It’s time to transform America’s lawns into green landscapes. It really hit me on a recent trip to visit my family in Florida. All over the West Palm Beach area there were signs detailing the
town rules during the drought they were having and when you could and couldn’t water your lawn. I also saw all of the beautifully manicured housing developments and Golf Courses being watered. It all really bothered me. There had to be another way. I put my head around it and out of that came this video. Please watch and find out my solutions for America’s unhealthy obsession with lawns.
Blueberries
Blueberries are a very versatile plant. Some blueberry varieties can easily be grown in containers on a patio, balcony, fire escape, or sunny porch. Other blueberry varieties grow to be over 10 feet tall and make a great hedge row. Blueberries need acidic soil, sunlight, and well drained water. Use pine needles as mulch to keep the soil acidic and make sure you weed. Blueberries are high in anti oxidants and a great plant to grow when you have kids. Blueberries ripen in July and can start bearing fruit for you in the first year.
For years I have been experimenting with ground cover for my landscape and now I have decided to work with strawberry vines.Using them as ground cover allows me to reduce the weeding around my city orchard. They spread quickly and are both ornamental and great additions to the edible landscape. Most strawberry vines do well in both sun and shade and there are varieties that can give two crops. Personally I am planting both June bearing and "ever bearing plants" and in a year or two I will be adding them into my fruit salads, making jellies and jams and,if I am blessed, strawberry wine.
I made these two videos for you so that you can share in the joy that I've had growing my own fruit trees. The previous house I lived in had a huge vacant lot next to it. The first thing my husband and I wanted to do was to plant trees. The lot was on a corner so we planted different types of maple trees that would provide a wonderful canopy and color in the fall. But my favorite trees that we planted there were the fruit trees. I planted a mini orchard using dwarf apple trees and plum trees which bore fruit every year I was there. It was great placing a bowl of home grown apples in my office for all to share. Because I live in the city, I use dwarf and semi dwarf fruit trees. Trees are a very important part of combating climate change. In the city the percentage of tree canopies are very low and have declined in major metropolitan areas since the 1970's. Many cities in America have initiatives underway to increase those canopies by planting trees. Trees add to your property value. Trees clean the air by filtering pollutants which is so important in the city. The best thing that you can do to be part of the solution is plant trees. So what are you waiting for? Watch my videos on my new mini orchard and how to plant fruit trees, even in a small yard, or on a patio. Don't forget to sign up for my Ezine.
Using raised beds in the city is essential for Urban Sustainable Living. The use of raised beds in my system allows you to maximize your growing space. It also modularizes the garden and brings the garden to you, taking the back breaking work out of gardening.
Raised beds are great for people with disabilities allowing them to get outside, be physical without having to go beyond what they are physically capable. Raised beds are essential because in my system they house the chickens that fertilize and til the soil. Raised beds also allow you to extend your growing season by easily creating micro climates using hoop houses or high tunnels.
