — once you have tasted them you won’t want to share and believe me when I tell you that everyone is going to want some!

Ingredients
– 3 large cucumbers
– 1 red pepper
– 1 onion Read the rest of this entry »

By Michael Nolan

It has been a while since I have subjected you to an update of the progress from my own personal urban garden, so I felt it was something that as long overdue.

Here, therefore, is the latest in the ongoing saga that is my gardening life.

Despite a few devastating tomato-related setbacks (I lost quite a few of my seedlings due to an unfortunate run of bad weather), I have two strong and healthy heirlooms that are growing like gangbusters.

The two pictured here are my Mr. Stripey (“Livia”) and my Russian Black (“Svetlana”), both in 5-gallon buckets. Not pictured are my remaining seedlings from one Radiator Charlie’s Mortgage Lifter and one Abraham Lincoln Original. Read the rest of this entry »

Urban Garden Casual reader, Joyce Dunn, asks the following question:

“My husband saw the upside down tomatoes in 5 gallon buckets and wants to plant two now!!

All I have (it’s too far to go to town) is organic Miracle Gro potting Mix, Espoma dolomite, and Espoma fertilizer 4-6-6.

How much of each would you say goes into a 5 gal. bucket?

We would like to get the ratio right so we don’t burn the tomatoes. BTW, I like your site and have bookmarked it – very interesting.”

Joyce, thanks for the kind words about Urban Garden Casual, we’re glad you are enjoying it!

I hope my answer will help. I would use Read the rest of this entry »

By Michael Nolan

In the densely populated Cavite, Philippines, a developer is challenging traditional thinking when it comes to food.

Ciudad Nuevo, a project of First Advance Development Corp., is a 327-hectare housing project that encourages and promotes organic vegetable farming in the hopes of building sustainable communities.

Twenty mothers in Ciudad Nuevo have not only been given the tools to take on such a project but also been trained to do so. Previous projects of a similar nature by the same developer have failed, but with the added benefit of crucial training, these families are well on their way to success.

The residents are taught not only about how to cultivate and plant, but also how to compost and care for their plants. In a short span of time they have realized Read the rest of this entry »