happening, like increases in food and fuel prices or a loss of family income,” Brown says. “If we’re growing at least some of our own food, I have a lot less to worry about when such things happen.” The family also keeps rabbits and
ducks, plus egg-laying and meat- providing chickens that can total 40 animals in the summer at their “nanofarm.” These also supply natural fertilizer for the crops. Nearby beehives provide 20 pounds of honey each year. Because the foods they produce are solely for their personal use, the Browns are exempt from regulatory restrictions.
“Our neighbors love what we’re
doing,” says Brown, whose house is close enough they can chat across their front porches. “One says our initiative reminds him of growing up in Maine pretty much self-suffi cient. The other tells friends and coworkers they aren’t worried if things really go bad because they have us as neighbors.”
Growing Green Thumbs “With some effort, urban gardeners can grow great vegetables anyplace
that affords enough light and warmth,” advises Strauss, who gardens primarily in raised beds in her front and back yards. “I garden on the scale I do because I love it. It’s both relaxing and challenging, and we eat well.”
Urban gardening methods are as
diverse as the growing conditions, space limitations and fi nancial resources of the gardener. “Lasagna” gardening—layering newspaper or cardboard and other organic materials on top—can be effective in urban areas because it involves no digging or tilling. Just as with making compost, alternate between brown and green layers. Once the materials break down, add plants to the newly created growing bed. Urban dwellers with limited space
may employ square-foot gardening, intensively growing plants in raised beds using a growing medium of vermiculite, peat moss and compost. This method can yield fewer weeds and is easier on the back. “It’s an easy concept to grasp for new gardeners,” remarks Joy. “We use it to both
Green Landscape Design No Lawn,
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maximize output in a small area and ensure healthy, organic, contaminant- free soil.”
Rooftop gardens are becoming more common as larger agricultural operations use them to grow income crops. The U.S. Department of Agriculture considers anyone that sells more than $1,000 of produce to neighbors or area restaurants a farmer, rather than a gardener, so regulations may apply. For renters, just a few tomato plants in a well-maintained container on a patio or deck can yield as much as 50 pounds of tomatoes by taking advantage of its microclimate, infl uenced by wind blocks, heated surfaces and refl ected light from windows.
Urban gardening is also thriving indoors in terrariums, window boxes and small greenhouses. Even partially- lit rooms can support certain vegetables or herbs with grow lights. Aquaponic gardening, a closed-loop system that involves both fi sh and vegetables, expands the self-suffi cient possibilities of a hydroponic system of growing plants fed by liquid nutrients.
Specializing in: Residential Homes
Native, Florida Friendly, & Edible. Assistance with HOA compliance.
scott@earthwisefl.com 407-619-1951
www.earthwisefl.com 407-615-1170
24 Central Florida natural awakenings
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