Metropolitan Gardening

Check out the Skillshare class, "Urban Gardening: Tips and Tricks for effective city growing." Help spread the word: http://skl.sh/Kusc6e Here's the details: Watch the video introduction: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=273O4VKNERE The challenges of gardening in the city require a grab bag of tips and tricks to manage the urban landscape. Join Dimitri Gatanas and Bryan Ogden as they provide a series of hands on workshops and focused leaning experiances located in the heart of Harlem at the Urban Garden Center.

T rish was getting a tree with her sister from the NYRP and Urban Garden Center free tree giveaway. She explained that she was getting the tree for a new community garden that she was starting. There's a lot going on with Trish and design / urban greening - more than meets the eye - so I asked her for an interview and found she is also working with the Brooklyn Grange on a Farm Store in Brooklyn. That story is going to have to wait, and I'm going to get to the bottom of her work as an interior designer as well but here's what Trish has to say about the community garden that she is starting. We were getting the trees for a community garden/event space we are building in the lot next to our design studio. We call the project Design. Plot. It all started when we found out our landlord was going to concrete in the space and turn it into a parking lot. We freaked as it was the last bit of green left on our industrial street. We signed the lease and set out to transform th

T he Urban Garden Center is creating a consumer center for sustainable living and life style. The design of the center it's self is a great challenge because of the location under a train trestle. On the other hand the plant selection and prices as well as the shopping experience is top notch. This past weekend the center teamed up with New York Restoration Project to give away 100 trees for free. I spent the day wandering among the plants and meeting with the folks that came to browse and hang out. In addition to the "Green House" showroom for shabby chic housewares and plants - there's a patio area with seating and a planned lunch menu from neighbors Labodega Gourmet @LaMarqueta. I'll be working with Dimitri on some community education workshops in the weekends to come. This spring and summer the trestle will offer a shady garden in the heart of Harlem.

  A lec Baxt discusses soil amendments for growing vegetables in the rooftop environment. Particularly we explore his experimental use of "Bio-Char" which may be a ground breaking idea for mixing with roof light to potentially create a nutritious and fertile growing medium. Alec is the Founding Farmer of Farming up.org in Brooklyn, NYC There is another longer video of this interview forthcoming that delves deeper into the details of the subject.

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 ndrea Bellamy is an earth goddess. She writes one of the hottest organic horticulture and gardening blogs in the free world, is a mom, is the author of a new book, and is a g uerrilla  g ardener. Let's go to the interview. “ MG: Andrea - what was the critical incident that got you interested in guerrilla gardening? ANDREA: Good question. It wasn’t for lack of space to garden, because at the time I was renting a house with a sizable backyard. And it wasn’t because my city – Vancouver, BC – was over-run with pavement. Vancouver is actually very green (the City even encourages people to plant in traffic circles and on boulevards). I had read about seed bombs online – specifically, how in New York City, they were used in 1973’s revitalization of the Bowery neighbourhood and the development of the city’s first community garden – and I just thought it sounded like a great project. That’s when we started the Vancouver Guerrilla Gardening Group. A group seed bomb making workshop was

Jose Rodriguez keeps a plot of land in the south Bronx near an overpass. There's a  wave of vehicles rushing past - the traffic streams by with the sound of  a constant wind. The garden is dry - Jose explains that this was the driest season he has ever seen. "I think they broke something in the sky." Jose has a wry grin on his face - his eyes are mischievous. The Bronx farmer harvests white beans, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes., melon, squash, eggplant and pumpkins here. "People don't believe I have a garden here in the Bronx - but they gave me a permit and I built this house" He waves at a small gazebo. " I built this the way they wanted it.. They wanted to be able to see inside from the outside."

September 10-12 at  Milwaukee 's State Fair Grounds is the Growing Power National and International Urban and Small Farm Conference . This is the premier event of it's kind. With over 7 tracks and over 100 presenters of merit. This conference will feature illustrious keynote speakers such as Grace Lee Boggs , Dr. Judith Palfrey , and Winona LaDuke .  Will Allen  is the founder, a giant of a man - leading the way to a bright future and innovation in urban agriculture.