Sweet Orange

Not all gardening has to be in the ground, horizontal, or take up much space. Vertical gardening is what I am talking about. The Phytopod is one example, but numerous other possibilities exist. (However, I do particularly like the way the Phytopod looks.)

According to one of the ads for the Phytopod:

Your can have 20 square feet of planting area on a 2′ x 2′ footprint! Plant lettuce, basil, tomatoes, radishes, spinach, herbs, flowers–anything you would want in a garden patch…!

The example in the picture seems to be planted with some greens–great for a fall garden.

I like it! Renters, apartment dwellers, all who have limited space, rise up. Start your own garden.

Click here to see a video of how it works. (I suggest that you ignore the big bug at the beginning of the video, but that’s just me.)

Photo courtesy Vertical Home Gardens

To educate the world about the power of gourmet living foods!–118 Degrees Mission Statement

Here is an update to yesterday’s post: At noon, (after the Salad Bowl gardening lecture), you can watch a salad-making demonstration called Salad-Making 101 at the Great Park. Executive chef and owner of the Costa Mesa restaurant 118 Degrees, Jenni Ross, will give the presentation.

Here is more information as provided on the Great Park website:

Check out Chef Jenny Ross, owner of restaurant 118 Degrees, as she demonstrates a dressing recipe and talks about ways that you can use greens to create fresh, homemade salads. The demonstration will begin at noon at the Farm + Food Lab, immediately after the Salad Bowl Garden workshop.

Photo courtesy 118 Degrees

The Orange County Great Park fall garden lecture series continues. Last week we had those wicked bugs. This week it’s all about growing your own garden greens. Here is the skinny on this upcoming event:

The Orange County Great Park is hosting a fall garden lecture series. The lectures, which are held at the Great Park Farm and Food Lab, are now though November 5. All lectures are free. The next lecture is on Saturday, October 15 at 10 am.

Here is a description of the upcoming free talk that is straight from the Great Park’s website:

Master Gardener Kay Havens will demonstrate how to make beautiful salad blends. Her seminar will include Asian greens as well as how to make garden additions for flavor and color.

Note: The Great Park uses sustainable practices (The 2009 APA award given to the Great Park and comments from The Sustainable Sites Initiative are examples of this.) but recently accepted a donation from a company that is associated with Monsanto. This company will be the “exclusive lawn and garden products sponsor of the Orange County Great Park Farm + Food Lab and Community Gardens Program.”

If you follow these matters, you will know that Monsanto receives a lot of criticism from the sustainable-practices community. I am not sure what to think of this partnership right now, but maybe that is a discussion for another time.

Photo courtesy Seeds of Change

Operating a [gas powered] lawn mower for one hour produces as much pollution as driving a car 93 miles.–Mother Earth News

With the above quote in mind and the fact that gas mowers can be extremely noisy, you might consider taking advantage of the South Coast Air Quality Management district’s lawn mower exchange program. Of course, a manual mower would reduce the air and noise pollution even more. But if you are just not willing to go there, an electric mower could be an answer. If you live in the South Coast AQMD district, you qualify to exchange your gas lawn mower for a cordless rechargeable electric mower at a discounted price.

Here is what is being offered:

• The 14″ Neuton® (24v), which has a retail value of $400, can be purchased for $100.
• The 19″ Neuton® (36v), which has a retail value of $495, can be purchased for $160.
• The 19″ Black & Decker (24v), which has a retail value of $350, can be purchased for $100.
• The 19″ Black & Decker (36v), which has a retail value of $445, can be purchased for $160.
• The Black&Decker 19″ self-propelled mower, which has a retail value of $699, can be purchased for $230.
  Note: For more detailed information on each model, go to http://www.aqmd.gov/tao/lawnmower-registration.html.

Eligibility as written on the South County AQMD website is as follows:

• You must be a resident living within AQMD’s 4-county jurisdiction, which includes all of Orange County, most of Los Angeles County (excluding the Antelope Valley), almost all of Riverside County, and the non-desert portion of San Bernardino County.  You will be asked to show proof of residency (driver’s license, utility bill, etc.) when you come to exchange your mower.
• You must turn in a working gas mower.
• You must be at least 18 years of age.
• You must pre-register for one of the exchange events and have the reservation form showing your reservation number for that event.
• At the exchange event, you must pay $100, $160 or $230 depending on the model you choose. (Cash, Check, or Major Credit Cards Accepted).
• There is a limit of one mower per residence.

Upcoming exchange dates and locations are:

• Saddleback College in Mission Viejo on October 8
• Norco College in Norco on October 22

Note: Pre-registration is required. For more details or to register, go to http://www.aqmd.gov/tao/lawnmower.html, or call 1-888-425-6247 (Tuesday-Friday from 8 am to 5 pm).

The Orange County Great Park is hosting a fall garden lecture series. The lectures, which are held at the Great Park Farm and Food Lab, are now though November 5. All lectures are free. The next lecture is on Saturday, October 8 at 10 am.

Here is a description of the upcoming free talk that is straight from the Great Park’s website:

Author Amy Stewart (Wicked Bugs) will discuss bugs gone wild. It’s an A - Z of insect enemies, interspersed with stories that explore bugs’ sometimes odd behavior and our sometimes irrational responses to bugs.

Note: The Great Park uses sustainable practices. The 2009 American Planning Award given to the Great Park and comments from The Sustainable Sites Initiative are examples of this. However, the Great Park board accepted a donation from ScottsMiracle-Gro, a company that is associated with Monsanto, and ScottsMiracle-Gro will be the “exclusive lawn and garden products sponsor of the Orange County Great Park Farm + Food Lab and Community Gardens Program.”

If you follow these matters, you know that Monsanto receives a lot of criticism from the sustainable-practices community. I am not sure what to think of this partnership right now, but maybe that is a discussion for another time.

Photo courtesy Seeds of Change, an organic gardening and food company