February 3, 2013

We certainly couldn’t keep Annie all to ourselves, not with the knowledge and talent that she has to offer the gardening world. When she’s not enlightening the city’s children as the Assistant Manager of the NYBG’s Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden, she’s greening the rooftops of Brooklyn as one of the most well-respected urban gardeners in the five boroughs.

That said, she knows her stuff! If you ever happen to catch her digging away in the Family Garden, give her a wave for us. —MN

landscapefocused:

Annie Novak - Urban Farmer, At Eagle Street Farm, Brooklyn. Images by Todd Selby.

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Filed under: Annie Novak gardening urban gardening rooftop Eagle Street Farm Family Garden 
November 5, 2012
Growing Everything but Gardeners “In an ideal situation, we would have gardens with everyone in the community participating,” Ms. McPherson said. “But in fact, a few die-hard people end up carrying the flag.” You’re not the first one to walk by a vacant, overgrown lot and think to yourself, “Why haven’t they turned this into a community garden?!” But while the urban gardening movement may be getting truckloads of press as of late, there’s a kink in the green push that isn’t being addressed: a lack of actual gardeners. I’m not talking about NYBG-certified landscape architects or experienced upstate farmers. Just everyday New Yorkers who are willing to get their hands dirty in cleaning up, planting, and caring for the many spaces in the city that could be supplying food and community to neighborhoods that need it. Or, for that matter, the plots that are already being gardened. This is an interesting read for those who have the aspirations, but maybe not the staying power (yet), to add a true mandate to the gardening movement. If you’re a Bronxite who wants to make a difference, you can check out our Bronx Green-Up initiative, working to help local New Yorkers with technical assistance, horticultural advice, and the gardening training needed to keep that revitalized plot from sinking back into a sea of weeds. —MN (Photo credit: Robert Wright)

Growing Everything but Gardeners

“In an ideal situation, we would have gardens with everyone in the community participating,” Ms. McPherson said. “But in fact, a few die-hard people end up carrying the flag.”

You’re not the first one to walk by a vacant, overgrown lot and think to yourself, “Why haven’t they turned this into a community garden?!” But while the urban gardening movement may be getting truckloads of press as of late, there’s a kink in the green push that isn’t being addressed: a lack of actual gardeners.

I’m not talking about NYBG-certified landscape architects or experienced upstate farmers. Just everyday New Yorkers who are willing to get their hands dirty in cleaning up, planting, and caring for the many spaces in the city that could be supplying food and community to neighborhoods that need it. Or, for that matter, the plots that are already being gardened. This is an interesting read for those who have the aspirations, but maybe not the staying power (yet), to add a true mandate to the gardening movement.

If you’re a Bronxite who wants to make a difference, you can check out our Bronx Green-Up initiative, working to help local New Yorkers with technical assistance, horticultural advice, and the gardening training needed to keep that revitalized plot from sinking back into a sea of weeds. —MN

(Photo credit: Robert Wright)

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Filed under: gardening urban gardening urban agriculture Bronx Green-Up NYC New York 
September 2, 2012
I couldn’t possibly let a super cool urban gardening gif like this go without a mention. The gif is of a new gardening concept by French designers Nicolas Barreau and Jules Charbonnet. The idea is sort of a cross between a vertical garden and a trebuchet, and I have to be honest, it makes me very nervous. I’m one of those people that look up a lot while walking around the city, and I’m constantly surprised by the rickety-looking rigs used to hold air conditioners in place. All this thing would need to turn into a hurtling projectile is one weekend with no owners at home and a misdirected thunderstorm, hurricane, or tornado (hey, it happens! I experienced it first hand!). So while I applaud the effort, I’m going to go ahead and hope that these take a verrrrry long time to make it to New York. ~AR (via A Bridge to Nature: Barreau & Charbonnet’s “Volet Vegetal” Urban Gardening Concept - Core77)

I couldn’t possibly let a super cool urban gardening gif like this go without a mention. The gif is of a new gardening concept by French designers Nicolas Barreau and Jules Charbonnet. The idea is sort of a cross between a vertical garden and a trebuchet, and I have to be honest, it makes me very nervous.

I’m one of those people that look up a lot while walking around the city, and I’m constantly surprised by the rickety-looking rigs used to hold air conditioners in place. All this thing would need to turn into a hurtling projectile is one weekend with no owners at home and a misdirected thunderstorm, hurricane, or tornado (hey, it happens! I experienced it first hand!). So while I applaud the effort, I’m going to go ahead and hope that these take a verrrrry long time to make it to New York. ~AR

(via A Bridge to Nature: Barreau & Charbonnet’s “Volet Vegetal” Urban Gardening Concept - Core77)

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Filed under: Urban Gardening Vertical Gardens Apartment Gardening 
July 24, 2012
Tiny Concrete Jungles New Yorkers have a talent for the tiny. They owe it to years spent cozying shoebox studios and kitchenettes, opening up spaces with illusory paint schemes and fold-in furniture. It’s the cost of living in metropolis. And, of late, they’re getting just as good with their outdoor spaces, be it a forgotten, tarpaper square of roof or otherwise. Working a few paint bucket planters out onto the fire escape is one thing, but what about turning it into a functional garden? A place for summer dusks where you can sit and have a drink without folding yourself into an origami crane. True to form, New Yorkers have tackled the challenge. And they’re seeing success. Click through for the New York Times’ tale of tiny trellises, tables, and tree spaces. —MN

Tiny Concrete Jungles

New Yorkers have a talent for the tiny. They owe it to years spent cozying shoebox studios and kitchenettes, opening up spaces with illusory paint schemes and fold-in furniture. It’s the cost of living in metropolis. And, of late, they’re getting just as good with their outdoor spaces, be it a forgotten, tarpaper square of roof or otherwise.

Working a few paint bucket planters out onto the fire escape is one thing, but what about turning it into a functional garden? A place for summer dusks where you can sit and have a drink without folding yourself into an origami crane.

True to form, New Yorkers have tackled the challenge. And they’re seeing success. Click through for the New York Times’ tale of tiny trellises, tables, and tree spaces. —MN

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Filed under: New York NYC garden urban gardening 
June 12, 2012
Rhubarb Tart Bronx Style

I am loving this new-to-me blog about urban gardening and local eating, Local Food Me. Sure, it doesn’t hurt that Jay has been spending time at the Garden, but seriously, check it out; Jay has a very good start on a well designed terrace garden that will make you swoon! Oh, and this tart looks scrumptious. ~AR

localme:


Coming at you from the Bronx, where I’ve been spending a good amount of time lately. Dinner and pastries on Arthur Avenue, art installations in old mansions, and long walks through the unrivaled Botanical Garden.

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Filed under: Urban Gardening Terrace Gardening New York City 
January 26, 2012
World’s Largest Rooftop Farm Expands its Territory At 40,000 square feet, the Brooklyn Grange rooftop farm in Long Island City is the largest of its kind. Anywhere. But the folks behind its growing success have decided that such an enormous space still doesn’t stand up under their ambitions. To hold onto their title, the Grange has recently decided to expand to a rooftop in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, adding more than 45,000 square feet to their current holdings. That’s a heap of vegetables if ever a heap there were.

World’s Largest Rooftop Farm Expands its Territory

At 40,000 square feet, the Brooklyn Grange rooftop farm in Long Island City is the largest of its kind. Anywhere. But the folks behind its growing success have decided that such an enormous space still doesn’t stand up under their ambitions.

To hold onto their title, the Grange has recently decided to expand to a rooftop in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, adding more than 45,000 square feet to their current holdings. That’s a heap of vegetables if ever a heap there were.

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Filed under: urban gardening agriculture rooftop NYC 
September 27, 2011
It’s heartening to see the lengths that people will go to in order to have a garden. This example of extreme gardening is from Tokyo.

It’s heartening to see the lengths that people will go to in order to have a garden. This example of extreme gardening is from Tokyo.

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Filed under: Urban Gardening Tokyo Tree Care 
September 2, 2011
Urban Gardening Takes Off at Berlin's Fabled Airport

Home to the Berlin Airlift, Tempelhof airport was closed in 2008 to make way for a larger, newer airport on the outskirts of Berlin. The huge space has become a sort of playground for the surrounding neighborhoods, and include a 54,000-square foot community garden. It reminds us of New York City’s horticultural gem, the Floyd Bennett Field Community Garden.

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Filed under: Urban Gardening community gardens Floyd Bennett Field Community Garden New York City Berlin 
July 4, 2011
Smell the roses--don't pick them

Here’s a commentary piece from San Luis Obispo on the misunderstanding of the definition of “community garden.”  Apparently there’s a misconception out there that “community garden” means that anyone can just walk in and pick whatever they want. Have you ever heard of this? Is it a common problem amongst community gardeners?

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Filed under: community gardens urban gardening gardening 
July 2, 2011
New Research on Community Gardening Reveals the Roots of Emotional and Physical Health

Litt’s research has shown that community gardens are affordable and accessible to people across the lifespan — regardless of age, race, socioeconomic status or educational background. She found that community gardeners cultivate relationships with their neighbors, are more involved in civic activities, stay longer in their neighborhoods, eat better and view their health more positively. In fact, 20 minutes of gardening a day translated to statistically higher ratings of health. Moreover, people who garden found their neighborhoods to be safer, cleaner and more beautiful, regardless of educational and income status.

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Filed under: Community gardens gardening urban gardening 
June 20, 2011
Strategies for Dealing With Wind in a High Rise Balcony Garden

If you’re lucky enough to live in the city and have an apartment with a balcony, you might think you’re all set to have a breezy, easy little patio garden plot. But with high rise urban living comes unique challenges. This post from Life on the Balcony, a blog devoted entirely to patio plantings, has some great tips on how to deal with one of the more unforeseen challenges of balcony gardening: wind.

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Filed under: Balcony gardening Patio Gardening Container Gardening Urban Gardening 
June 16, 2011
Nice inspiration for the urban gardener in this slideshow of photographs from Amsterdam over on Casa Sugar. Some of these ideas will work well in lower-slung cities where plants can more easily receive ample daily sunlight. In New York, where buildings routinely soar to 30 and 40 stories, the shadows these skyscrapers create can severely limit the plants available to the urban gardener.

Nice inspiration for the urban gardener in this slideshow of photographs from Amsterdam over on Casa Sugar. Some of these ideas will work well in lower-slung cities where plants can more easily receive ample daily sunlight. In New York, where buildings routinely soar to 30 and 40 stories, the shadows these skyscrapers create can severely limit the plants available to the urban gardener.

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Filed under: Urban Gardening City Gardening Small-Space Gardening Gardening Container Gardening 
May 21, 2011
A nice, concise post full of helpful tips for the space-challenged urban gardener. It’s nice to know that everyone hates squirrels (at least when it comes to gardening).

A nice, concise post full of helpful tips for the space-challenged urban gardener. It’s nice to know that everyone hates squirrels (at least when it comes to gardening).

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Filed under: Urban Gardening Container Gardening Herbs Vegetables 
May 5, 2011
Beautiful profile of the Garden’s own Annie Novak from the Urban Outfitters blog. One of the many hats Annie wears is Assistant Manager of the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden at NYBG, along with co-founder of the Eagle Street Rooftop Farm in Brooklyn, and founder and director of Growing Chefs. Whatever hat she’s wearing, we think she’s fabulous!

Beautiful profile of the Garden’s own Annie Novak from the Urban Outfitters blog. One of the many hats Annie wears is Assistant Manager of the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden at NYBG, along with co-founder of the Eagle Street Rooftop Farm in Brooklyn, and founder and director of Growing Chefs. Whatever hat she’s wearing, we think she’s fabulous!

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Filed under: Annie Novak The New York Botanical Garden Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden Urban Gardening rooftop farming Cooking with Kids 
May 1, 2011
The 5 Best Cities for Urban Gardening

New York doesn’t make the cut. What can we do better, in your opinion, as a city, to encourage urban gardening?

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Filed under: Urban Gardening Urban Farms Cities 
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