Metropolitan Gardening

D usty Gedge is the punk rock of green roofs. He's put green roofs on Barclays Tower in London and the Komodo Dragon House at London Zoo. He is a leader in the UK in the promotion and development of green roofs... and perhaps the emerging go to consultant for euro policy and planning on the matter.    and ... and... and... he juggles. Dusty sent us this link to a training film on green roofs to share - GREAT INTRODUCTION TO GREEN ROOFS! Metropolitan Gardening caught up with Dusty while he was in Istanbul doing a wildlife adventure and asked Mr. Gedge a few questions recently. MG:What made you think to integrate juggling and green roof training? Dusty: not sure about but juggling is a system and we are interested in eco system services - there is an analogy there - i think! MG:Do you have any patents? What innovations you have seen over the years? Dusty: Don't have patents as I not very commercially minded! Innovations - there aren't really any innovations - t...

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."

What do the Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Independent, The San Francisco Chronicle, and the New York Times have in common? Well besides the fact that they are serious newspapers... They all rave about the interior design idea site Houzz . I have to admit at first glance it's difficult to tell exactly what it izz. It's not a shop... exactly. It's not really a magazine or a blog. It's sort of a crowd sourced place to get your nesting juices flowing. After about 30 seconds of adjusting my perceptions of what a web site should be, I started to get it. And wow. There are thousands of home professionals and sources for home furnishings and, and, and, Houzz is a cornucopia of awesome ways to make the place that you live in easier on the eyes.  I think it was the shot of the bathroom with the shower that could be seen though glass doors to a small enclosed blinded patio that made the whole thing turn the corner for ...

Recently came across a informative article describing the findings of the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service that seems to put to bed some serious concerns over urban gardening produce. The basic gist of the matter is that in many cases when gardening in challenged areas the use of compost and other soil additions and an adjustment of the soil pH can alter the soil to the point that it can be safely used to grow food. The researchers also endorse using raised plant beds, making sure to wash your hands after gardening and to wash all produce. Read the full article here :  Researchers Work to Ensure Safety of Urban Gardens

Ingredients : 1/4 cup Sesame Oil 2 lbs Fresh Shrimp 1lb Sugar Snap Peas 2 table spoons Sichuan Peppercorns 2 table spoons Grains of Paradise 1/4 cup Pickled Ginger 1/4 Chopped Roasted Garlic Dash Soy Sauce 5 cups Water Be careful but make sure the wok is sizzling hot! Utensils: Large Wok Wooden Spoon Measuring Cups 2 Bowls large enough  for Shrimp and Sugar Snap Peas 1 small bowl for grated peppercorn mixture Large Boiling Pot Strainer Pepper Mill Sissors Put the pepper corns and the grains of paradise into the pepper mill. Grate the mixture into a small bowl.  Put water in pot to boil.  Wash and remove the shells from the shrimp wash shrimp again and place them in the large pot of water reduce to simmer until they turn pink (2 minutes). Remove from heat, Strain the shrimp from the water put them in a bowl. Set aside. Wash the Peas and snip the ends from the sugar snap peas with the scissors. Set aside.

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.

Green in Bklyn is out in force during the Move about Myrtle  event going on September 5th. Both these things are near and dear to me as I get my fizz @ Green in Bklyn. The events at Green range from book signings to composting to making bags from umbrellas. They are also doing an electronic waste disposal drive!