LocalHarvest.org lists some 2,500 community gardens in its database, as does the American Community Gardening Association (CommunityGarden.org).


growing potential. Climbing vines such as grapes and berries, hanging pots with tomatoes and nasturtium, and fruit trees in half-barrels are great ways to grow more food in a small space. The crops don’t know they’re in a pot.” Herbs also love containers. Some plants, like tomatoes, can even be grown upside-down to more efficiently use limited space.


Vacant Lots


“Community gardens are an excellent solution for those with the garden itch and no good land to scratch,” advises Roger Doiron, founder of Kitchen Gardeners International (Kitchen Gardeners.org), a nonprofit community of 20,000 members that has been cultivating change since 2008. Community gardens have taken over empty city lots, church lawns and schoolyards that are collectively farmed for food, relaxation or social camaraderie. Co-gardening a neighbor’s lot and sharing the harvest is another option.


Eating the Lawn


“There are no beauty contests in the plant world, but, if there were, a productive, ever-changing patch of diverse veg- etables would beat out a monoculture of turf grass any time,” says Doiron, smiling. Put into food production, America’s 25 million acres of lawns could go a long way toward reducing the environmental cost of transporting produce hundreds or thousands of miles.


Americans growing their own food isn’t a pie-in-the-sky fantasy. As University of California garden historian Rose Hayden-Smith confirms, “During the peak year for Victory Gardens, 1943, some government estimates indicated that up to 40 percent of the fresh fruits and vegetables consumed on the American home front were produced in school, home, community and workplace gardens.”


“One of the first steps in bringing healthy foods to the forefront of society is bringing them to the front and center of our living spaces,” concludes Doiron. “Growing food in small spaces is all about doing what you can with what you have. It’s a matter of changing our notion of potential food- producing landscapes.” It does wonders for people’s connec- tion to nature, too.


John Ivanko and Lisa Kivirist are co-authors of Farmstead Chef (FarmsteadChef.com), ECOpreneuring and Rural Renais- sance. Their award-winning Inn Serendipity B&B (InnSerendip- ity.com) operates completely on renewable energy.


Great Green Spaces Think Outside the Plot for an Appealing, Productive Garden


by Stephanie and Ian Orlikoff M


any individuals and newbie gardeners are surprised to learn that colorful vegetables and herbs can be orna- mental, and look far better occupying a living space than stacked in the produce aisle. Paying homage to the deep purple color of a cabbage or the patterned veins of Swiss chard leaves and other textured plants gives indoor and outdoor living spaces a completely different appeal, as well as a forever-changing landscape. Try these ideas for creating gardens that are edible and attractive.


Window Gardens


Herbs on a kitchen windowsill are beautiful and functional. Grow them in small planters, teacups and old glassware, but be careful not to overwater if the containers lack drainage holes.


Container Gardens


Stack or group container gardens by plant colors or types of herbs and vegetables. Use them as space dividers to separate large areas such as a common living and dining room or to define an outdoor dining area by the pool.


Green Walls


Fill green wall planters with herbs or small blooming or hanging plants to turn an unsightly space into a work of art. Freestanding or installed on a building’s structure, with or without an irrigation system, they can be used as privacy screens or on fences between properties.


Vertical Gardens


Use a trellis inside containers for climb- ing vegetables; shade a sunlit wall with a fruit tree espalier; or utilize a climb- ing vine, such as muscadine grapes, for a pergola or arbor. Keep in mind that a single square foot space can hold up to 24 plants with a stackable pot system or grow columns, which are ideal for small growing spaces inside lanais, between homes and in porch rooms.


Edible Lawns Many ground covers and shrubs such as


rosemary and lemongrass are edible and aromatic. Consider thyme and other small-leaf herbs as edgings for walkways. Various colors of lettuces and cabbages can be used as low- tiered plantings. Green vegetables such as broccoli rabe and bok choy have delicate, yellow blossoms that encourage butterflies when allowed to seed.


Stephanie and Ian Orlikoff are the owners of Eco Logic Land Care & Signature Tree Care. Ian is an AOLCP accred- ited land care professional and ISA certified arborist, and both are Florida certified horticulture professionals. Stepha- nie is also a Collier County master gardener. For more info, call 239-348-1302 or visit EcologicLandCare.com. See ad, page 19.


natural awakenings March 2012 43


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