Growing Facts
- Start seeding in April or May.
- Now is a great time to start a compost for the Fall or for next year.
- Don't be afraid to go to a nursery and ask them questions. They have the same love for gardening that we do.
Latest Survey Results
It was asked last month “What's your prefered way to start seeds? ”
Indoors: 20%
Direct Planting: 15%
Greenhouse: 5%
Don't: 60%
Green Ideas
Chicago is known for a lot of things. The skyline, the great food, the art. What many people don't know is they are also known for their rooftop gardens.
Having rooftop gardens is not only a great use of space but it's also eco friendly. It produces more oxegen, takes in more carbon monoxide that is bad for the ozone and it also helps keep in the heat, which reduces energy cost.
A lot of places are looking to use this more, why don't you?
Having very little space to grow in can be a bit hindering, it can be hard, it can be a bit claustrophobic, but it can also be very rewarding. It may take a lot of ingenuity but once you have your little patio science project up and running you will be very pleased.
It can be frustrating for someone like myself that moved from out in the country to in the city. I came in from a world where growing in your backyard wasn’t just possible but widely practiced. Everyone had a bit of a garden at one time or another even if it was just some flowers out front of their house.
I really enjoyed having all that space to grow vegetables, herbs and other plants that I wished. So when I moved into an apartment complex all I had was a small porch. I got innovative. I started growing tomatoes and peppers in a pot. The first year all I got was a few peppers and a lot of green tomatoes. So I turned those tomatoes into fried green tomatoes.
I did a little more research the next year and got a little better. After each year I started to get a bit more experience and started to expand my garden. I had anything from tomatoes to strawberries to a nice little patio herb garden. I even found out ways to get my own compost going.
It’s not a typical garden, but with some hanging plants and a few pots I really got back into the gardening. With a little bit of ingenuity I ended up having that patio science project up and running and you will too.