Green Minds

I need your help finding subjects for a project I’m starting this spring/summer. I’m looking to photograph gardeners in their gardens. What is a garden? My concept of a garden is very open-ended. It can be anything from a sprawling lush paradise to a single plant growing in a coffee can. Gardens include but are

Gallery Exhibition

It’s not at all related to gardening but I will be showing 20 of my photos in a group show alongside 3 other photographers entitled PHOTOGRAMMETRY opening this Friday at Harbourfront Centre here in Toronto. What: An active public space exhibition of urban photography. When: May 13-July 9 (Opening Friday, May 12, 7-9pm) Where: Service

Musings on Plants

Kelly Gilliam Today I was eyeing the plants at my grocery store. We all know not to ever expect much from the grocery store plants, as they’re usually completely neglected, dry, and limp looking if not half (or totally) dead. However, the grocery store plants are the closest and easiest for me to get to,

Plant Shall Eat Plant

Make Herb Tea Fertilizer Did you know you can make liquid fertilizer for your plants using other plants? Sounds like floral cannibalism but it’s not unlike compost when you think about it. Some plants are high in particular nutrients which can be extracted in the same way that you would make a medicinal tea for

Lilac Season

Guest post by Emira Mears Sometime around last weekend the lilac in my backyard burst into bloom. Since then we’ve been enjoying stunning cut blooms and scent in the house. As I was bringing the cuttings into the house, I was reminded of last year around this time when I made my partner go out

Leafscapes | Chicago

Leafscapes Spring in Chicago Thursday, May 18. 4 – 7 P.M. 1820 North Wells Building (N. Wells & N. Lincoln) Please RSVP to attend (Note that you must be 21 years of ago or older to attend). I’ll be giving urban gardening demonstrations at four Leafscapes events this year. Take a look at the schedule

Mache

Grow a Crate o’ Mache

Fruit crates are just tall enough to accomodate leafy greens or herbs with shallow root systems. I decided to fill this one up with a crop of mache. Mache is the de rigour green of the uppercrust and a good choice if growing lettuce feels like a waste of time and space. The succulent leaves

A Paper Garden

While they are probably meant for kids, these paper model projects featuring assorted plants, insects, and organisms are fun projects for any age. Models include your standard garden fare; lady bugs, and butterflies but take learning about the ecosystem of the garden to another level with nematodes, bacteria, and more. Projects come with simple and

Canadian House & Home – Groundbreakers Profile

– From: Canadian House & Home (May 2006 – Green Issue) “Ripe with tips and anecdotes geared towards the urban gardener, the book is an offshoot of her flourishing website yougrowgirl.com, where a growing community of gardeners share inspiration and advice.”

Plant Sales – Mark Your Calendars

I hate to be so Toronto-centric but there are a number of local and very good plant sales coming up that ya’ll should know about. They’re more bang for your buck, the experience is fun, and often times the haul is of better quality than your typical garden super centre. FoodShare’s Plant Sale When: Saturday,

Jane Jacobs, 1916-2006

Guest post by Ariane Khachatourians I know this isn’t exactly about gardening, but it is about a fellow avid gardener who passed away earlier this week. I don’t know how many people know of Jane Jacobs, myself having studied human geography and urban planning in university, she is one of my idols. If you haven’t

The Modern Alchemist

Guest post by Renee Garner Words like hyperaccumulator and phytoremediation sound like something straight out of a 1960s Sci-Fi movie and hardly verbs describing gardens. But when the conceptual, and socially minded artist Mel Chin creates a garden, you get these lengthy words among others.  Mel Chin is a Texas born artist now living in North Carolina; and when he plants,