My urban farm: Grow Your Own (GYO) in style

Oups! The design of the blog has gone crazy! Sorry

It seems the blog's design has gone crazy! I am trying to sort it out...

I was going to post about BBQ's but cannot so ...here is a song about Indoor fireworks!

Elvis Costello-

Vertical farms: how urban can farms get?

May I encourage you to visit http://www.verticalfarm.com/ to get a good picture of what is in the pipeline for us urbanites?

It is full of essays, new designs and insights

Extract:

The Problem

By the year 2050, nearly 80% of the earth's population will reside in urban centers. Applying the most conservative estimates to current demographic trends, the human population will increase by about 3 billion people during the interim. An estimated 10⁹ hectares of new land (about 20% more land than is represented by the country of Brazil) will be needed to grow enough food to feed them, if traditional farming practices continue as they are practiced today. At present, throughout the world, over 80% of the land that is suitable for raising crops is in use (sources: FAO and NASA). Historically, some 15% of that has been laid waste by poor management practices. What can be done to avoid this impending disaster?

A Potential Solution: Farm Vertically

The concept of indoor farming is not new, since hothouse production of tomatoes, a wide variety of herbs, and other produce has been in vogue for some time. What is new is the urgent need to scale up this technology to accommodate another 3 billion people. An entirely new approach to indoor farming must be invented, employing cutting edge technologies. The Vertical Farm must be efficient (cheap to construct and safe to operate). Vertical farms, many stories high, will be situated in the heart of the world's urban centers. If successfully implemented, they offer the promise of urban renewal, sustainable production of a safe and varied food supply (year-round crop production), and the eventual repair of ecosystems that have been sacrificed for horizontal farming.

It took humans 10,000 years to learn how to grow most of the

Philippe Starck: new designs to help self sufficiency go mainstream

Fantastic new design by Philippe Starck: the personal wind power station. At the Milan show, the guru designer is showing new designs - no longer just about looking good.

I love this new creation that will be available in 6 sizes.

More details soon

Today is my thinking day !

Today I went to Tesco: parmesan up 10 percent. milk up 15 percent since I last thought about checking...

Now, that is nothing vis a vis countries where food riots are becoming a new reality: so I really question the value of gardens that are not productive and ...so should you ( Is that rude?) .

Well ...I find it more and more difficult to understand chic garden design of unproductive nature ( and yes, I am the author/editor of My Urban garden deco guide !)

Food for thought.

Anne

Farm life comes with a tepee, does it not?

My urban farm is about real ideas to GYO and ideas to live like 'in the good old days'.

This post is about a feel good idea.

I posted a few weeks back on a tipi ( or tepee) for adults by Gandia Blasco . Now I have found one for the family via DWR , Design within reach. It is not exactly cheap -circa 2000 USD, but , hey! what a feeling!

New York UF experiment by Manny Howard or why not to be over ambitious

A story from the  New York Magazine about a challenge to be self reliant for 30 days is great fun and maybe the example of how not to be over ambitious.

I am sure  the subject of UF is about to hit our lifestyle press big time - urging us to be 'a la mode' and jump onto the band waggon. But when real life hits, I believe that the best approach to navigate our way into UF  (ie I mean for us the really Urban kind)  is to go the old way : learn to walk before you try to run!

For the full- rather amusing- video click here

Residents in a New York neighbourhood are waking up to the sound of a crowing rooster each morning.  The rooster, along with accompanying hens, ducks, and rabbits, is part of an urban farm, designed and constructed by writer Manny Howard in his native Brooklyn.

Grow Your Own (GYO): tips and tricks for the absolute beginner

It is all very fine wanting to get started but HOW???How much space? Time?

Loved this article in http://nymag.com/restaurants/features/37275/

Loved the idea of a hot line !
'The New York and Brooklyn botanical gardens offer year-round workshops on urban gardening, and the BBG staffs a Gardener’s Resource Center to vet questions. The hotline (718-623-7270) is open on Tuesdays through Thursdays from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Check online for walk-in hours, helpful e-mail addresses, and other resources.'

Urban Farming Tips and Tricks     * By Hope Reeves

Anyone who has a window or a fire escape, some terra cotta or wooden containers, and a bag of soil can grow a multitude of fruits and veggies.

• Radishes, beets and lettuce:

Shade-loving plants with shallow root systems—like radishes, beets, and lettuce—can be grown in containers smaller than ten inches in diameter, says Sonia Uyterhoeven, the New York Botanical Garden’s gardener for public programs.

• Herbs

The same goes for most herbs—basil, chives, and parsley grow particularly well in contained environments.

• Tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, and peppers

Deeper-rooted vegetables requiring more light, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, and peppers, grow nicely in three- and five-gallon containers. (Uyterhoeven specifically recommends cherry-tomato varieties Sungold and Sweet 100, along with cucumbers Spacemaster and Fanfare.)

All containers should be raised on bricks or some kind of feet for better drainage and air circulation, and container plants must be watered as needed to prevent dehydration.

• Pole beans, larger tomato varieties, yams, sweet potatoes, and dwarf and midget fruit trees—from citrus to fig

Similar considerations apply to rooftops, although vining plants like pole beans, larger tomato varieties, yams, sweet potatoes, and dwarf and midget fruit trees—from citrus to fig—are more feasible owing to fewer space and light constraints.

Those with particularly exposed areas will need to protect their plants from the intense afternoon sun, says Uyterhoeven, who recommends shade cloths and bark chips.

• Fast track on soil matters

Although backyard gardens typically allow more planting space, they can pose serious soil challenges. Caleb Leech, curator of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s fragrance and herb gardens, suggests that, before planting, you take a handful of dirt and squeeze it together.

Good soil will lightly clump, bad soil will either fall apart (too sandy) or mass together (too clay-y). The good news is that soil problems can be remedied by adding compost, manure, and other organic materials widely available at area nurseries. Sun exposure, on the other hand, cannot be changed, so assessing your light prior to choosing plants is essential.

• Leafy greens—bok choy, kale, spinach, mustard greens, leeks, and Swiss chard—grow well in shady environments, as do broccoli, turnips, rutabagas, zucchini, and cabbage, and those sun-worshippers—tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and eggplants, along with blueberries, strawberries, and even certain varieties of kiwi (try Arguta and Kolomikta)—are nice for sunnier expanses.

Herbs of all varieties are hard to botch in part-sun, part-shade areas, and experts recommend interspersing edible plants with flowering ornamentals, both for aesthetics and insect control. The New York and Brooklyn botanical gardens offer year-round workshops on urban gardening, and the BBG staffs a Gardener’s Resource Center to vet questions. The hotline (718-623-7270) is open on Tuesdays through Thursdays from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Check online for walk-in hours, helpful e-mail addresses, and other resources.

Where to start learning about having ones own chicken in town?

For the beginners that most of us are, I recommend a quick stop at the following link as it  really is a great 101 :

http://www.organicliving.com/Urban-Chickens1.html

Grow your own...Fish : possible thanks to the Local river

Excellent find by Dezeen:

French designer Mathieu Lehanneur has created Local River, a concept for a domestic “refrigerator-aquarium” that breeds freshwater fish for eating and grows vegetables at the same time

Full story via Dezeen here

Chelsea Flower Show 08: Del Buono Gazerwitz's 'Potager' will be the talk of the town

The RHS has provided details of the gardens on show at this year's event.

I am pretty certain Daylesford organic 's garden designed by the ulra chic del Buono Gazerwitz  duo will be the talk of the town ..and beyond!

That is great news for those who believe you can grow your own (GYO) in style:

'The garden is intended to demonstrate that the demands of organic practice, conservation, sustainability and self-sufficiency can be strengths, not limitation, in contemporary design'

Indoor food growing : is Hydroponic gardening spooky or a solution for the future?

I posted a few days ago about the Aerogarden, a kitchen top device allowing you to grow salads, herbs and more in record time with no dirt. The machine is a commercial success. I checked Wikipedia to know more about Hydroponic gardening .You will find the result in the extended post below.

On one side it is quite spooky and I encourage you to learn more via this very basic book.

On the other I feel it is quite a good device as you have better control over the source material and can therefor avoid having genetically modified food on your plate. Fact is it not a new technique - far from it-it just getting out of the commercial domain into our kitchen and I guess many have the same reservation as they did when micro waves appeared. Happy to hear your thoughts.

Water harvesting: the value of a rain garden

Water harvesting is a key part of any effort to be a little greener and a key issue for anyone wanting to GYO.

I have already posted on water harvesting with the HOG or oversized planters : now a step up from that is actually designing a garden/outdoor space so it is in itself not a consumer of rain but a harvester.

'RAIN gardens' by Nigel Dunnett and Andy Clayden is a good place to start thinking about the whole issue. Enjoy the read!

12 mini videos by The RHS : how to learn veg growing during a coffee break

Last week I shared a video highlighting the basics for patio veg growing. This series is more about GYO in a garden rather than in container planters.

I have found a new set of excellent video to browse over a coffee break: the RHS has launched a grow your own campaign supported by these videos targeted at those who are total beginners : link here

The series includes: an introduction,ground rules,techniques,direct sowing, brassicas,peas, beans, shallots, marrows, leeks, tomatoes...They show the tools to help figure things out : not just spades but also soil testers...

The 3x3 model vegetable gardens by The UK's RHS

UK's excellent Royal Horticultural society is tapping the GYO trend and has developed 2 great model gardens: one with classic English produce and one with classic Mediterranean ones.You can track the developing story on Jim Gardiner's blog and the details of each plot  here .

In part this is to tie in with both famous UK shows: Hampton Court Palace Flower Show this year, where they  will have a British, Oriental and Mediterranean Fruit and Veg Garden designed by Chelsea Gold Medal winner Michael Balston. 

Stylish productive /kitchen gardens by Sir Terence Conran and Co

I was at the Conran Shop this afternoon on the watch out for a few good ideas. I stumbled up this book. I had never wanted to buy it because the co-author GM designs gardens I do not really love... But as I was in the shop, I sat down and discovered how wrong I had been . The book is totally inspirational. It covers everything and every new option: outdoor fireplaces, kids gardens, Hi tech options, family gardens, party gardens...

It has  a very good section on how to make a productive ( IE G YO ) garden even in the tiniest patch with superb style. Sir Terence Conran was already designing kitchen gardens in 1999 - way before it was in fashion. Bravo Conran!

Who says growing vegetables and herbs has to be shabby?

Thank you Paradise Express :I love this find . I hope designers will follow the lead set by  artist/conceptor Phil Ross with his Roundabout and disrupt conventional thinking that growing vegetables  and herbs ( GYO) is an activity that is messy and reserved for the eco warrior.

Status stories are NEW cool ... and GYO is a great one

I am a subscriber of a great newsletter by Trend Watching .This month they confirm Luxury soon will be defined by having the better story not the highest price only. I was happy to read that Gastro /edible gardens are becoming a must story if you want to have any cachet with your guests...as a private home or a restaurant.They tell the story of De Kas a restaurant in Holland: 'What has more value: the actual dining experience at Amsterdam’s De Kas restaurant, or the story about De Kas that guests can tell others after they’ve been? (De Kas’ story, by the way, is that although they’re located in the city of Amsterdam, they have their own nursery, where they grow herbs and Mediterranean vegetables in the summer, and various kinds of lettuce in the winter. (‘Kas’ is Dutch for greenhouse). Next? How about letting guest pick their own vegetables? ;-)'

9 minutes to see how to get started with carrots, onions, courgettes, chili peppers and more

If you have no clue of how to get started in the fabulous world of GYO ( grow your own) this is a great 9 min video : potting seeds basics . You'll see everything you need.

Electrolux Hydrosphere or kitchen top dirt free veg growing in 2016

I have been looking a little closer at major brands efforts to help the very urban clue less start growing their own.In 2006 Electrolux very high profile  fourth Electrolux Design Lab competition theme was “household appliance solutions for food preservation and storage that promote healthier eating habits for 2016".

Kleber Puchaski’s HydroSphere was a finalist : a gorgeous transparent sphere for growing herbs, vegies and fruit indoors.
See , no need to buy a spade.

Sign of things to come: VEGE by Electrolux -Grow Your Own (GYO) with Hi tech

Spotted by the excellent www.Hippyshopper.com

' This is such a cool idea, in every sense of the word! I've so often envied those lucky people with enough time on their hands to Grow Your Own (GYO) veggies in the garden or allotment, regularly harvesting bags of delicious, organic produce for little more than the price of a few seeds, and this invention from Electrolux could just be the answer...

Busy in the city ? Got 15 minutes to Grow Your Own (GYO) winter salad?

I think I just found the truly accessible 101 to growing your own fruit and vegetables - Urban style...

The BBC have a totally great section dedicated to the subject.
They provide basic , real life 'How to' 's for over 30 fruit and vegetables.
You will find a short film, real life basics : how much TIME it takes, what tools etc..  http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/growfruitandveg_index.shtml
The interesting part is the emphasis they put on practicalities:
'It's rewarding and healthy and you don't need a big garden to cultivate your favourite fruit and vegetables. You can grow them in containers, grow bags and even hanging baskets.'

I 'd just add that design wise,
- You can grow your fruit tree in a creative way ( see below bench by www.Domani.be)
- As for containers you can go for over sized planters that top of the trend.

Chicken and rabbits in town : get an Eglu

My Urban Farm is dedicated  to tracking  ways for true 'urbanites' - with not much time- no experience -to tap into the UF trend in a realistic way and ...in style.
Over the past year I have been keeping an eye on trends that have made their way on to my style radar : urban farming and urban agriculture.  This month edgy fashionistas style bible Wallpaper  warn us that yes they are the hip next thing but we will have to show an ability to jump on the band waggon in style.

STEP 1 : GET AN EGLU: for your home grown non battery eggs

On the kids front designers are already developing products to introduce the new generations to farmyard skills! Omlet ( www.omlet.co.uk) have developped the designer version of the rabbit and hen hut so kids can enjoy new fun without ruining the parents sense of style!
'Ninety per cent of our customers have never kept livestock before but they find it easy, and love the eggs.'say founders.

EarthBox : 'Organic Ready to Grow Complete Kits' plus a video demo : ouf!

I find this type of new kit quite perfect for a totally clue less potential Grower. I am happy and eager to get starting. But pity make it easy! Don't ask me to spend 5 hours in a garden centers asking what I need before I get started. These kits will boost the trend and facilitate adotion I am sure
.
EARTHBOX have developped a set a of videos how to use it : where to put it, how to set it up, what to plant.

The salad wall :Grow Your Own (GYO) vertically, so chic!

We have all heard about the new green walls ...well Turf Studios go a step further :
Read more about their playful vision of Growing  Your Own food (GYO) in Urban Style HERE

Grow your own Thai dinner in town

Edible Garden.com  are a great example that starting out growing ones food - even tiny parts-   is not about being an eco warrior eating roots and giving up ones tastes and time ..
They are spot on trend with their easy THAI GARDEN kit

The rise of a new profession: the back yard farmer

I received a comment yesterday encouraging me to check out http://www.yourbackyardfarmer.com/
Hiring your own private farmer for the most urban types - ie those with no time no experience but the will... is a  great solution.
Again you can use designer raised bed, ultra chic over sized planters to keep your design style intact.
It is only conventional thinking that wants us to think in either or.

And when they say Grow Your Own (GYO)...It does not mean  you can't have help!

PS:Thx for the lead! 
 

Challenge Starbucks: grow your own tea and coffee

I, as readers know, am a typical urbaner..and a regular visit to Starbucks is part of the kit!
I stumbled upon the following at Amazon ...You may know that one of the forces behind urban GYO is the snob factor 'I too can do mine' ...well I will have a go and report back on taste!