By Cindy Naas

Gaia’s Garden, Second Edition: A Guide To Home-Scale Permaculture is a remarkable book.

I count it as one of only a handful of gardening books I’ve ever read that present completely new ideas.

It is one of those books which will forever change the way you think about all gardens, most especially your own.

From The Ground Up

Hemenway examines the way soil is built and then presents an interesting new way to create growing beds. His method also includes new ways to companion plant in order to create long-term sustainable gardens, with combinations of plants maintaining soil fertility.

New Partners

Hemenway details interesting combinations of plants for maximum food production coupled with the increased ability to attract wildlife. One page alone of this book has me throwing out every plan I’d drawn for my new garden and drawing up an entirely new planting scheme. My new garden will couple apples with lettuce, raspberries with carrots and roses with sweet corn and runner beans.

The Urban Food Forest

One of Hemenway’s most intriguing ideas is that Read the rest of this entry »

By Vanessa Richins

As winter starts creeping closer, the thought of not gardening makes me feel a bit sad.

However, there are many ways to keep the passion for gardens going.

One option is to read garden magazines.

The pages are filled with vibrant pictures and gardening dreams. Here are some of my favorite magazines – hopefully you can find at least one to love also!

Sunset

When I was growing up, I read Sunset magazine a lot. (I suppose I was a strange kid.) Written for the West, Sunset magazine has a great gardening section, as well as fun topics such as travel and cooking. They also produce one of my most beloved books – the Sunset Western Garden book. It is published every month.

Horticulture

Would you like a picture guide to dividing perennials? Looking for plants that love shade? Interested in Read the rest of this entry »

By Vanessa Richins

Are you searching for the perfect gift for your favorite urban gardener?

Here are some ideas that I think may work well.

Matchstick Garden

Would you like to get your children involved in gardening? Try the Matchstick Garden! Each one holds 10 matchsticks, with seeds embedded in the tips. Simply take one out and plant it, tip down. It won’t be long before you have a whole little garden growing. There are four different kinds available : Mixed Herbs, Wildflowers, Italian Garden and Mixed Greens.

Nyokki Monkey

Do you think the Chia Pet is too old school? Upgrade and buy a Nyokki! Named after the Japanese word for “grow”, these cute little sculptures can be planted again and again with grass seed, which will grow as their hair. There are several designs available, including a frog and a monkey.

Consultation With an Urban Gardener

Do you live in New York or know someone who does? Buy them a Read the rest of this entry »

By Vanessa Richins

There’s not much better in life than curling up with a good book….except for gardening of course!

Combine the two and it’s pure magic. Here are a few of my suggestions for books that can help urban gardeners.

Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholemew

This is a standard for small space gardening. Bartholemew presents his method for laying out your vegetable gardens in square foot increments. The results are a better producing garden with less effort. A win-win situation indeed! See our Urban Garden Casual book review.

Garden Wizardry for Kids by L. Patricia Kite
Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots: Gardening Together with Children by Sharon Lovejoy

These books both describe experiments and ideas Read the rest of this entry »

By Cindy Naas

1. A good sharp trowel

try a variety of handle shapes in order to find the perfect fit for your hand. More expensive does not mean better in a trowel, but a good stainless steel solid shaft is important. A trowel welded onto its handle is more likely to break in dry or compacted soil.

2. Secateurs, or hand pruners

I own Felco bypass pruners, and I could not garden without my secateurs. This is the one tool I am willing to spend a fair amount on. Mine are easy to use even for people who have weak hands, and I bought the optional leather hip holster so my secateurs are always handy whenever I am outside in my garden.

3. A shovel

My shovel is a square-bottom transplanting Read the rest of this entry »