Hey all,  This is a great story and an easy way to create your own garden. Greg

My Instant Garden
By Parri Willie
Phoenix, AZ

When I was a little girl we lived in New Jersey, and my mom always had a garden — growing green beans and tomatoes among other things. I can remember going out in the summer months and picking the beans and eating them right where I picked them. When I was 25 I moved to Phoenix. Living in the “desert” I didn’t think it was possible to recreate that garden. And then, 2 years ago, after a tour of the Urban Farm I realized it is VERY possible.

My home is a typical Phoenix tract home in a development where every house has colored rock for a yard. To remove the rock and dig up the ground underneath seemed like a huge undertaking and then I could only hope that the dirt there would sustain a garden. It would be much more practical and successful, I thought, to build a raised garden and fill it with proper soil and compost.

Planning to build a raised-bed garden that was 5 foot x 10 foot and 12 inches deep, I enlisted the help of a friend and we purchased three nice quality pieces of pine, 10 foot long x 2 inches wide x 12 inches tall and enough brackets and screws to hold all the sides together. We cut one of the boards in half for the 5 foot ends of the garden and then connected the four sides together securely with the brackets. After raking away much of the rock from our selected area, we set this outer “shell” of our garden down, made sure it was level and then filled it with a mixture of organic soil and compost. After planting my chosen vegetables, I wrapped a wall of chicken wire around the outside of the garden to protect my veggies from our little rabbit visitors. This garden project was fairly easy, cost under $100, and took less than a day to put together.

This past summer I successfully grew tomatoes, zucchini, strawberries and green beans, and, yes, I picked the beans and ate them right there in the yard. Some sections of the garden didn’t grow as well as others so I spent time fertilizing and moving the soil around a bit before getting the fall garden planted. I expect to harvest, red and yellow onions, broccoli, sweet peas, eggplant, tomatoes, 2 kinds of lettuce, spinach and carrots as my winter crop.

Part of the thrill of having my garden is the sense of accomplishment in seeing the plants grow and produce food, but a bigger part is knowing that I am feeding my family healthy, organic food that is full of nutrients and free of pesticides and chemicals. I can definitely see adding another garden box at a later date and doubling my harvest!

Technorati Tags: edible landscape, gardening, Greg Peterson, Instant Garden, Living Green, Parri Willie, permaculture, Urban Garden

Technorati Tags: gardening, Greg Peterson, National Speakers Association, NSA Blogathon, The Urban Farm, Urban Farm

Hey all,

Join me tonight at Changing Hands in Tempe AZ for the release of the Urban Farm’s Simple Sustainability Book Series – Purchase Link. Here is book four of four installments of the unique mini books I am publishing.

• Grow Wherever You Go, Discover the Place Where Your Garden Lives, By Greg Peterson
Where does your garden live? No matter where you live you can grow something to eat. Shift your thinking and you’d be surprised at the places your food can be grown! Windowsill, fire escape and rooftop gardens have the same potential to provide impressive harvests as backyard gardens, greenhouses and community spaces.

Grow Wherever You Go helps you explore and discover just where your garden lives. So whether you choose to grow a few herbs, or work your way toward creating an entire edible landscape, the process is simpler and more deliciously rewarding than you can imagine. Be creative…discover where your garden lives!

Technorati Tags: edible landscape, Environmental footprint, find your garden, Footprint, gardening, Greg Peterson, Living Green, permaculture, The Urban Farm, Urban Farm

The main reason the Urban Farm came into existence was to grow food. Before long I found that I was growing way more food than I was consuming and I began sharing it with neighbors and restaurants. I set up a trade agreement with one local eatery and for many years provided her with a bounty and got my ‘free lunch’ in return.

I learned the beauty of the garden is plenty and that the steps to taking my leftover groceries to market was really quite easy. In this week’s article, I outline a plan for you to get your produce from seed to the local market. It is easy and quite fulfilling. There is nothing better for me than to plant, nurture, harvest and ultimately share with the community all that my garden grows.

Of course, getting to market and setting up in the wee small hours can make for a long day. Fortunately, we have a few “survival items” for you. Our Espresso Travel Tumbler can be filled with your beverage of choice and has great looks, too. Should you get hungry later, or just need to bring home a fresh-baked goodie from the market, just bring along our Stainless Steel Lunch Bundle.

Have a great green day!

Technorati Tags: food, garden, gardening, market, Urban Farming

Many of you know that my passion for gardening can rival that of the garden bugs that show up in my yard. It is quite an interesting dance as each of us takes lead. Often we feel that a pest solution lies in some kind of pest deterrent. I however have found over and over that if we address the root cause, the bugs essentially become a non issue. What, you say, is the “root” issue? Healthy soil and balance. Join me in this week’s article as we explore just how we can create healthy soil and balance in our gardens.

On a side note, chlorine is added to our tap water to kill all the little microorganisms that live there. THAT is good for our drinking water but not so for our gardens. So what is one to do? Check out the Gard’n Gro Chlorine Removal System that we have available on our site. This handy add-on filters as you go, making for happy flowers and veggies in return.

For those pesky bugs at the cottage and campsite, I suggest our DEET-free Herbal Armor Insect Repellant Spray. You’ll love it. The bugs won’t.

Have a great green day!

Greg

Technorati Tags: balance, bugs, chlorine, filter, flowers, fruits, garden, gardening, health, microorganisms, pests, soil, veggies

The past two weeks we have been discussing greywater and rainwater use in our yards. Last week author Brad Lancaster gave us the background on his journey to expertise in rainwater harvesting. This week he gives us the specifics on his eight principles for successful rainwater harvesting.

A quick review of last weeks article: On average up to 90% of our household municipal water that goes down the drain is actually greywater ready, we just need to get it to the landscape. Additionally, we can harvest and infiltrate thousands of gallons of rain and runoff into the soil around our home (and, by extension, the community’s watershed) over the course of our annual average rainfall. These two water sources can provide a significant amount of our landscape irrigation needs.

By shifting to living within our greywater and rainwater “budget” we can make a significant impact on our local sustainability and landscapes. As a result, we can enrich the land, create a beautiful home and neighborhood environment – and give back more than we take!

Both of Brad’s books:

Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands Vol. 1

Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond Vol. 2

are available at our YourGuidetoGreen.com online store, as well as the book Create an Oasis with Greywater. Along with our theme of showers from the sky, we’re offering you our Eco-Shower Bundle, which both the kids and your pocketbook will love!

Enjoy the rain and hey, if you enjoy reading these weekly tips and articles please forward them to a friend (use the “Share” box below and click “email”.

You can also get them hooked on our 15 Essentials for Living a Green Lifestyle ”quickie” email series. See the green “Subscribe” box in the column to the right

Technorati Tags: diversion, garden, gardening, greywater, harvesting, rain, rainwater, systems, water

Last week we discussed greywater and some of the methods for utilizing it. If you missed it, here is the link to the tip. Now let’s move on to rainwater harvesting which, from an implementation perspective, is very similar to greywater applications. The biggest difference between the two is the source of water.

Rainwater typically is harvested from a roof and directed via gutters into the ground surrounding the structure. However, any flat hard surface can be designed to direct the water from where it lands to where you want it. As an example, my concrete driveway is slightly sloped to the south and drains the rainwater into the garden bed.

In this week’s article, Brad Lancaster begins the exploration of how we go about installing rainwater harvesting systems. Remember that many of the methods can also be overlaid on greywater systems as well. He also outlines his eight principles to a successful water harvesting system. Here are the first four:

1. Conduct a long, thoughtful observation
2. Begin at the top and work your way down
3. Plan and manage an overflow route
4. Harvest rain as close as possible to where it falls

…and for the rest check out his full article.

Our featured book, Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands Vol. 1, shows you how to select, place, size, construct, and plant your chosen water-harvesting “earthworks”. Along with our theme of showers from the sky, we’re offering you our Eco-Shower Bundle, which both the kids and your pocketbook will love!

Enjoy the rain and, as always, have a great green day! And hey, if you enjoy reading these weekly tips and articles please forward them to a friend. You can also get them hooked on our 15 Essentials for Living a Green Lifestyle ”quickie” email series.

Technorati Tags: diversion, garden, gardening, greywater, harvesting, rain, rainwater, systems, water

Hi all,

I’ve been busy writing (look for a little book soon, woohoo) and working on several projects that will come to fruition the first half of the year, plus I have several speaking engagements that you might be interested in attending.

•  First and foremost I have recently completed my first FREE educational email series called 15 Essentials for Living a Green Lifestyle.  In it I explore 15 easy things we can all do to live green and save money.  Please check out http://www.UrbanFarm.Info

•  With Earth Day right around the corner have you been looking for those last minute “argh I could live a greener life products?”  My team has been researching and we have found a whole plethora of money saving, healthy, reduce your footprint products.  Check out http://www.YourGuideToGreen.com

•  Next I have been consulting on a really cool art project called The Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef Project.  The opening for this event is tomorrow, April 11th, the creator of the project will be giving a lecture on Monday evening April 13th and I’ll be giving a lecture in conjunction with this project on April 25th.  See below for all the information on the event.

This project is very interesting and Margaret the creator offers a very interesting connection from mathematics to the coral reefs.  I saw her speak a few months ago and was very inspired.

Hope you are busy planting your gardens and have a great weekend.

Greg Peterson
The Urban Farm
Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/YourGuide2Green

PS.  If you go to my blog there is a free desert gardening calendar that you can download.  http://www.UrbanFarm.org

**************

What is the Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef ?

Created by the Institute for Figuring (IFF), this monumental crochet installation remarkably resembles a living coral reef. The project not only celebrates the craft of crochet and feminine handicraft, but also serves to raise awareness of the potential connection between global warming, our everyday choices and the gradual disappearance of these beautiful underwater gardens. The simple crochet technique used to create this coral reef creates hyperbolic curves and mimics the growth of many marine life forms.

— Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef Opening Reception
Saturday, April 11th from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
The Gallery @ the Scottsdale Civic Center Library
*Installation will be on view until July 11, 2009

• All are invited this exciting first glance at this fun and unique exhibition. Guests are encouraged to create and wear hyperbolic fashions, and prizes will be awarded for the most creative wearables. Refreshments served.

— Lecture by Creator Margaret Wertheim
Monday, April 13th from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Auditorium at the Scottsdale Civic Center Library

• Margaret Wertheim, co-creator of the Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef Project, is a science writer by profession and the author of several books on the cultural history of physics. Wertheim and her twin sister Christine are co-founders and directors of the Institute For Figuring. Both sisters have had a lifetime interest in feminine handicrafts, exploring everything from knitting and crocheting to dress-making and embroidery. Wertheim is an Op-Ed contributor to the Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, New York Times, New Scientist, the Guardian and many other publications. She is also a contributing editor to Cabinet, the arts and science quarterly.

— Lecture by Greg Peterson: Living Green…Just What Does It Mean?
Saturday, April 25 2009 from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Library Auditorium
*Reservation Recommended

•  Greg Peterson will present his lecture, “Living Green…Just What Does it Mean?” Join Peterson, of “Your Guide to Green” for a dynamic discussion about how easy it really is to go green. He points out how inundated we are with so many shades of green these days. So what “should and shouldn’t” we do? Peterson is a regionally acclaimed green living and sustainability innovator with a mission to “inspire people to embrace their own greenness.” A resident of Phoenix for the past 40 years, he received his Masters degree in Environmental Planning in December 2006, and his Bachelors degree in Interdisciplinary Studies at ASU in 2004.

Technorati Tags: About The Urban Farm, gardening, Green Consulting, Greg Peterson, hyperbolic Coral Reef Project

OK – So I was fried at the office today and needed a break.  So I came home to the Urban Farm and decided to do a quickie garden. The space I am planting is called the West Wall Trellis.   It goes like this:

1.  I attached a piece of wire fencing to the eves of the house.  This will serve two purposes, one to grow the squash up the wall and two to provide shade in the afternoon for the building.  Which faces west – the hottest part of the yard.  20 minutes.

2.  I dug out the grass that was growing across the bottom of the wall.

3.  With the loose dirt I made a little trough along the wall to fill with water.

4.  I planted Pink Banana, Delicate Honey Boat and Waltham Butternut squash.  Basically I tossed the seeds in the area and pushed them down with my index finger and smoothed them over with my had to fill the holes.

5.  I added some organic fertilizer and a mulch topper.

6.  Watered.

A ultimate quickie garden.  Required 20 minutes of work.  I’ll keep you posted as it grows.  Woohoo.  Greg

Technorati Tags: gardening, Greg Peterson, Instant Garden, permaculture, Urban Farm

Technorati Tags: gardening, Peas