Thinking of Growing Your Own? Go Organic!

With all of the talk about the rising cost of food and the support of locally grown, sustainable food coming from the Obama Administration, i.e., the groundbreaking on the People's Garden at the USDA and the possibility of an organic food garden at the White House you might be thinking about jumping on the bandwagon and growing your own.

Since spring is just around the corner, it makes it an even better time to get started on your own fruit and vegetable garden. However, if you've never grown your own you might be wondering where to start and worrying that gardening might be bad for the environment.

A solution to both of these issues is to grow organically. But what exactly is organic gardening? As with anything that becomes trendy, the term organic has come to mean different things to different people. There are those people who define it in very narrow terms and for some people this may make it seem hard, if not impossible, to go organic.

Organic Gardening magazine offers a very simple definition. It defines organic gardeners as those who "don’t use synthetic fertilizers or pesticides on their plants and that think of plants as part of a whole system within nature that starts in the soil and includes the water supply, people, wildlife, and even insects."

Basically, if you begin with the premise that gardening is part of a whole system, your goal as a gardener is to minimize the disruption of the natural system and to continually replenish any resources the garden uses.

The most fundamental way to do this is to practice good, basic gardening methods. The most important of these is "feeding" the soil, by providing fertility to the soil using natural sources of nutrients whenever possible. In organic gardening, soil is the most important component. It is the source of the nutrients found in fruits and vegetables.

For those who interpret organic gardening in its most literal sense, this means adding organic matter or decaying plants wastes like grass clippings, leaves, and vegetable scraps from the lawn, garden, or kitchen in the form of compost. While compost is considered the ideal organic matter for garden soil, it's not for everybody. Organic soil amendments and fertilizers are available at local nurseries.

Another important component is to use plants that are best suited to the site you are planting them in. Choose plants that are adapted to your climate such as native plants because they are not heavily dependent on fertilizer or lots of water and are adapted to your climate.

Other key components of organic gardening include making sure to use healthy plants because are they are less susceptible to disease, mulching, using the right irrigation system, and weeding.

Organic gardening also involves the use of natural, safe methods of pest control including crop rotation, companion planting, and introducing beneficial insects.

It's become easier to go organic because many garden supply companies are now providing more nontoxic, natural controls for pests and disease for the organic gardener. Gardeners can also find an increased number of disease-resistance plants at local nurseries.

You will also find that organic gardening is not only better for the garden and the environment, it also means less work for you.

(Originally published on Care2.com, http://www.care2.com/causes/environment/blog/thinking-of-growing-your-own-go-organic/)

Learn to Grow Your Own Edible Garden

Coming up on Saturday March 21 at Descanso Gardens, is a wonderful class called, "California Kitchen Garden."

This hands-on course is taught by John Lyons and it provides an overview of how to install and maintain an organic, California kitchen garden. Topics include: soil development, raised beds, companion planting, composting and organic pest control. In addition, effective seasonal planting choices will also be discussed. Learn how easy organic can be.

Garden Member: $35

Non-Member: $40

For more information or to sign up, call (818) 949-7980

Daily Green's 7 Habits of Effective Gardeners

Just a quick post to let you know about a wonderful resource, The Daily Green. Today's tips include 7 tips for having a green, yet water wise and organic garden.

These are:
1) Make Compost
2) Use Compost
3) Plant Crops in Wide Beds
4) Mulch
5) Feed the Soil, Not the Plants
6) Share Something
7) Be There

For complete details on these, check out their site, http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/blogs/organic-gardening/gardening-tips-460109?src=nl&mag=tdg&list=dgr&kw=ist

But since this is the Giving Gardeners, I am going to highlight #6, "Share Something!"

As they point out, there are always people and groups in need. One of these I discussed here last year, is Plant A Row For The Hungry, http://www.gardenwriters.org/Par/Donation.html%20(which is what I am basing Giving Gardeners on, setting up my own chapter). The Garden Writers Association started this for vegetable gardeners to give away their extra produce to those in need.

Farm Lab Seed Giveaway

Come to the Metabolic Gallery at Farm Lab this Saturday, December 20 at Noon for a free seed give away. As they note, all of their seeds are from heirloom stock. They ask that you bring your own containers to take your seeds home.There is a potluck as well so please bring your own eating and drinking utensils and your favorite dish to share so please RSVP so they know what food to expect.

Farm Lab is located at 1745 N. SPRING AVE., L.A. 90012. The phone number is (323) 226.1158, and for more information, info.@farmlab.org.

Never Forgotten: World AIDS Day

December 1st is World AIDS Day, a day where individuals and organizations from around the world come together to bring attention to the global AIDS epidemic.

2008 marks the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day. Although we have come a long way since 1988, there is still much more to be done.
Take this opportunity to not only honor and remember those we have loved and lost, but to educate yourself about the epidemic as it stands today, http://www.worldaidscampaign.org/static/en/

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's been so long since I have posted here so I thought I'd just send some holiday greetings by showing everyone a photo of one of the types of projects I am hoping to develop as part of the Giving Gardener's.

This is a pumpkin centerpiece I just finished making using locally grown flowers and a locally grown pumpkin as well as some fall decorations from Joann's.


I am hoping we can get the Giving Gardener's going full steam after the first of the year to help bring cheer to those who need it, and fresh produce to those who are hungry. If you listen to the stories on the news this week, the number of people needing food assistance has grown dramatically in the South Bay (nationwide really) due to the economic downturn.

As you have your Thanksgiving dinner, think about those in need and how we can help them. One way is to grow more fresh fruits and vegetables to help!

Support A White House Victory/Food Garden

In an NY Times Magazine article, noted author Michael Pollan is adovcating for the creation of a Victory Garden on part of the White House Lawn to address the issues surrounding food. These include the end of "cheap" food, obesity, and the environment.

Part of the solution is to create a "sun-based"regional food economy and system and so the symbolism of a White House edible garden would be powerful.

As Pollan says: "Since enhancing the prestige of farming as an occupation is critical to developing the sun-based regional agriculture we need, the White House should appoint, in addition to a White House chef, a White House farmer. This new post would be charged with implementing what could turn out to be your most symbolically resonant step in building a new American food culture. And that is this: tear out five prime south-facing acres of the White House lawn and plant in their place an organic fruit and vegetable garden.

When Eleanor Roosevelt did something similar in 1943, she helped start a Victory Garden movement that ended up making a substantial contribution to feeding the nation in wartime. (Less well known is the fact that Roosevelt planted this garden over the objections of the U.S.D.A., which feared home gardening would hurt the American food industry.) By the end of the war, more than 20 million home gardens were supplying 40 percent of the produce consumed in America. The president should throw his support behind a new Victory Garden movement, this one seeking “victory” over three critical challenges we face today: high food prices, poor diets and a sedentary population."

There is a group that has been advocating for this and is led by Kitchen Garden International creator Roger Doiron, they are calling their project, Eat The View.

Check out their site here and sign the petition to get a Food Garden put at the White House http://www.eattheview.org/. One of the things they say you can do to help and to make the case for an edible garden is to identify a near you that you think should be "edible-ized." If you recall, I have posted about the wonderful Victory Garden the City of San Francisco planted in front of their City Hall. And, the Governors of Maine and New York are already eating from gardens planted at their official residences. New school gardens are being dug across the country. Eat the View asks, "What about your town, your local schools, and elected official's residence?"