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| Calendula |
The Dirt
A three-part journey: to grow an array of edibles, mostly in containers, on an urban lot in Portland, Oregon; to capture life in the garden through the lens; and to 'close the loop' through greater practice of sustainable, low-input living & gardening. |
| Artichoke |
The Plants
An array of edible, medicinal, useful and/or beautiful plants intertwined with a mature landscape in North Portland. Most of the yard is in some degree of part-shade, with few pockets gaining the 6 plus hours needed to grow many vegetables successfully. In many cases this simply means that annuals take longer to mature, and perennials do not reach as large a mature size as they might otherwise. And it also means that some plants just don't work for me - so if you don't see your favorite plant here, that may be why. There are some too, that due to their shear size and/or long times to mature fruit, I just don't invest the time and space in. One day I might just have to give into melons though.For a current inventory of the garden (and my wishlist!) click to go In the Garden.
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| Jimmy Nardello Peppers |
The Containers
I garden primarily in 21 half wine barrels, each approximately 2-and-a-half feet in diameter, and 2 feet tall. This makes for approximately 3.5 cubic feet of dirt, or 26 gallons. These I treat as rather stationary and permanent, though we have been crazy enough to move them once full of dirt and plants. This requires two people, a hand truck, strap, and much swearing and getting poked in the eye - so I recommend against it.All sorts of other things are employed as containers too - 5-gallon pails, large black plastic nursery pots, terracotta and clay vessels, window and railing boxes, hanging baskets, coir-lined metal bowls, used olive oil tins - the sky is the limit really - you just have to have the right plant for the right place AND with no exceptions, a drainage hole or holes.
I also plant around the barrels, to both soften the look and to put a plant in every available square inch possible. Many of these plants could just as easily be grown in the container just as well as beside it. And many of the plants that do well in containers are well suited to the pressures of urban agriculture and small space gardening in general, even if in the ground.
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| Pea flowers |
The Camera
My first camera was a Nikon Single Lens Reflex (SLR), and I have stuck with them ever since, mainly because I can't be bothered to learn a different set-up and I've already invested in some lenses. I am loving the ability to play with pictures that digital technology has brought to photo taking and processing - I regularly shoot 10 or 20 pictures (or more!) of a single plant or scene, trying different angles and orientations which I crop and cull afterwards.When cards are full, batteries are out, weight is important, or it is simply the closest camera I can find, I use a little Pentax point-and-shoot that takes surprisingly good photos and great macros. It’s also less precious and more compact, so I use it to shoot from boats, motorcycles, quick trips, and when time is of the essence to get that great shot.
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| Squash leaf |
The Loop
We live on a finite planet: no new space, water, or raw materials - just the constant ebb and flow of cycles that turn one thing gradually into another. Unless of course, that thing is plastic - in which case it will simply turned into smaller plastic and left to collect in large gyres in the middle of the ocean [1], bird guts, beach sediments, and underneath future golf courses.Plastics and polymers have revolutionized everything from healthcare and pharmaceuticals to technology and manufacturing, but the proliferation of non-durable plastics is out of control. And quite frankly a waste of finite oil and gas deposits.
I try hard to reduce the amount of plastic in my garden and in my life, but it is everywhere! And currently the most popular way to transport plants from one place to another, especially if large. Accordingly I reuse plastic pots when appropriate - they might not be pretty, but peppers love being in 2-gallon black pots! And finally, Portland will take plant pots for recycling so that they can become some other miscellaneous plastic object.
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| Nasturtium petals |
I am super conflicted about using plastic in the garden to make hoop houses, warm/dry soil and the like, and am trying to figure out some more durable options - if you have any great tips/tricks let me know! I would love to see more food and plant packaging that is compostable, so that I am better able to deal with waste directly in a way that can actually benefit the garden.
I find plastics one of the hardest areas to tackle in closing the loop, but one of the best ways to reduce your inputs is integrated pest management, which you can read about here. It includes a couple of basic tenants that amount to a more sustainable garden:
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| Flowering broccoli |
- Right plant right place,
- Plant disease resistant cultivars,
- Encourage the presence of beneficial insects, fungi, microbes, and animals through sustainable methods, and
- Use the least toxic yet effective treatment for a disease/pest problem (this includes natural and organic ones)
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| Monarda (Bee balm) |
The Goal
To grow great plants that are fun to eat, use, and look at – in the most sustainable way possible – and inspire others to garden in the round. Thanks for reading!----------------------------------
[1] Check out 5 Gyres Institute for some shocking plastic facts http://5gyres.org/what_is_the_problem
[2] Check Out a wealth of gardening information at http://www.metromastergardeners.org
[3] Organic Materials Review Institute http://www.omri.org/omri-lists
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