Gardening

You all know I'm obsessed with The Plant (a local urban vertical farming venture here in Chicago). But it made me want to really start a garden in my own place even more when we ate fresh edamame I picked from the outdoor garden last time I was there. Of course because of that I got into looking around at gardening ideas for an apartment and this one might just be one of my favorites! The article on GoodMagazine's blog talks about some other ideas, but this is the main focus. I think I could do it... I might need to borrow a drill or something, but I could set something up like this, I wonder if my landlord will think I'm crazy!

Also I just want a little shout out to this couple in Quebec and so many other people all over who are fighting to keep their gardens! I think if we want to garden in the city why should we not be allowed to?! Not only is it good for the soil (when done right) it helps reduce the dependence on imported goods and gives the city an amazingly eclectic style!  Good for you.

Here's a quick urban planning type article about urban agriculture too. I recently passed a community garden in my neighborhood (only a block from my new apartment!) and this makes me think that perhaps the small community garden helped to revive Pilsen, or that more could continue to revive it. There are definitely some empty lots nearby and I would love to start up a community garden. Maybe I should start working toward that for next season.

I like the article writer's point at the end that "We should celebrate the power of local projects like community gardens—but in doing so we should not forget that there are systemic problems in our economic and political systems that contribute to the desperation in certain urban centers. A green thumb alone can't get to the roots of gun violence".  It's true that community projects can help to bring people together and bring some peace, but it is not the fix-all problem. Similarly, I love that this man lived in the neighborhood and conversed with friendly neighbors, acknowledging that gang members are people too, they have families and friends and they continue to live their lives normally (mostly). I think media portrays these people not as people but as evil beings. If we start understanding their lives as they relate to "normal" life, maybe we will be better able to understand why someone ends up in a gang in the first place and where the root problems are, rather than fighting the gang as an evil being itself.

R