Agrihood–it sounds like a trendy buzzword from the coffee bars of New York or San Francisco. In fact, that is where it’s from. The term ‘agrihood’ was copyrighted by Rancho Mission Viejo, a Southern California real estate brand. While their agrihood, and others like it are for the super-rich, there’s a new game in town. In 2016, the Michigan Urban Farming...
In 1972, when Elizabeth Scholtz became director of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, the splendid 52-acre urban garden founded in 1910, she was not only the first female director of a major botanic garden in the United States; she was also one of the few women in charge of a large New York City cultural institution. This made for some awkward collisions. At the...
If you’re fortunate enough to have your own yard or garden area, you may want to start spending more time in it. New research from the United Kingdom has found that having access to — and using — a personal patch of greenery is associated with better physical and psychological well-being. In fact, the increased health benefits from spending time gardening are...
For New Yorkers looking to plant spring flowers, shrubs, or vegetable seedlings, figuring out which garden centers and nurseries are open — let alone what’s in stock — can be a chore. So to help you navigate the complicated task of buying seeds, plants, pots, soil, and compost in the middle of the coronavirus lockdown, we talked to five NYC plant experts about...
Spring is here and, after spending a great deal of time indoors over the past few months, it’s the perfect time to (safely) get outside, unplug from technology, and interact with the earth. And what better way to do this than by gardening? Whether you live in an apartment with limited outdoor access or have a spacious yard to work in, there are plenty of options...
Since we’re all stuck at home trying to improve our health and immune system, it is important to keep the air in our homes clean. There are several ways to purify the air at home, but one option that is both natural and affordable is to use air-purifying plants to keep your house clear of the pollutants that we’re always exposed to. Whether it’s cleaning agents,...
The war gardens of WWI (1914-1918) and victory gardens of WWII (1941-1945) were government initiatives requesting civilians to become “soldiers of the soil” and grow their own fruits and vegetables. European and American farmers were enlisted in the military leaving a void in homeland food production labor. Also transport of food supply across the country or...
The coronavirus pandemic, and the broad quarantine guidelines that were put in place to help curb the spread of COVID-19, mean that Americans are spending more time at home than ever before. Staying home doesn’t have to be boring, though; in fact, we think this is the perfect time to exercise your green thumb. After all, if you’re going to log more hours...
Photos: Lance Ellis | EastIdahoNews.com Most times when we think of gardening, we envision a nicely laid out plot of straight rows of beans, corn, and other garden veggies. Often, we don’t consider other opportunities to produce great crops away from the garden and in unconventional methods. One of these ways is through container gardening. Not everyone has the...
The U.S. is in the midst of a gardening renaissance. As the coronavirus pandemic prompts big questions about the future of our food system, people everywhere are buying up seeds, pulling up lawns, building raised beds, and flocking to learn from Master Gardeners. Most of these new and seasoned gardeners are making careful decisions about what type of plants they...
Renting and gardening… what are you supposed to do? Pour all your love (and hours of work) into the garden, only to leave it all behind when the lease ends? Or, you can get creative! Make a portable and productive garden (even in a courtyard) that provides loads of herbs, salad and vegies… with leftover space for a prolific compost system. That’s what...
Upcycled Sandbox Garden Put that old sandbox to good use by repurposing it into a fun, kid-friendly garden chock-full of healthy fruits and vegetables they’ll love. Seed Bombs Bring life and color to bare areas of your yard with these DIY seed bombs made from scrap paper. Pizza Garden Plant a pizza-shaped garden with tomatoes, bell peppers, onions and...
Starting with the World War I, the U.S. government was encouraging Americans to grow their own food to help relieve shortages. Originally known as the war garden movement, these so-called “victory gardens” made a reappearance in the 1940s during World War II. And the idea of growing your own food is still popular — so popular, in fact, that Oregon State University...
As you may recall from high school history class, “victory gardens” first started in America during World War 1. In response to food shortages during the war, Americans were encouraged to begin growing their own food, and vegetable gardens popped up in backyards and at schools and public parks across the country. “In the U.S. in March of 1917, Charles...
Industrial agriculture is turning our farmland into dead soil at an alarming rate. The Need To GROW is a film about SOLUTIONS for healing our broken food system. 🎬Watch the film right now for free at https://grow.foodrevolution.org/. The UN estimates we have fewer than 60 years of farmable soil left on Earth. And many people are concerned that governments...
If you hate weeds in your garden but despise chemicals even more than this homemade weed killer might just be your new best friend! Spray this mixture to immediately begin killing weeds in and around your garden area. 1 gallon of vinegar 1 1/2 cups Epsom salts 2 tablespoons dishwashing liquid READ THE ORIGINAL POST ON FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10215884001387445&set=a.1084844875854&type=3&theater&ifg=1 ...
A vegetable garden can improve your health. A beautiful flower garden can improve the look of your home. But the mere act of planting and tending a garden can improve the way you look at things. After a few hours spent planting, weeding or pruning, most people have a more positive outlook, despite suffering a few muscle aches or maybe feeling tired. It’s a good...
The third- and fourth-graders from Longfellow Elementary School in Spokane surrounded a big tube soil. The looks on their faces were skeptical. What do you mean there are potatoes in there? Six sets of hands hesitantly dug into the dirt. All of a sudden, a hand brought up a round, red-skinned potato. Eyes got big. There are potatoes in there! After that it might...
Everyone, at some point, feels some cabin fever during ‘stay at home’ orders due to COVID-19. Whether working from home or making sure the kids are doing their school work — or both — being in the same, confined space can make anyone feel claustrophobic. Experts say a lot of people are fighting those feelings by working in their yard. READ...
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