Did you know that the law protecting NYC’s community gardens from being taken over by developers is about to expire?
City officials are working on new rules to protect the gardens, but unless we speak up, those rules may not be strong enough.
I just signed this petition calling on Mayor Bloomberg and City officials to make sure that the new rules PERMANENTLY PROTECT our community gardens from development. Can you take a moment to sign, too?

SIGN HERE

Posted by DESIGN SQUISH on September 03, 2010

Old bathtub and barrels as planters.

Posted by DESIGN SQUISH on June 25, 2010

Flower baskets made from old apple and wine crates.

Posted by DESIGN SQUISH on February 02, 2010

This is wild strawberry or Woodland Strawberry (Fragaria Vesca)  growing in Brooklyn backyard. Mmmmm!

Wild strawberry is not like a regular strawberry at all. It has a different taste and smell.  It smells like forest. Red, juicy and fragrant wild strawberries are false fruits Berries are seeds hidden in a juicy pulp. Examples of berries - blueberry, cranberry, tomato and watermelon. The seeds of the wild strawberry sit on the surface of this false fruit that functions as a bait for the animals, who eat the seeds and help spread the seeds with their droppings.  Wild strawberries are so delicious and aromatic because they wants us to eat them (yes yes!), ha-ha!
Wild strawberries usually are found near trails, young forests and forest openings.

There is so much can be said about this amazing fruit.  Read a funny folk tale about wild strawberry:

Posted by DESIGN SQUISH on June 11, 2009

The Horticultural Society of New York is awesome.  The Horticultural society of New York makes New York city better through horticultural programs, library resources and exhibitions. Below are some photos of the exhibitions held in HSNY:



Above: Sustainable fashion Show - Bodkin-  Eviana Hartman uses recycled tire rubber as buttons, boiled carob dyes, bamboo/organic cotton, organic wool,  recycled polyester fleece.


Above: The Artificial Kingdom - art exhibition by Rowena Dring and Jude Miller


Above: Awesome indoor green wall at HSNY

Posted by DESIGN SQUISH on

Patrick Blanc is a contemporary garden designer from France who basically “invented” the concept of a vertical garden.  What Patrick did is invent a hydroponic structure on which plants can easily grow vertically without any soil.  Essentially plants need water and minerals dissolved in it.  Many plants in the wild grow on vertical surfaces - rocks and cliffs. Many plants have the root ability to grow without any soil as long as there is sunlight, minerals and water.  Being soil-less, vertical gardens are very light and thus easy to implement on any wall.  Metal frame is installed that supports two layers of polyamide felt . These layers mimic cliff-growing mosses and support the roots of many plants. A network of pipes provides a nutrient solution containing dissolved minerals.  The roots of the plants take up the nutrients they need, and excess water is collected at the bottom of the wall by a gutter before being re-injected into the network of pipes.
In towns there are a lot more vertical free spaces than horizontal ,  Blanc says.  I wish to see many of them turned into a garden. 

Posted by DESIGN SQUISH on May 30, 2009

Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh was founded in 1670 as a physic garden to grow medicinal plants.  Nearly 34,000 plants are grown at the Botanic Garden in Edinburgh and its three smaller offshoots located in other parts of Scotland.  These represent nearly 17,000 different species from all over the world, or about 7% of all known plant species.  I was surprised to see so many species of plants at the same time!

Posted by DESIGN SQUISH on May 29, 2009

Posted by DESIGN SQUISH on April 24, 2009

Kusamono and shitakusa are a potted collection of plants. Plants used are typically moss, grass, lichen, small mountain flowers and plants, bonsai trees, bamboo, or bulbs, that may be arranged to heighten the beauty or reflect a certain season.  Usually a collection is displayed separately in special pots, driftwood, or even stones. Photos from beautiful blogs: Shitakusamono and Happy Hearts at Home.

Posted by DESIGN SQUISH on April 22, 2009

Love the idea!!

Posted by DESIGN SQUISH on April 21, 2009

So it snowed a lot a couple of days ago in Brooklyn. Then, it became increasingly warm, snow melted and these first white flowers appeared. Photos are taken in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn.

Posted by DESIGN SQUISH on March 15, 2009

Manny Howard wrote a story which I read in New York Times called My Empire of Dirt in which he describes how he attepted to live off the land of his own backyard in the city of New York for one month. 
He made a plan of where and what kind of vegetables and greens he will plant and what kind of animals he will grow in his 800 square feet backyard:

A cucumbers, cantaloupes, peppers, heirloom tomatoes.
B Rabbit feed, chicken feed, six rabbit hutches, a slaughter station, a refrigerator, and four egg-laying coops.
C 1.Tomatoes, beets, celery, yellow squash, purple eggplant, a fig tree. 2 Collard greens, cucumbers, and callaloo. 3 Cabbage, eggplant, rhubarb, leeks, garlic, onions, fennel, rosemary, thyme, and mint. 4 Corn, broad beans, basil, bok choy, and parsley.
D A duck coop, a duck pond, and two wayward rabbit hutches.
E A high-rise high-capacity chicken coop.
F The potato crop: a raised bed technically known as a “drill.”


 

Whatever came out of this project you can read here:  My Empire of Dirt.  I am going to ruin it for you: it did not end well.  To live off the land one needs a much bigger backyard, maybe not in the city and maybe more the size of a real farm. Also, one needs to know well how to take care of plants well.  I think to grow additional food for your meal, like tomatoes, strawberries,peas or chives is good in the city, but not a whole meal. Chicken are also possible to grow in the city but for such clustered city like New York, maybe quails since they are smaller?

Posted by DESIGN SQUISH on January 01, 2009

  The Persimmon originated in China and is cultivated in different parts of the world.  It turns out that the American Persimmon variety s native to the eastern United States.  Apparently it grows from New England to Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. The tree has been cultivated for its fruit and wood since prehistoric times by Native Americans, although American Persimmon is still fairly common wild in some areas. Although, in many regions the species is becoming scarce these days.  NatureServe lists Diospyros virginiana (American Persimmon) as Critically-Imperiled in Connecticut and Iowa, and Imperiled in New York. Officially the species is listed as Threatened in New Jersey and of Special Concern in Connecticut.
See distribution map.
I suggest planting a persimmon tree. 

Posted by DESIGN SQUISH on November 20, 2008

This is a large terranium that has slow growing moss and tiny ceramic mushrooms in it. The mushrooms are crafted by Mudpuppy. These mushrooms are adorable!
  Terranium requires very little care, just leave it in a room with bright indirect sunlight. Water every 2-3 weeks and whatever you do don’t over water! This little jar will take care of itself. - MadebyMavis  I never thought of growing moss as an inside plant but now that I think of it is a great idea. I love moss.  It is nice to find large flat beds of moss on the forest floor and take a nap on.  I heard you can put moss in the freezer and nothing will happen to it - you can replant it whenever you want.

Posted by DESIGN SQUISH on November 18, 2008