Sunday, March 1, 2015

Brown or Green Thumb?

My mom has a dark green thumb. She has always grown with much success house plants and over the last several years she has had a garden with abundant fruits and veggies. I don't have the pleasure of living near her but we talk about what's she growing and I used to think that I couldn't do that either until I got involved as a volunteer in the community garden.

Since May of 2014, I've been learning how to garden as a volunteer at the Ridgecrest Community Garden. A year ago, I killed lavender in a hanging basket. But today, I'm growing (with the help of other volunteers) organic veggies in.the.desert!! 

Last month, the director of my son's Montessori school asked me to take the lead on their spring garden. I informed them that I'm just starting but one of the teachers suggested me since I'm into nutrition and that I also advocate for families to eat more fruits and vegetables.


Convey Awareness | My first compost pile in the ground!

The same week that the school asked me to volunteer, my husband said yes to a compost pile in our yard just a day before the school's request. I love how things work out naturally. 

The school was given 4 raised beds 5'x3' and one of the beds we made into the compost pile because it already had the fruits that didn't make it last spring decomposing. There are over 100 children at the Montesssori school so I've created a curriculum of sorts to get all the kids involved in this growing season. I will blog about the project in the coming months.


Convey Awareness | Raised Beds - Garden Project at a Montessori

So why all this attention on growing in the soil when there's also an option to own a system that requires no soil?

Well, knowing how to avoid toxic chemicals while growing food is essential and growing potatoes and other root veggies in the ground needs enriched soil from untainted sources. And, since I have a brown thumb background, I feel building the soil proves to be more work albeit fruitful, it is more than owning and growing food on a Tower Garden - not only no soil but it also has proven to yield more fruits and vegetables (Univ of Mississippi). Plus, it's an honor to be chosen at my son's school for this project and I get more opportunities to work with the children cultivating a love of real food

Another reason I'm growing food in soil to start, is that I want to get more hands-on experience - plus, it's a great excuse to play in the dirt like these kids! 

Convey Awareness | Montessori students preparing the compost

Perhaps your school will be interested in some Tower Gardens moving forward or maybe you?! 

Place your new order here for a vertical gardening system with organic produce that can be grown indoors and outside. 

Choose, eat, and live well! =)



14 comments:

  1. I love seeing those kids in the dirt and learning about gardening!

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  2. Love that! It's such a lovely thing when schools become interested in gardening and growing food - or at least teaching children about how food grows and where it comes from. Love the compost pile too!

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  3. What a fun process and great giveaway!

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  4. I MUST compost this summer. This is very inspiring. Thank you.

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  5. That system is so amazing. :)

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    1. I would love to see a Tower Garden in a future blog post of yours! If you enter the giveaway by 3/31/15, good luck! =)

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  6. Congrats on getting the green thumb...and growing organic food in the desert. Whoooop! Really cool ideas here and a great giveaway. Thanks for sharing with us!

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  7. Love the tower garden system (I admittedly don't LoVe to get my hands dirty ;) haha) ....but I do love the hands on experience of growing your own food, and getting kids closer to where their food comes from!

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  8. Gardening posts this time of year always make me smile! :-)

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  9. With a tiny apartment in SF, I won't be gardening any time soon but maybe some kind of vermiculture...?

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    1. Do you have a space for the vermiculture? If so, containers could work for sure. However, with the Tower Garden, no soil or worms are required. =) And you can grow indoors with grow lights. The Tower Garden uses very little space. Just needs an outlet so that it self waters. =) If you'd like more information in getting one, please contact me or use one of the links above. Plus I'm doing the giveaway so ordering any of the products above from me earns you entries for the giveaway. A name will be chosen on or around 4/10. Be well! And, if you enter, good luck! =)

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  10. I love seeing all those kids getting into gardening! What fun, and a great learning experience.

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  11. Thank you for sharing this delightful post with us at the Healthy, Happy, Green and Natural Party Blog Hop! I sincerely appreciate it. I’m pinning and sharing!

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  12. Hi Jessica,
    I would love to try a vertical garden in my urban apartment.Thank you for sharing this delightful post with us at the Healthy, Happy, Green and Natural Party Blog Hop! I sincerely appreciate it. I’m pinning and sharing!

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