Metropolitan Gardening

3 60 Eco-Friendly Vodka has a super eco label and packaging. The thing has a cool old-timey ceramic stopper and comes with an envelope to mail the stopper back to the factory. The bottle itself is made from 85% recycled glass and the back of the lable tells us what resources were saved in production. The 360Vodka is distilled and bottled by The Earth Friendly Distilling Co. There's impressive credentials to be found on their web site.

L ive-a-Little is an organic fair trade wine with marvelous packaging and shelf appeal. It caught the eye when I asked the store manager at New Embassy Liquors  about what eco-friendly wines he carried. He pointed up to the very top shelf near the back of the shop. The label was colorful and looked like what I was looking for, "Organic - Fair Trade". How can you lose? I asked the manager to pull the bottle. The price was inexpensive and I was excited to taste it it.

K iss My Aster is the motherlode blog of wiseacre gardening. Trying to hold a conversation right now with Amanda Thomsen is sort of  like going after a greased watermelon. First off she's pregnant - so when she's not at work she's sleeping. Second she still has the energy of several large draft animals or at least three strong women. And her thoughts sort of race around like a cornered badger. She's absolutely hilarious and though I tried to pick when she was at low tide (holiday season and pregnant) could still barely stay even. Here's our conversation - first on twitter then we migrated over to gchat. This picture to the left here by the way is her mantel decoration this christmas. Amanda's blogging is awsome and  really like her   foursquare stream .  kissmyaster  I emailed you promptly at 3:30. Now I am delayed for my appointment for  my Chanel suit fitting. I am totally kidding.   metro_gardening  Can you chat now? kissmyaster  GChat would be easier, #j

A s the author of the " City Gardeners Handbook " (previously reviewed here on Metropolitan Gardening) and a alumni garden writer for the New York Times, Linda Yang is a go to for tough gardening questions. She's the long time friend of NYC plant luminary David Protell and Garden Center Manager Rose DiCostanzo - so invited Metropolitan Gardening to the Chelsea Garden Center in Red Hook where she walked us through 3 important tips for seasonal gardening and decorating. We caught up with Linda on a beautiful Sunday afternoon - the Garden Center was stunning with evergreens and coniferous plants. It's a super place to get a tree! Linda raved about the benefits of her gardening as therapeutic - she remarked that being able to talk about gardening was the best thing for the change in the seasons and changes in life.

T he joe gardener media offering is tended with the care of a Master Gardener. Joe Lamp'l is tireless and stunning in his presentation of the most notable horticulture. His team really is best of class and makes it all look so easy. It's an honor to have an interview with him. Joe was really a pleasure to communicate with. Metropolitan Gardening is happy to be able to share his story. “ MG: What gave you the idea to combine media and gardening? What's your special vision?  Joe Lamp'l and Crew Joe: I live a couple of lives; one has been as a gardener and always has been; it's a lifetime passion. The media aspect came into the picture in early 2000. I was tapped to host DIY Network's new series; Fresh from the Garden. At the time I knew nothing about media and had never been on television before. But apparently I had enough something to be the one they selected after an extensive national search. Go figure. Anyway, although not knowing anything about tel

M ike Nowak (Pronounced NO-VAK) is a radio man with gardening as his subject. He flows effortlessly through pop media history and Chicagoland hyperlocal info. His warm bigheartedness seems almost embarrassing to him. As if he thinks he should be "more mean". He is obviously enjoyed by his listeners and gives back with self deprecating humor and solid urban gardening knowledge. When I reached out to interview him he creatively invited me to come on his show and interview me live as I interviewed him. His producer Heather Fry called right on time...was charming and efficient. The interview was weird fun as we traded questions and obtuse non-sequitur banter with each other. But miraculously learned a few things from him about gardening and broadcasting.

T his year the weather has been tough in New York City. NYC has suffered tornados and drought as well as a poor financial forecast. Tom Twente's been gardening in the weather of NYC for years. Before the planned auction of 114 community gardens in 1999 for commercial development Tom was there planning a land trust for garden conservation. His work is devoted to community gardens and their sustainability. He's seen folks come and go and managed to quietly do the business of making sure these spaces survive beyond momentary personal visions, pop ideas and cold weather. Tom's recent work has been to establish facilities in  Bronx and Brooklyn gardens through a capitol parks project. He invited me to stop by while he was putting up some holiday decorations at his own local community garden in the heart of Park Slope Brooklyn. I found him on a ladder stringing up pine boughs. It was a chilly day and my hands were turning red when I brought out my pocket moleskin notebook and