Meet the Garden Tower – an amazing vertical gardening system that composts your kitchen scraps into into organic fertilizer for your veggies!

It’s finally here – the simplest, easiest and most brilliant way to turn your kitchen scraps into an array of gorgeous and delicious veggies, all in one humble barrel. The Garden Tower Project is a revolutionary new way to grow vegetables in an urban setting or small space, allowing anyone to enjoy the benefits of fresh and organic produce. As the only garden planter in existence that generates its own fertilizer and self-conditioned soil, the Garden Tower is a completely unique gardening solution that can provide healthy food for all.

This combined vertical garden bed and composting bin is the ideal solution for small spaces, school yards, and gardeners with little time to spend tending a large vegetable lot. The Garden Tower allows you to grow 50 different plant starts in just 4 square feet, and only takes up a small round area in your yard or patio. Plants grown in the Tower are subjected to their own protected micro-climate, meaning that they receive an abundance of nutrient rich water that allows them to grow much faster than conventional gardening methods would allow. It also cuts down on water loss as all the moisture put into the Tower is recycled over and over. Once seedlings are established, the Tower only requires bi-weekly watering from the top.

The Garden Tower is made from food-grade, 100 percent recyclable plastic and is available in either white or terra-cotta colors. A long tube runs down the center of the tower as a vermicomposting system, which means that a half cup of worms introduced at the beginning of the season work to turn your inserted kitchen scraps into amazingly rich compost for your plants. This black soil is obtained from the bottom of the tube with an included and easy to use compost plug. An integrated drawer also collects any runoff water, also called compost tea, as it seeps through the compost tube and thus absorbs nutrients from scraps and worm castings. This compost tea can be re-administered to the plants in the tower, creating a closed loop cycle for organically fertilizing your crops.

The Garden Tower is an extremely efficient and low cost way to easily grow healthy, local and organic vegetables. While this vertical gardening system is a prime choice for urban apartments, small yards and those with less ability to move around easily in a large vegetable patch, it is also a great option for school gardens, office terraces and even restaurants. Check it out online today to invest this unique and attractive gardening solution!

Related on EcoSalon

5 Tips to Start Your Own Urban Garden (Even if It’s Teeny-Tiny)

17 Clever Repurposed Garden Planters to Add More Plants to Your Space

DIY On the Fly: Mason Jar Herb Garden Planters in 6 Steps

Images: Garden Tower Project

The post Garden Tower Project: A Revolutionary Gardening and Composting Solution for Anyone! appeared first on EcoSalon.

Big city, smaller footprint: blurring the line between landscape design and modern architecture. 

The trend of vertical gardening is up, as is the rise of the jolly green skyscraper. Easy on the eyes and easier on the planet, the trend of upward greenery is transforming our concrete jungles into ivied oases.

The Musee du Quai Branly in Paris is one such example, with some 8,600 vertical square footage dedicated to more than 170 different species of plants.

London’s Athenaeum, its tendrils and blossoms looming high over Piccadilly Circus, is another.

As watchers of modern eco architecture, of course, there does come a point when we ask what it is, exactly, we’re looking at. “Is it a man, or a plane,” spectators once wondered of Superman. “Man, or Astroman?” punk relics wondered way back in the 90s.

Similarly we ask: is it architecture, or vegitecture?

That’s what the Barcelona City Council and one Spanish firm are calling this, the Green Side-Wall, “represent[ing] the birth of a novel type of construction in the field of vegitecture.” Constructed upon the eyesore remnants of a demolished building, the green supporting protective façade was created by the Barcelona firm Capella Garcia Arquitectura (follow that link for a visit to, perhaps, the strangest website ever).

An interior staircase lends access to the metal platforms throughout; a pulley system facilitates the transport of planters, nests, and other materials within the prefabricated steel frame.

Why vegitecture?

Buildings such as these literally breathe life into our cities and blessed lungs. Technologically speaking, turning a building into a living, self-sustaining one is complex, typically requiring a combination of sunshades, solar panels, and ventilation to catch water. And while the aesthetic contribution is obvious, practically speaking architectural thought sprouting in this direction could save the world, feed children and cool down our cities.

Our cityscapes are looking up.

Image: Toxel; mimoa; Domus

The post The Changing Façade of Urban Architecture appeared first on EcoSalon.

“Agriculture is our wisest pursuit, because it will in the end contribute most to real wealth, good morals, and happiness.”

Pop quiz, first question: to whom is that first quote attributed? The answer, friends, is founding father Thomas Jefferson who would probably spew corn kernels out of his coffin at the backseat American agriculture has taken to special interests and the (industrialized) food lobby. After regaining his composure, he’d probably tip his hat (had he worn one) to the pioneering brethren and sistren of today who are revitalizing agriculture from the comfort of their own backyards.

Urban agriculturalists Colin McCrate and Brad Halm are two such citizens. The founders of Seattle Urban Farm Company have recently come out with a book outlining pretty much everything you need to know about edible gardening (dare we call it homesteading of the urban variety). Using case studies of just about every type of urban and suburban lot, they map out irrigation solutions, design strategies, soil prepping and container gardening how-to’s.

We reached out to Colin with a few nagging, lingering questions of our own. Here’s what he had to say:

Where does one begin? Basically, what do I need to plant to get a decent edible garden going?

It’s easy to grow food at home…but it is even easier if you take a few minutes to plan things out before you get started.  Whether you are thinking about setting up a few containers on your deck or tilling up your entire backyard, there are a few basic things to you will want to address before putting your plants in the ground.

Like what?

Access to sunlight and water: Your garden must receive at least 6-8 hours of sunlight per day for healthy growth and productivity. Think about your options for garden locations and consider sun exposure as the number one priority.

Second priority is to make sure that it will be easy for you to get water to your plants on a regular basis.  It is easy to end up hauling buckets of water across the yard or knocking over pottery with an unwieldy hose, so take the time to figure out a watering system beforehand!

Bear in mind that vegetables are “heavy feeders.” This means that they absorb large amounts of nutrients from the soil as they grow. In order to produce a maximum harvest, each crop needs an adequate supply of plant food. Nutrients are supplied by compost and organic fertilizers, and both should be added to your soil before each season begins.

Make sure to follow the plant’s (or seed’s) recommended spacing requirement. Many beginning gardeners assume that, if they plant their crops closer together, then they will get more food per square foot.  But that’s not quite how it works. When crops are planted too closely together, they compete for sunlight, water and nutrients. When forced to compete, plant growth is stunted, production is limited and crops are more susceptible to pest and disease pressures.

Finally, choose crops that you are excited to grow. Certain crops give a higher yield per square foot of planting space, but it is also important to choose plants that you are really psyched about growing. It will make them easier to take care of.

What plants get you psyched?

A few of our favorite crops for small gardens are Head Lettuce, especially Deer Tongue, Flashy Trout Back; Arugula, Rocket and Surrey; Bush Beans; Summer Squash; Radishes, of the Cherriette variety; Cilantro; Basil; Tomatoes, like Sungold and Black Prince.

All of the above is basically pornography for our food writers. When should we start planting?

Planting dates vary widely depending on your climate and the crop you want to grow. In temperate parts of the country (much of the east coast, west coast and the Midwest), most crops are planted in the spring and early summer. For many gardeners, the majority of planting happens between early March and late May.

Most people don’t realize that it is possible to continue planting throughout much of the summer and even into the fall.  Planting a crop several times throughout the season is called “succession planting” and it allows the gardener to spread out their harvest over a longer period (its better to have 2 heads of lettuce per week all season than to have 20 heads all at the same time!) and to really make the most of the limited space they have available.

What’s the best coast for edible gardening?

Every region of the country has its benefits and drawbacks…The east coast has very hot summers which allows for rapid plant growth and huge yields, but that area also has some of the most prevalent pest and disease issues which have been known to frustrate many a beginning farmer. Much of the west coast has a temperate climate that allows for a long, slow growing season where certain crops can be harvested almost year round. On the downside, in the more mild parts of the coast, like our Pacific Northwest, cool summers can make some of the most coveted crops difficult to grow.

The incredible soil quality of the Midwest makes that region one of the best places in the world for food production…of course season-long droughts can shift your perspective on things a little bit…

What’s your favorite tomato variety and why?

Now that I have been living in the Pacific Northwest for almost 10 years, my expectations of a tomato plant have shifted dramatically. Given the nature of our climate, large slicing tomatoes (and sometimes even Romas) are difficult to ripen. They perform better in a greenhouse, but are more likely to encounter disease problems in those conditions. In the PNW, Sungold cherry tomatoes are without a doubt the best tasting, best producing plant you can grow. They are incredibly vigorous and healthy; and just about everybody who tries them gets addicted.

Generally speaking…I still think Sungold is the best cherry tomato for any climate, San Marzano are amazing Roma tomatoes, and the Cherokee Purple is my favorite slicer.

What’s the story with your cropping headquarters?

Seattle Urban Farm Company operates out of a house in North Seattle. The HQ is affectionately referred to as “Moonbase,” a title that attests to our location at the city limits and because we figure that our work is pioneering intensive gardening techniques that will be implemented in future moon colonies or something like that.

What crops do you recommend for vertical gardeners?

Vertical gardening can be as simple or complex as you want it to be.

The simplest vertical gardens are built with hanging pieces of string or wooden or bamboo stakes. If you have a spot that will work well for a row of tall crops, consider planting pole beans, cucumbers, tomatoes and winter squash like pumpkins or butternut.  These are all vine crops that produce better, have less disease problems and look great when supported on a trellis.

There are also some pretty cool perennial edibles that make great vertical elements in a garden like hops, grapes, kiwis, and columnar apple trees.

There are all sorts of more complex vertical gardening systems on the market today. Some allow you to plant in soil and others are set up as hydroponic or aeroponic systems. The concept of building narrow, tall planting containers makes a lot of sense for people with limited square footage of sunny real estate. I think we will see a lot of gimmicky and well-functioning vertical garden systems in the next few years, but it is important to do your homework on the products because some of them are very far to the gimmicky end of that spectrum.

What’s your take on the homestead naming controversy?

I think that putting a trademark on the phrase “urban homestead” was, at best, ill-advised. I believe that, if our society values the progress that is being made on sustainability and farming issues, then the people who work on those issues should be compensated (just like any other discipline). I think that, in this case, the move seemed more like a money-grabbing, overly-capitalistic strategy that alienated their community and potential allies instead of helping to foster a healthy homesteading economy. Based on my limited understanding of trademark law, “urban homesteading” is a wholly descriptive term and shouldn’t even be permissible as a trademark anyways.

Food Grown Right, In Your Backyard authored by Colin McCrate and Brad Halm is available for purchase now through Mountaineers Books. 

The post The Seattle Urban Farm Company Kicks Out Homesteaders for a New Urban Agriculture appeared first on EcoSalon.

The picNYC table is your own in-house urban greenspace. Eat, drink, play mini-lawn games: it’s the ultimate multi-use item.

Modern living means few city dwellers are lucky enough to have their own garden with a lawn. So this table, the wittily named picNYC, offers the opportunity for urban gardening – and pastoral dining – without the bugs. Avoid the nagging guilt of failing to mow the lawn; a pair of shears should do the trick. It’s also the perfect finishing touch to haute-tech office spaces.

The table is made from high-end lightweight aluminum and comes installed with grass for deliveries within the NYC area; it costs just shy of $6,000. Okay, those leaves of grass don’t come cheap. Consider it an investment in art, your well-being, horizontal gardening and, above all else, nature.

Photo: Voos Furniture

The post The Grass Is Greener, This Side Of The picNYC Table appeared first on EcoSalon.

It’s vertical, it’s modular, it’s magnetic…hence lustable. 

As if a vertical garden wasn’t sexy enough, take a look at the new modular vertical. I think we can all agree that this is the year horizontal greenery officially became passé.

Of the moment, the Urbio, a collaboration between Beau Oyler, Jared Aller and the Enlisted Design team.

What it is: neutrally white recyclable “eco-plastic” pots (a kind of imitation ceramic) that can be mounted on just about any vertical surface with neodymium magnets. Because of the Urbio’s modularity (plus modernity and adaptability), plant pots can be purchased individually or as part of the larger wall mounting plate pack.

Check out this video, from their original Kickstarter campaign, to see the Urbio in action.

The post Lustables: The Urbio Modular, Vertical Garden appeared first on EcoSalon.

The best of EcoSalon’s stories this week.

The novel and the short story are two very different forms of literature. Scott Adelson challenges himself – and us – to learn the latter.

Californian artist Annie Voight hates how the waning popularity of handwritten letters is hastening the disappearance of handwriting. (Yes, really). Her response? To painstakingly cut the words out of her correspondences with a knife and make art with them. You can see the amazing results here.

Imagine Ethiopia is on a mission to charitably bring education to where it’s needed, and they’re looking for talented, hard-working volunteers to spread the word about their efforts to build schools in Ethiopia. (For equally good works, check out Passports with Purpose).

Kicking off a new series featuring remarkable women overcoming extraordinary challenges, we featured Mountain2Mountain founder Shannon Galpin, facing down fear with two wheels and a lot of grit.

Lastly, we’re not convinced gardens are best grown horizontally. Take a look at these 12 luscious vertical gardens and tell us if you feel the same way!

The post The Friday 5: Word Up Edition appeared first on EcoSalon.

Get child, put child outside, let child run around – why is this so difficult?

Near where I live in Brighton, England, there’s a country park called Seven Sisters. It’s magnificent. Seven arching, white-chalk cliffs elegantly crumbling into the sea with no regard for their own brilliance. When you stand up close to the cliff face from the pebbly beaches below, you can see the layers of sediment laid down over millions and millions of years, the subtly changing colors and composition chronicling times when sea levels were higher or lower or filled with tiny and abundant and now non-existent creatures. Take a group of inner city school children to see it, though, and the reaction is less awe and more ick.

The Sussex Wildlife Trust, a local conservation charity, runs school trips to various spots around the Seven Sisters. Volunteers with the organization regularly report students who don’t want to sit on the grass, who are distressed by the mud, who wobble along the cliff path trying desperately to avoid the sheep scat until they realize that this is impossible. One child from London, on being asked what he thought a pole-mounted kestrel nesting box was, replied that it was a speed camera.

They are funny stories useful for eye rolling and lamenting the youth of today, and of course someone who grows up in a dense urban area will have points of reference that are predominantly urban. But the routine for how we interact with the outside seems so instinctive and simple – get child, put child outside, let child run around – that its malfunction is deeply uncomfortable.

Widely reported problems with our increasing penchant for urbanization expand well beyond the economic and environmental, and issues ranging from increasing obesity to widespread depression and stress disorders have been pinned on our proliferation of concrete. Richard Louv’s best selling book Last Child in the Woods even attempted to link attention deficit disorders to what he calls nature deficit disorder.

On top of that, it leaves us with something of a conundrum. The future is supposed to be awesome and filled with energy efficient airships and lush urban farms, yet the present is filled with kids who are scared of grass. How can we convince these young people – tomorrow’s older people – to protect something they aren’t even engaged with, to suddenly wake up one morning and construct a vertical farm on the side of their concrete high rise? The path to the future may have been asphalted for easy access, but it seems we’re not tripping enough on the weeds that are breaking through.

“It’s not just children and young people. Obviously it comes from a society that’s increasingly city based and it’s adults as well who aren’t used to the great outdoors. And it’s not all, it’s a proportion,” says Nigel Flynn, head of education at the Sussex Wildlife Trust.

He points to the work they are doing to combat this phenomenon, such as promoting the innovative Forest Schools program and says just a little bit of contact with the outside world is all it takes.

“There was one particular village where the Parish woodland had become a dumping ground and was getting trashed. Several people got together and won a grant to clean it up and start activity groups. One weekend they would run a fathers and son group, another it would be mothers and toddlers, and it made a real difference. The respect came from contact.”

With more people now living in cities than not, the problems of urbanization are not going to go away any time soon (though there are equally abundant and promising opportunities for urban innovation), and it is perhaps this rigorous segregation that’s the problem; urban versus suburban versus rural. If we want to live in that green utopian future, then at some point they all have to meet and mingle. The young people of today are, in some respects, the most environmentally aware generation there has ever been. We can’t judge them for the cities they find themselves living in and their unfamiliarity with strange green places. We can help them out though and it starts with something very simple, a walk outside.

Image: Todd Baker

Editor’s note: This is Sarah Lewis-Hammond’s first article for EcoSalon. She reports from Brighton, UK.

The post Wanted: More Urban Children to Embrace Nature appeared first on EcoSalon.

Spruce up your balcony or porch with this multi-tasking lustable.

Plant it and they will come. That’s the idea behind the Zozio garden box/bird feeder from Pousse Créative. Ideal for balcony and vertical gardeners, stick this on a wall or window ledge to create your own bird refuge, and grow some pretty flowers while you’re at it.

The Zozio is an eco-friendly planter made via a rotational molding technique, which produces less waste.

It’s a two-beaked process. First, plant your plants. Then, disperse your birdseeds through the designated hole. Other than that, what can we tell you? Let the watching begin.

The post Lustables: The Zozio appeared first on EcoSalon.

Can paintings live outside? Would it be possible to have a garden live within a painting? In an exhibition called Inside Outside, Fabric 8 challenged local artists Daniel James Burt and Romanowski to re-think painting from an outdoor perspective. The artists jumped right in (jumped right out?) in creating unique indoor and outdoor found object and plant assemblage and sculptures.

Beautifully integrated into the artwork are bits of chia pet plants and air plants that derive their water from the air, requiring little to no maintenance. The artists collaborated with Flora Grubb Gardens to determine exactly what type of plants would be best suited to this new art environment. “We do not have green thumbs,” Fabric 8 co-founder Olivia Ongpin explained, “So we knew that if we could keep these pieces alive, anyone could.”

Fabric 8 started out as an Internet business selling unique items by urban independent designers. Their small retail store located beneath a San Francisco Victorian residence in the Mission has now expanded to include a gallery in the back as well as a backyard garden gallery. When I stopped by earlier today, they were preparing the space for a wedding reception over the weekend.

The post Inside/Outside: Your Garden and Artwork Meld Into One appeared first on EcoSalon.