Grow

For all of us urban gardeners out there, we know how difficult it can be to find land to grow fresh produce. Dodging the shadows of high-rise buildings can become a serious skillset that too many of us have had to hone. That’s why creating a community garden is an ideal solution to your gardening woes that also helps strengthen ties to your neighbors.

While creating a community garden is no easy feat, here are 10 steps suggested by the American Community Gardening Association to get you on track:

Native Plants are said to be species of plants that occur naturally in a particular habitat, ecosystem, region, or territory without direct or indirect human actions. They are often recommended and encouraged for planters because of their inherent adaptation to the climate, soil conditions, and native species (in terms of protecting themselves and feeding native wildlife and insects). Let me give you a few valid reasons why you should grow native plants.  

Native plants help support and sustain.

Next time you’re strolling through the produce department at your local grocery store, I want you to stop and think. Take a moment to consider starting your very own garden. Whether you’re surrounded by the tallest of skyscrapers or there’s a cow at every corner, it doesn’t matter. Whether you start small by growing herbs on your kitchen windowsill or are lucky enough to have a large backyard that will happily host multiple raised garden beds, it doesn’t matter.

Nowadays, there are many innovative and trendy ways to garden, but if you haven’t tried growing vertically, let me inspire you to do so. Here’s why vertical gardening is a great way to grow.

Symptoms of summertime begin to occur with the onset of the season; you feel the sunburn on your skin, the irritating itch of poison ivy, mosquitos and ticks, and some of the swimmers experience Swimmer’s Ear. True signs of summer! I'm going to walk you through Mother Earth's Medicine Cabinet to show you how you can naturally remedy some of the season’s most well-known ailments.

Insects can feel like the nemeses of our gardens. It can be absolutely frustrating when pests like flea beetles and white moths devour our hard-grown greens. But believe it or not, not all insects are there to pester and “bug” your garden. Some bugs are very beneficial in helping you attain a flourishing harvest. Here are five useful insects you definitely want in your garden.

If you have a small section of your yard, you might want to consider planting a butterfly garden with your child.  Children will watch and study insects of all types for long periods of time, and with a little wise planting, you will have an instant source of entertainment and learning.

Many common flowers attract both butterflies and hummingbirds.  Here are a few:

At one point, my kitchen windowsill was lined with four mini planting pots: one lavender, one basil, one peppermint, and one cilantro. That was a brief point in time, since I quickly learned that each of these plants are special, with different needs and unique potentials (yes, I learned that by killing them. Or letting them grow wild). But they are worth it! Since I’ve refilled the pots with fresh herbs, they’ve been very experience-enhancing, whether I’m cooking, focusing, or relaxing.  Below are the benefits and care tips I learned from my own little garden.

Children see fruits and vegetables on supermarket shelves, often pre-packed in cling-wrap or conveniently bagged, on a daily basis.  Everything is available all the time – watermelons in the middle of winter? No problem.  We might take it somewhat for granted that children know where their food originates, but to really open their eyes, they need to be exposed to growing food.

Did you know you could grow your own medicine? There are so many reasons to do it! One of the best reasons is for the many benefits that it provides you and your environment. If you don't have space in your yard for a big garden, don’t worry; many of the plants can be grown in containers. To have the Echinacea growing in your yard when the cold or flu strikes, or some Aloe Vera for burns is a blessing.

The benefits of growing your medicine garden/medicine wheel are many. The nutrition and healing properties of the plant are only a couple of reasons.