Urban Gardening: Difference between revisions

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Line 1:

{{#seo:

|title=Urban Gardening

|description=A collection of articles about urban gardening

|keywords=landscape, gardening, homestead, fence, flowers, vegetables, backyard, agriculture, lumber

|image=File:Urban Gardening.jpg

|image_width=300

|image_height=200}}

'''Summary'''

Urban gardening, as described across these sources, is the practice of growing food, herbs, flowers, and sometimes even keeping small animals within city and suburban spaces. It includes backyard beds, balconies, patios, rooftops, windowsills, containers, bucket gardens, vertical gardens, community plots, school gardens, and repurposed vacant lots. The central message is that lack of land is no longer a barrier to gardening: urban growers adapt by using raised beds, containers, grow lights, walls, railings, rooftops, and other overlooked spaces. In this sense, urban gardening is defined less by a single method than by creativity and efficient use of limited space.

A major theme in the sources is practicality and accessibility. Many of the videos and how-to articles stress that beginners can start small with herbs, vegetables, or flowers in pots, buckets, or simple raised beds. Successful urban gardening depends on matching plants to available light, choosing manageable systems, watering consistently, and using structures such as trellises, shelves, and vertical supports to grow more in less space. Small-space methods are repeatedly highlighted: container gardening for balconies and patios, kitchen gardens for everyday herbs and vegetables, indoor seed-starting under lights, and raised beds for better soil control and easier maintenance. These sources present urban gardening as something ordinary people can do almost anywhere, even without a yard.

The materials also frame urban gardening as a social and environmental tool, not just a hobby. Community gardens and urban farms are described as ways to improve food access, especially in lower-income neighborhoods and food deserts, while also strengthening social ties, beautifying neglected spaces, and creating safer, greener neighborhoods. Several sources emphasize the benefits for mental and physical health, neighborhood pride, youth education, and climate resilience. Urban gardens are portrayed as valuable infrastructure that can reduce food miles, provide habitat for pollinators, manage rainwater, and reconnect city residents with nature. In cities like Detroit, Washington, D.C., Denver, Austin, Seattle, and Philadelphia, they are shown as part of broader efforts around food justice, community development, and environmental repair.

At the same time, the sources make clear that urban gardening comes with distinct challenges. Limited space, shade from buildings, short growing seasons, pests, water management, and the need for tidy, efficient layouts are recurring concerns. One of the most important cautions is soil safety: on former industrial or commercial land, or older residential sites, soil contamination can be a serious issue, so testing and understanding site history are essential. In response, many urban gardeners use raised beds, imported clean soil, compost systems, and container growing to reduce risk and increase control. Overall, the collection presents urban gardening as a flexible, resilient, and community-minded form of cultivation—one that turns underused urban spaces into productive landscapes while addressing food access, sustainability, and quality of life.

=====Urban Gardening=====

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_gardening by Wikipedia]

Line 268:

Line 290:

[https://www.wikihow.life/Start-a-Community-Garden by Ben Barkan 28/5/25 wikiHow]

If there’s a vacant lot in your neighborhood, you may be thinking that the perfect way to fill it up is with a community garden! Starting a community garden is a great way to bring your neighborhood together while also growing nutritious and great-tasting vegetables, fruits, and herbs. You can also add a children’s plot or flower garden to make your garden even more special. It can be a lot of work to have a community garden, so get a group together to plan and plant it. This same group can keep your garden growing for years to come!

=====Build Planter Box + Choose Plants=====

[https://www.reddit.com/r/howto/comments/1k6hf02/build_planter_box_choose_plants/ by reddit]

Last fall I tore down my deck and built this privacy wall with the leftover wood with the idea of turning it into a planter box. My initial plan was to hang potted plants from the wall and build a planter bed in the bottom.

I’ve never even owned a plant before and am feeling a little overwhelmed with all the options of planter box designs and plants I’ve seen on the internet. I’m also allergic to bees (idk if this matters)

What is the best way to construct a planter box on a patio. And what plants would be the best combo of beauty and privacy while not attracting unwanted critters and insects?

=====Guerrilla Gardening - Bombing Style=====

[https://www.instructables.com/Guerrilla-Gardening-the-bombing-way/ by bartworker in Living AUTODESK Instructables]

Imagine you're driving through the urban jungle. You're living your life, trying to do what's right and while you're eating miles and avoiding crossing skaters, elderly persons, dogs and raccoons you see all those monotonous roundabouts, roadsides & abandoned spaces. Sometimes they're planted with things called 'flowers', most of the time there's just nothing but grass. If there is, any grass. Prozac, now!

=====Make Your Own Urban Farming Micro-planter=====

[https://www.instructables.com/Make-Your-Own-Urban-Farming-Micro-planter/ by thesustainablehumanproject in Living AUTODESK Instructables]

Here is a step-by- step guide to building your very own micro-planter out of reclaimed pallet wood or similar small wood scraps. I am building these planters as part of The Sustainable Human Project to trade for some of the food and goods that I cannont currently get, as I attempt to go 365 days of only eating food that is grown within The Sustainable City boundaries.

There are several simple rules in place for The Sustainable Human Project and short term patches in the food basket will come from this circular economy story around repurposing wood from the local construction site of the SEE Institute into urban farming tools and planters to be used in bartering and local trade with TSC residents (trade for essential food items I require). There are long term stories to come out of the designs for these woodworking barter items that will tie into Sanad Village (the Autism Centre in TSC), with the empowerment of People of Determination for self-reliance and development of life skills.

=====How to Start and Plan a Garden in 14 Steps=====

[https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-start-a-garden-from-scratch-2132778 by David Beaulieu 6/4/25 the spruce]

Learning how to start a garden will not only help you develop a vast library of horticultural knowledge, but it also brings a sense of accomplishment and joy. However, there are several aspects of gardening that are important to understand before you create your first planting bed.

You first have to decide what type of garden you want to start: consider a cutting garden, a pure wildflower garden, a vegetable and herb garden, or maybe a butterfly garden. Start with the basics, like learning the best month to begin planting in your region, then move on to envisioning your garden layout and exactly what you want to grow.

=====Urban Greenhouse=====

[https://www.instructables.com/Urban-Greenhouse/ by RuneG1 in Outside AUTODESK Instructables]

Go to a store/shop where they sell candy, like in the picture, and get

some boxes with transperant lid ( they will give it to you for free ) Collect some egg carton, or buy the one they sell at gardening store. They should not cost to much. At the same time, get som seeds :)

You can buy soil ( do not buy the cheepest ) or go into the woods with a shovel and a bucket and get it for free.

=====D.C. urban gardens bring low-cost, fresh produce to city's food deserts=====

[https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/urban-gardens-grow-residents-devotion-in-dc by Larisa Epatko 24/11/16 PBS NEWS]

They studied successful urban gardens in other states and learned about grant writing to fund theirs. They utilized neighborhood ambassadors like Parker and added two more sites. Now, they have three mini-farms in parts of southeastern D.C. labeled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as food deserts -- places usually in low-income areas that lack fresh fruits and vegetables.

=====In Denver, An Urban Garden Grows Healthier Foods - And Attitudes=====

[https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/in-a-low-income-neighborhood-in by Rebecca Jacobson, Inside Energy 10/10/11 PBS NEWS]

In a low-income neighborhood in Denver, it used to be impossible to find fresh fruit or vegetables. Bordered on all sides by train tracks and highways, the 7,000 residents of Elyria-Swansea don't have a grocery store within two-and-a-half miles.

But Coby Gould and his colleagues hope to give the community healthy, affordable produce options at the Growhaus, a budding urban garden in the neighborhood. With the help of young people in the community, he plans to change the diets of community members and their attitudes about healthy eating.

=====How an Urban Gardening Experiment could help Curb Climate Change=====

[https://www.pbs.org/wnet/peril-and-promise/2018/08/how-an-urban-gardening-experiment-could-help-curb-climate-change/ by Nina Joung 28/8/18 PERIL & PROMISE]

Carbon sequestration is one part of Earth’s natural carbon cycle. According to NASA’s Earth Observatory, plants use the process of photosynthesis to transform carbon from the airborne greenhouse gas carbon dioxide into nutrients, some of which pass through plant roots and into the soil where microbes feed off them. “In exchange,” explained Singer, “microbes feed nutrients back to the plant in this symbiotic relationship that is the basis for life on Earth.” Essentially, the carbon becomes integrated into the soil as part of live and decaying organisms, which is “necessary for soil health and fertility.” In contrast to how fossil fuel extraction removes carbon from the ground, Singer’s project is “about how to keep it or put it back into the ground.” She said, “Nature has this ability of sequestering carbon and [the project is looking at] how can we enhance that and accelerate that rather than shooting dust into the atmosphere or some of these other kind of wild technological solutions.”

=====Urban Farming in Fast-Growing Austin=====

[https://www.citizen.org/news/urban-farming-in-fast-growing-austin/ by Sonali Bhikha 18/12/23 PUBLICCITIZEN]

Development in Austin is increasing rapidly, and we need to consider the implications and actively work toward a zero-waste and zero-carbon goal. Austin’s Climate Equity Plan lays out a structure for the city to become net zero in greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. Within this plan is a food and product consumption section, which provides goals for the city’s food production and distribution. One of these goals, according to the plan, is to “Ensure all Austinites can access a food system that is community-driven, addresses food insecurity, prioritizes regenerative agriculture, supports dietary and health agency, promotes plant-based foods, and minimizes food waste.”

=====Urban Farms Are Supposed To Solve Our Food Woes. The Reality Is Not So Simple.=====

[https://www.huffpost.com/entry/urban-farming-foodurban-farm-problems-sustainability-food_n_5dc41733e4b0d8eb3c909a87 by Jodi Helmer 11/11/19 HUFFPOST]

When complete in 2022, its owners say it will grow 30 different varieties of fruits, vegetables and herbs, most of which will be sold to restaurants, grocers and Parisians directly through veg box schemes. “There is a big demand for good, local food,” says Pascal Hardy, founder of the European urban farming business Agripolis, which is building the farm.

=====Garden Design Ideas: An Urban Garden That Fits On A Fire Escape=====

[https://www.huffpost.com/entry/garden-design-ideas-fire-escape_b_1598282 by Natalie Fairchild 11/10/12 HUFFPOST]

The rules of the garden were as follows: First, the color scheme would be bright. Second, the fire escape would retain its purpose to be an escape if needed, so all pots would outline the outer edges and the majority of the flowers would hang from the railings. (After all, if I need to quickly evacuate the apartment in an emergency I don't want to be trapped in a self-imposed jungle.) Third, the chosen flowers would be able to withstand full sun and a contained habitat. Fourth, the containers would not be purchased but instead forged from thrown-away water bottles and abandoned pots, since I like to reuse things whenever possible. Fifth, there wouldn't be any vegetables for this round. For the novice gardener I am, flowers are a good start.

=====Da FUNction Event to Celebrate the Urban Gardening Movement with Local Residents=====

[https://www.huffpost.com/entry/da-function-event-to-cele_b_10383184 by Kimberly Cooper 6/12/17 HUFFPOST]

This weekend in Los Angeles (June 10th - 11th) neglected space will be brought to life. Through hands-on interactive stations, artists will work one on one with members of the community to create opportunities for creating and sustaining positive and lasting changes to rebuild their lives. In addition to local artisans displaying their crafts, various performing artists, games and activities, food trucks, and a space for community partners to provide information on their organizations is also available.

=====Urban gardening tips=====

[https://www.ambius.com/resources/blog/plant-care/urban-gardening-tips by ambius]

If you live in an urban area, there are certain things that seem like they may be impossible, such as having a yard to enjoy or finding a place to park your car, but gardening does not have to be one of those things. Urban gardening is the practice of growing plants in an urban environment. You may be surprised to know that urban gardening has a positive impact on the economy, the environment and food security.

=====What is an Urban Garden=====

[https://urbanaglaw.org/blog/what-is-an-urban-garden/ by URBAN AG LAW]

One of the main benefits of urban gardening is that it allows people who live in urban areas to access fresh, healthy produce that they might not otherwise have access to. This is especially important in low-income neighborhoods or so-called "food deserts" where access to fresh produce is limited. Urban gardening can also help to promote sustainable food production practices and reduce the carbon footprint associated with transporting food from rural areas.

=====What is urban gardening?=====

[https://www.ecolife.com/dictionary/urban-gardening by ecalife]

Container gardening: Common for people with small patios, yards, or balconies. Container gardening makes use of a variety of containers – buckets, old tires, raised beds, windowboxes, kiddie pools, barrels, shoes, and watering cans – for growing all manner of plants for food or beauty.

Indoor gardening: When no patios, decks, yards, or balconies are available, indoor gardening can also be an effective urban gardening method. Plants can be grown in containers similar to those in container gardening, as well as in indoor greenhouses or solariums (sunrooms).

=====Meet the Urban Gardeners=====

[https://bonnieplants.com/blogs/garden-ideas-inspiration/meet-the-urban-gardeners by The Growing Zone Bonnie]

"For three years, I gardened in a small, in-ground garden right outside my back door," he says. Then in 2009, the year Michael married Chasity, he cleared out a 20 by 60 foot brushy space further behind his house and planted a large, traditional rowed garden. "It was huge," he says. "It was cool, but it was too much to handle."

Today, that same 1,200-square-foot space houses a smaller (but sufficient) raised bed garden, a chicken coop, rain barrels, a compost bin, and walking paths. Like many urban gardeners, Michael and Chasity started out with a vision of sustaining themselves from their own small plot of land. While a few urban farmers accomplish this admirable goal, it hasn't proved realistic for these two young professionals with full time jobs. And that's okay.

=====REUSING POTENTIALLY CONTAMINATED LANDSCAPES: Growing Gardens in Urban Soils=====

[https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2014-03/documents/urban_gardening_fina_fact_sheet.pdf by EPA]

For communities interested in gardening on a site that might be contaminated, it is

important to first determine the health and suitability of the soil at the site. It is a

common gardening practice to test soil for characteristics such as pH and nutrient

availability. When creating a garden on land with an industrial or commercial

history, it is highly recommended that communities consider the site’s land use

history and test the soil accordingly for potential contamination. Knowledge of soil

health and potential contamination are keys to helping communities identify and

correct problems so that each urban garden is safe and productive.

=====GROW INSPIRED: AN URBAN GARDEN IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA=====

[https://thrivingdesign.com/blogs/blog/grow-inspired-an-urban-garden-in-southern-california?srsltid=AfmBOooM2lDkXvhfTdNs7qrAG7aCTst1vSw67LjbUNd0zGLYZvS3oB0F by Amanda Shepard 17/8/20 C-BITE]

Although Luis grows his garden to feed his family, he says it can take a little convincing to get his two sons to all of the vegetables he grows. “My wife and I have two amazing boys that like being outside and getting fresh air but don’t always eat from the garden,” he explains. “Although in the cooler months, it's all about the peas. Once they learn where I planted the peas, they can always be found there eating them. They’ve even learned to just toss the empty pods right back into the beds. In the summer, my youngest loves his cherry tomatoes.” Who can blame them? Peas and tomatoes are our fan favorites fresh from the garden as well.

=====Urban Gardening 101: Everything You Need to Know=====

[https://www.ecowatch.com/urban-gardening-guide.html by Cristen Hemingway Jaynes 22/1/23 EcoWatch]

Urban gardening refers to growing food in a heavily populated place like a town or a city. It doesn’t require a huge amount of land or space, just some determination and creativity. Urban gardens come in all shapes and sizes — from vertical green walls to gardens cultivated exclusively in pots. There are backyard gardens and gardens grown in shipping containers. You can do it on your own, or partner with friends and neighbors to start a community garden.

=====How urban gardens create greener, healthier cities=====

[https://www.wilderness.org/articles/blog/how-urban-gardens-create-greener-healthier-cities by Sydney Leimbach, Sharon Musa 12/9/23 The Wilderness Society]

When most people think of agriculture, the first images that come to mind may be rolling hills, rows of crops or grazing livestock. The trademarks of urban areas—like rush-hour traffic, towering skyscrapers and miles of concrete—don’t necessarily sync up with that. Yet more recently, urban gardens and farms (a.k.a. urban agriculture) are on the rise. In addition to letting people grow the fresh fruits and vegetables they need to live, urban gardens have come to light as a way to improve people’s access to nature.

=====Emergency Grocery Card Program=====

[https://urbansprouts.org/ by urban sprouts]

Urban Sprouts was established in 2004 on the research-proven foundation that beautiful and safe outdoor environments are the best conduits for healthy, economically thriving communities. We leverage our gardens as culturally responsive, interactive classrooms; welcoming places for meditation and physical activity; sources of fresh, nutritious food and as incubators for a 21st-century workforce that understands the importance of social justice and climate resilience.

=====Urban Gardening=====

[https://matteroftrust.org/urbangardening/ by Matter Of Trust.Org]

At the Matter of Trust Eco-Center in San Francisco, CA we have created a fun urban planters exhibit and offer innovative field trips encouraging nature in the city. Using small footprint vertical gardens, aquaponic systems, and raised bed planters on balconies and rooftops, cities can grow vegetables and improve their quality of life. Greenery provides vital flowers for bees and butterflies, fresh herbs and vegetables to eat as well as calming beauty.

=====On Gardening: The possibilty of urban farms=====

[https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2016/12/08/on-gardening-the-possibilty-of-urban-farms/ by Tom Karwin 11/9/18 Santa Cruz Sentinel]

Then we have community gardens. Some fortunate people have direct experience managing small spots within a community garden, growing their favorite vegetables or, in some cases, ornamental plants. These small parcels often are borrowed spaces within urban surroundings, making good but temporary use of the soil, allowing a few people to enjoy the pleasure of gardening and the benefit of the produce — either at their own tables or the tables of friends.

=====Uniting and amplifying the global community garden movement for food, community, and climate.=====

[https://dug.org/gardens-food-forests/initiatives/urban-garden-project/ by DENVER URBAN GARDENS]

The Urban Garden Project (UGP), led by Denver Urban Gardens (DUG), is a national initiative dedicated to strengthening and advancing the community garden movement through shared learning, collaboration, and advocacy. UGP positions community gardens as essential urban infrastructure—“must-haves,” not “nice-to-haves”—for building healthy, equitable, and climate-resilient cities.

By connecting organizations, securing long-term funding, and providing shared operational resources such as back-office support, group insurance, and collective fundraising models, UGP helps local leaders focus on what truly matters: growing food, nurturing community, and creating lasting systems of resilience.

=====By 2035, increase the proportion of urban garden parcels safe from development or legal threats from 44% to 75%.=====

[https://williampennfoundation.org/objective/urban-gardens by WilliamPennFoundation]

The benefits of gardens to city residents are well documented – they add greenspace to neighborhoods, positively impact physical and mental well-being, serve as a place where community members connect with one another, and are a source of local food options. In many cases, these spaces are serving communities that need them the most. About 70% of Philadelphia's active urban gardens and farms are in communities where more than 20% of the population lives below the poverty level; approximately 67% of the gardens are also in high-poverty areas where the population of people of color is greater than 50%.

=====Rainier Beach Urban Farm & Wetlands=====

[https://tilthalliance.org/our-work/urban-farms-gardens/ by tilth Alliance]

Our original learning garden in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle. You’ll find a solar greenhouse, cordon and espalier-style fruit trees, blue elderberry, persimmon, cane berries, drought tolerant plantings, annual vegetable beds showcasing the variety of crops that grow in our climate, worm bins, a green roof, a rain garden, and a 12-acre park and a farmer’s market.

=====Top 10 Easy To Grow Herbs For Beginners | SEED TO HARVEST=====

[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbYFhcKSE2mWYB0yD_Qr_8A by urbangardeningofficial YouTube]

If you’re a budding gardener then let me help you to grow your skills as well as your plants!.my YouTube channel Urban Gardener contains lots of information to help you get started in your garden and get the best from your seeds and plants.

Not sure where to begin? Take a look at my channel to point you in the right direction. Browse my videos for step by step advice on growing your favorite plants. happy gardening :)

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{#seo:
+|title=Urban Gardening
+|description=A collection of articles about urban gardening
+|keywords=landscape, gardening, homestead, fence, flowers, vegetables, backyard, agriculture, lumber
+|image=File:Urban Gardening.jpg
+|image_width=300
+|image_height=200}}
+'''Summary'''
+Urban gardening, as described across these sources, is the practice of growing food, herbs, flowers, and sometimes even keeping small animals within city and suburban spaces. It includes backyard beds, balconies, patios, rooftops, windowsills, containers, bucket gardens, vertical gardens, community plots, school gardens, and repurposed vacant lots. The central message is that lack of land is no longer a barrier to gardening: urban growers adapt by using raised beds, containers, grow lights, walls, railings, rooftops, and other overlooked spaces. In this sense, urban gardening is defined less by a single method than by creativity and efficient use of limited space.
+A major theme in the sources is practicality and accessibility. Many of the videos and how-to articles stress that beginners can start small with herbs, vegetables, or flowers in pots, buckets, or simple raised beds. Successful urban gardening depends on matching plants to available light, choosing manageable systems, watering consistently, and using structures such as trellises, shelves, and vertical supports to grow more in less space. Small-space methods are repeatedly highlighted: container gardening for balconies and patios, kitchen gardens for everyday herbs and vegetables, indoor seed-starting under lights, and raised beds for better soil control and easier maintenance. These sources present urban gardening as something ordinary people can do almost anywhere, even without a yard.
+The materials also frame urban gardening as a social and environmental tool, not just a hobby. Community gardens and urban farms are described as ways to improve food access, especially in lower-income neighborhoods and food deserts, while also strengthening social ties, beautifying neglected spaces, and creating safer, greener neighborhoods. Several sources emphasize the benefits for mental and physical health, neighborhood pride, youth education, and climate resilience. Urban gardens are portrayed as valuable infrastructure that can reduce food miles, provide habitat for pollinators, manage rainwater, and reconnect city residents with nature. In cities like Detroit, Washington, D.C., Denver, Austin, Seattle, and Philadelphia, they are shown as part of broader efforts around food justice, community development, and environmental repair.
+At the same time, the sources make clear that urban gardening comes with distinct challenges. Limited space, shade from buildings, short growing seasons, pests, water management, and the need for tidy, efficient layouts are recurring concerns. One of the most important cautions is soil safety: on former industrial or commercial land, or older residential sites, soil contamination can be a serious issue, so testing and understanding site history are essential. In response, many urban gardeners use raised beds, imported clean soil, compost systems, and container growing to reduce risk and increase control. Overall, the collection presents urban gardening as a flexible, resilient, and community-minded form of cultivation—one that turns underused urban spaces into productive landscapes while addressing food access, sustainability, and quality of life.
 =====Urban Gardening=====
 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_gardening by Wikipedia]
@@ Line 268: / Line 290: @@
 [https://www.wikihow.life/Start-a-Community-Garden by Ben Barkan 28/5/25 wikiHow]
   If there’s a vacant lot in your neighborhood, you may be thinking that the perfect way to fill it up is with a community garden! Starting a community garden is a great way to bring your neighborhood together while also growing nutritious and great-tasting vegetables, fruits, and herbs. You can also add a children’s plot or flower garden to make your garden even more special. It can be a lot of work to have a community garden, so get a group together to plan and plant it. This same group can keep your garden growing for years to come!
+=====Build Planter Box + Choose Plants=====
+[https://www.reddit.com/r/howto/comments/1k6hf02/build_planter_box_choose_plants/ by reddit]
+ Last fall I tore down my deck and built this privacy wall with the leftover wood with the idea of turning it into a planter box. My initial plan was to hang potted plants from the wall and build a planter bed in the bottom.
+I’ve never even owned a plant before and am feeling a little overwhelmed with all the options of planter box designs and plants I’ve seen on the internet. I’m also allergic to bees (idk if this matters)
+What is the best way to construct a planter box on a patio. And what plants would be the best combo of beauty and privacy while not attracting unwanted critters and insects?
+=====Guerrilla Gardening - Bombing Style=====
+[https://www.instructables.com/Guerrilla-Gardening-the-bombing-way/ by bartworker in Living AUTODESK Instructables]
+ Imagine you're driving through the urban jungle. You're living your life, trying to do what's right and while you're eating miles and avoiding crossing skaters, elderly persons, dogs and raccoons you see all those monotonous roundabouts, roadsides & abandoned spaces. Sometimes they're planted with things called 'flowers', most of the time there's just nothing but grass. If there is, any grass. Prozac, now!
+=====Make Your Own Urban Farming Micro-planter=====
+[https://www.instructables.com/Make-Your-Own-Urban-Farming-Micro-planter/ by thesustainablehumanproject in Living AUTODESK Instructables]
+ Here is a step-by- step guide to building your very own micro-planter out of reclaimed pallet wood or similar small wood scraps. I am building these planters as part of The Sustainable Human Project to trade for some of the food and goods that I cannont currently get, as I attempt to go 365 days of only eating food that is grown within The Sustainable City boundaries.
+There are several simple rules in place for The Sustainable Human Project and short term patches in the food basket will come from this circular economy story around repurposing wood from the local construction site of the SEE Institute into urban farming tools and planters to be used in bartering and local trade with TSC residents (trade for essential food items I require). There are long term stories to come out of the designs for these woodworking barter items that will tie into Sanad Village (the Autism Centre in TSC), with the empowerment of People of Determination for self-reliance and development of life skills.
+=====How to Start and Plan a Garden in 14 Steps=====
+[https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-start-a-garden-from-scratch-2132778 by David Beaulieu 6/4/25 the spruce]
+ Learning how to start a garden will not only help you develop a vast library of horticultural knowledge, but it also brings a sense of accomplishment and joy. However, there are several aspects of gardening that are important to understand before you create your first planting bed.
+You first have to decide what type of garden you want to start: consider a cutting garden, a pure wildflower garden, a vegetable and herb garden, or maybe a butterfly garden. Start with the basics, like learning the best month to begin planting in your region, then move on to envisioning your garden layout and exactly what you want to grow.
+=====Urban Greenhouse=====
+[https://www.instructables.com/Urban-Greenhouse/ by RuneG1 in Outside AUTODESK Instructables]
+ Go to a store/shop where they sell candy, like in the picture, and get
+some boxes with transperant lid ( they will give it to you for free ) Collect some egg carton, or buy the one they sell at gardening store. They should not cost to much. At the same time, get som seeds :)
+You can buy soil ( do not buy the cheepest ) or go into the woods with a shovel and a bucket and get it for free.
+=====D.C. urban gardens bring low-cost, fresh produce to city's food deserts=====
+[https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/urban-gardens-grow-residents-devotion-in-dc by Larisa Epatko 24/11/16 PBS NEWS]
+ They studied successful urban gardens in other states and learned about grant writing to fund theirs. They utilized neighborhood ambassadors like Parker and added two more sites. Now, they have three mini-farms in parts of southeastern D.C. labeled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as food deserts -- places usually in low-income areas that lack fresh fruits and vegetables.
+=====In Denver, An Urban Garden Grows Healthier Foods - And Attitudes=====
+[https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/in-a-low-income-neighborhood-in by Rebecca Jacobson, Inside Energy 10/10/11 PBS NEWS]
+ In a low-income neighborhood in Denver, it used to be impossible to find fresh fruit or vegetables. Bordered on all sides by train tracks and highways, the 7,000 residents of Elyria-Swansea don't have a grocery store within two-and-a-half miles.
+But Coby Gould and his colleagues hope to give the community healthy, affordable produce options at the Growhaus, a budding urban garden in the neighborhood. With the help of young people in the community, he plans to change the diets of community members and their attitudes about healthy eating.
+=====How an Urban Gardening Experiment could help Curb Climate Change=====
+[https://www.pbs.org/wnet/peril-and-promise/2018/08/how-an-urban-gardening-experiment-could-help-curb-climate-change/ by Nina Joung 28/8/18 PERIL & PROMISE]
+ Carbon sequestration is one part of Earth’s natural carbon cycle. According to NASA’s Earth Observatory, plants use the process of photosynthesis to transform carbon from the airborne greenhouse gas carbon dioxide into nutrients, some of which pass through plant roots and into the soil where microbes feed off them. “In exchange,” explained Singer, “microbes feed nutrients back to the plant in this symbiotic relationship that is the basis for life on Earth.” Essentially, the carbon becomes integrated into the soil as part of live and decaying organisms, which is “necessary for soil health and fertility.” In contrast to how fossil fuel extraction removes carbon from the ground, Singer’s project is “about how to keep it or put it back into the ground.” She said, “Nature has this ability of sequestering carbon and [the project is looking at] how can we enhance that and accelerate that rather than shooting dust into the atmosphere or some of these other kind of wild technological solutions.”
+=====Urban Farming in Fast-Growing Austin=====
+[https://www.citizen.org/news/urban-farming-in-fast-growing-austin/ by Sonali Bhikha 18/12/23 PUBLICCITIZEN]
+ Development in Austin is increasing rapidly, and we need to consider the implications and actively work toward a zero-waste and zero-carbon goal. Austin’s Climate Equity Plan lays out a structure for the city to become net zero in greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. Within this plan is a food and product consumption section, which provides goals for the city’s food production and distribution. One of these goals, according to the plan, is to “Ensure all Austinites can access a food system that is community-driven, addresses food insecurity, prioritizes regenerative agriculture, supports dietary and health agency, promotes plant-based foods, and minimizes food waste.”
+=====Urban Farms Are Supposed To Solve Our Food Woes. The Reality Is Not So Simple.=====
+[https://www.huffpost.com/entry/urban-farming-foodurban-farm-problems-sustainability-food_n_5dc41733e4b0d8eb3c909a87 by Jodi Helmer 11/11/19 HUFFPOST]
+ When complete in 2022, its owners say it will grow 30 different varieties of fruits, vegetables and herbs, most of which will be sold to restaurants, grocers and Parisians directly through veg box schemes. “There is a big demand for good, local food,” says Pascal Hardy, founder of the European urban farming business Agripolis, which is building the farm.
+=====Garden Design Ideas: An Urban Garden That Fits On A Fire Escape=====
+[https://www.huffpost.com/entry/garden-design-ideas-fire-escape_b_1598282 by Natalie Fairchild 11/10/12 HUFFPOST]
+ The rules of the garden were as follows: First, the color scheme would be bright. Second, the fire escape would retain its purpose to be an escape if needed, so all pots would outline the outer edges and the majority of the flowers would hang from the railings. (After all, if I need to quickly evacuate the apartment in an emergency I don't want to be trapped in a self-imposed jungle.) Third, the chosen flowers would be able to withstand full sun and a contained habitat. Fourth, the containers would not be purchased but instead forged from thrown-away water bottles and abandoned pots, since I like to reuse things whenever possible. Fifth, there wouldn't be any vegetables for this round. For the novice gardener I am, flowers are a good start.
+=====Da FUNction Event to Celebrate the Urban Gardening Movement with Local Residents=====
+[https://www.huffpost.com/entry/da-function-event-to-cele_b_10383184 by Kimberly Cooper 6/12/17 HUFFPOST]
+ This weekend in Los Angeles (June 10th - 11th) neglected space will be brought to life. Through hands-on interactive stations, artists will work one on one with members of the community to create opportunities for creating and sustaining positive and lasting changes to rebuild their lives. In addition to local artisans displaying their crafts, various performing artists, games and activities, food trucks, and a space for community partners to provide information on their organizations is also available.
+=====Urban gardening tips=====
+[https://www.ambius.com/resources/blog/plant-care/urban-gardening-tips by ambius]
+ If you live in an urban area, there are certain things that seem like they may be impossible, such as having a yard to enjoy or finding a place to park your car, but gardening does not have to be one of those things. Urban gardening is the practice of growing plants in an urban environment. You may be surprised to know that urban gardening has a positive impact on the economy, the environment and food security.
+=====What is an Urban Garden=====
+[https://urbanaglaw.org/blog/what-is-an-urban-garden/ by URBAN AG LAW]
+ One of the main benefits of urban gardening is that it allows people who live in urban areas to access fresh, healthy produce that they might not otherwise have access to. This is especially important in low-income neighborhoods or so-called "food deserts" where access to fresh produce is limited. Urban gardening can also help to promote sustainable food production practices and reduce the carbon footprint associated with transporting food from rural areas.
+=====What is urban gardening?=====
+[https://www.ecolife.com/dictionary/urban-gardening by ecalife]
+ Container gardening: Common for people with small patios, yards, or balconies. Container gardening makes use of a variety of containers – buckets, old tires, raised beds, windowboxes, kiddie pools, barrels, shoes, and watering cans – for growing all manner of plants for food or beauty.
+Indoor gardening: When no patios, decks, yards, or balconies are available, indoor gardening can also be an effective urban gardening method. Plants can be grown in containers similar to those in container gardening, as well as in indoor greenhouses or solariums (sunrooms).
+=====Meet the Urban Gardeners=====
+[https://bonnieplants.com/blogs/garden-ideas-inspiration/meet-the-urban-gardeners by The Growing Zone Bonnie]
+ "For three years, I gardened in a small, in-ground garden right outside my back door," he says. Then in 2009, the year Michael married Chasity, he cleared out a 20 by 60 foot brushy space further behind his house and planted a large, traditional rowed garden. "It was huge," he says. "It was cool, but it was too much to handle."
+Today, that same 1,200-square-foot space houses a smaller (but sufficient) raised bed garden, a chicken coop, rain barrels, a compost bin, and walking paths. Like many urban gardeners, Michael and Chasity started out with a vision of sustaining themselves from their own small plot of land. While a few urban farmers accomplish this admirable goal, it hasn't proved realistic for these two young professionals with full time jobs. And that's okay.
+=====REUSING POTENTIALLY CONTAMINATED LANDSCAPES: Growing Gardens in Urban Soils=====
+[https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2014-03/documents/urban_gardening_fina_fact_sheet.pdf by EPA]
+ For communities interested in gardening on a site that might be contaminated, it is
+important to first determine the health and suitability of the soil at the site. It is a
+common gardening practice to test soil for characteristics such as pH and nutrient
+availability. When creating a garden on land with an industrial or commercial
+history, it is highly recommended that communities consider the site’s land use
+history and test the soil accordingly for potential contamination. Knowledge of soil
+health and potential contamination are keys to helping communities identify and
+correct problems so that each urban garden is safe and productive.
+=====GROW INSPIRED: AN URBAN GARDEN IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA=====
+[https://thrivingdesign.com/blogs/blog/grow-inspired-an-urban-garden-in-southern-california?srsltid=AfmBOooM2lDkXvhfTdNs7qrAG7aCTst1vSw67LjbUNd0zGLYZvS3oB0F by Amanda Shepard 17/8/20 C-BITE]
+ Although Luis grows his garden to feed his family, he says it can take a little convincing to get his two sons to all of the vegetables he grows. “My wife and I have two amazing boys that like being outside and getting fresh air but don’t always eat from the garden,” he explains. “Although in the cooler months, it's all about the peas. Once they learn where I planted the peas, they can always be found there eating them. They’ve even learned to just toss the empty pods right back into the beds. In the summer, my youngest loves his cherry tomatoes.” Who can blame them? Peas and tomatoes are our fan favorites fresh from the garden as well.
+=====Urban Gardening 101: Everything You Need to Know=====
+[https://www.ecowatch.com/urban-gardening-guide.html by Cristen Hemingway Jaynes 22/1/23 EcoWatch]
+ Urban gardening refers to growing food in a heavily populated place like a town or a city. It doesn’t require a huge amount of land or space, just some determination and creativity. Urban gardens come in all shapes and sizes — from vertical green walls to gardens cultivated exclusively in pots. There are backyard gardens and gardens grown in shipping containers. You can do it on your own, or partner with friends and neighbors to start a community garden.
+=====How urban gardens create greener, healthier cities=====
+[https://www.wilderness.org/articles/blog/how-urban-gardens-create-greener-healthier-cities by Sydney Leimbach, Sharon Musa 12/9/23 The Wilderness Society]
+ When most people think of agriculture, the first images that come to mind may be rolling hills, rows of crops or grazing livestock. The trademarks of urban areas—like rush-hour traffic, towering skyscrapers and miles of concrete—don’t necessarily sync up with that. Yet more recently, urban gardens and farms (a.k.a. urban agriculture) are on the rise. In addition to letting people grow the fresh fruits and vegetables they need to live, urban gardens have come to light as a way to improve people’s access to nature.
+=====Emergency Grocery Card Program=====
+[https://urbansprouts.org/ by urban sprouts]
+ Urban Sprouts was established in 2004 on the research-proven foundation that beautiful and safe outdoor environments are the best conduits for healthy, economically thriving communities. We leverage our gardens as culturally responsive, interactive classrooms; welcoming places for meditation and physical activity; sources of fresh, nutritious food and as incubators for a 21st-century workforce that understands the importance of social justice and climate resilience.
+=====Urban Gardening=====
+[https://matteroftrust.org/urbangardening/ by Matter Of Trust.Org]
+ At the Matter of Trust Eco-Center in San Francisco, CA we have created a fun urban planters exhibit and offer innovative field trips encouraging nature in the city.  Using small footprint vertical gardens, aquaponic systems, and raised bed planters on balconies and rooftops, cities can grow vegetables and improve their quality of life.  Greenery provides vital flowers for bees and butterflies, fresh herbs and vegetables to eat as well as calming beauty.
+=====On Gardening: The possibilty of urban farms=====
+[https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2016/12/08/on-gardening-the-possibilty-of-urban-farms/ by Tom Karwin  11/9/18 Santa Cruz Sentinel]
+ Then we have community gardens. Some fortunate people have direct experience managing small spots within a community garden, growing their favorite vegetables or, in some cases, ornamental plants. These small parcels often are borrowed spaces within urban surroundings, making good but temporary use of the soil, allowing a few people to enjoy the pleasure of gardening and the benefit of the produce — either at their own tables or the tables of friends.
+=====Uniting and amplifying the global community garden movement for food, community, and climate.=====
+[https://dug.org/gardens-food-forests/initiatives/urban-garden-project/ by DENVER URBAN GARDENS]
+ The Urban Garden Project (UGP), led by Denver Urban Gardens (DUG), is a national initiative dedicated to strengthening and advancing the community garden movement through shared learning, collaboration, and advocacy. UGP positions community gardens as essential urban infrastructure—“must-haves,” not “nice-to-haves”—for building healthy, equitable, and climate-resilient cities.
+By connecting organizations, securing long-term funding, and providing shared operational resources such as back-office support, group insurance, and collective fundraising models, UGP helps local leaders focus on what truly matters: growing food, nurturing community, and creating lasting systems of resilience.
+=====By 2035, increase the proportion of urban garden parcels safe from development or legal threats from 44% to 75%.=====
+[https://williampennfoundation.org/objective/urban-gardens by WilliamPennFoundation]
+ The benefits of gardens to city residents are well documented – they add greenspace to neighborhoods, positively impact physical and mental well-being, serve as a place where community members connect with one another, and are a source of local food options. In many cases, these spaces are serving communities that need them the most. About 70% of Philadelphia's active urban gardens and farms are in communities where more than 20% of the population lives below the poverty level; approximately 67% of the gardens are also in high-poverty areas where the population of people of color is greater than 50%.
+=====Rainier Beach Urban Farm & Wetlands=====
+[https://tilthalliance.org/our-work/urban-farms-gardens/ by tilth Alliance]
+ Our original learning garden in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle. You’ll find a solar greenhouse, cordon and espalier-style fruit trees, blue elderberry, persimmon, cane berries, drought tolerant plantings, annual vegetable beds showcasing the variety of crops that grow in our climate, worm bins, a green roof, a rain garden, and a 12-acre park and a farmer’s market.
+=====Top 10 Easy To Grow Herbs For Beginners | SEED TO HARVEST=====
+[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbYFhcKSE2mWYB0yD_Qr_8A by urbangardeningofficial YouTube]
+ If you’re a budding gardener then let me help you to grow your skills as well as your plants!.my YouTube channel Urban Gardener  contains lots of information to help you get started in your garden and get the best from your seeds and plants.
+Not sure where to begin? Take a look at my channel to point you in the right direction. Browse my videos for step by step advice on growing your favorite plants. happy gardening :)