My Garden Bag

At this time of year, our Compost Hotline in Vancouver receives lots of calls from residents who want to buy soil or compost for their gardens. We have to scramble to update our resource list so we can advise people about the various soil mixes that are on the market.

Most people who order a large quantity of soil will receive it as a pile dumped off the back of a truck. MyGardenBag.com is something different.

[Read more →]

Richmond Virginia community gardens.

City property to be developed into community gardens

March 29, 2011

Mayor Dwight C. Jones’ proposed ordinance of offering City property to non-profit organizations, civic associations, community groups, and other eligible entities to be developed into community gardens was unanimously approved by Richmond City Council last night. The new ordinance requires the creation of a permit process to enable certain parcels of City-owned real estate to be used for community gardens.

“This program allows the City to offer its residents something with immeasurable value – the opportunity to grow healthy food in their own neighborhoods,” said Mayor Jones. “This in turn creates a cycle of healthy behavior throughout the community. Neighbors will not only become healthier through the foods they eat, they will also get to know each other, strengthening community ties. Children will get to see where food comes from and be more excited about eating a healthy diet. Residents will take back vacant lots from possible criminal behavior and businesses will want to locate to these vibrant, safe, healthy neighborhoods.”

[Read more →]

Nokia – HK Honey from The Silentlights on Vimeo.

Hong Kong honey

Directed by Kiku Ohe.
Produced by Exit Films as part of Nokia’s E7 Success Redefined campaign.
(Brilliant video. Mike)

Hong Kong is home to more than 7 million people. Amongst the high rise apartments, product designer Michael Leung founder of HK Honey, has created his own space bringing nature back into the metropolis one box at a time.

[Read more →]

The 3,000 square meter greenhouse atop the roof of Lufa Farms.

Lufa Farms is already set to open another greenhouse on a city rooftop, five times larger than the original.

Excerpt:

By Geraldine Woessner (AFP)
RTE News
April 6, 2011

MONTREAL — A Montreal company is eagerly awaiting a crop of tomatoes, cucumbers and herbs grown in a vast greenhouse perched on top of an office building, and billed as the world’s first rooftop garden farm.

“Our vision is a city of rooftop farms,” says the Lufa Farms website of the gardens nestled above the Canadian metropolis, as it mourns the loss of good farm land due to commercial development and urban sprawl.

[Read more →]