From the Front Yard to the Farm

Edible landscaping is all over the news (and this blog), and this article about Will Allen and Milwaukee's Growing Power Farm should offer even more motivation. Allen and Growing PowerFarm have won awards and garnered national attention for growing good food locally and intensively, and making it - the food along with the knowledge of how to grow it - available to local people.

Want to see what kind of farming is happening locally? You're in luck! Come along to the Big Community Harvest Tour and see what good stuff is growing here in Ann Arbor, including Project Grow's work with Avalon Housing at Edible Avalon. Download the map and take these self-guided tours, and we also recommend bringing a notebook to plot your own little farm once you get back home!

Big Community Harvest Garden Tour

Wednesday, July 22nd, 6pm - 9pm

Saturday, August 1st, 10am - 1pm

Calendula - Not Just for Salad!

The bright petals of calendula often grace the garden, and subsequently make a summer salad tempting even to the most vegetable wary nibbler. The stickiness of calendula also makes it a great ingredient for salves and lotions.

Caryn Simon, local doula, is offering two classes on turning those bright blossoms into soothing salves for garden weary hands.

Fresh Calendula Salve Making Class

Saturday, July 11th and Saturday, July 25th

Saturday, August 8th and Saturday, August 22nd

Register by email or call Caryn at 734.646.1351 quick! Space is limited.

Edible Landscaping Ideas

We've talked before about edible landscaping, and with Spring fast-aproaching we thought we'd throw out a few more ideas to turn your yard into a veritable Garden of Eatin'.

This nice little article from Gardener's Supply offers some excellent ideas and tips for adding edible perennials like asparagus, blueberries, and raspberries to your yard. Strawberries, both the native cultivar and the straight-up eating kind, make a tasty ground cover for you and your wildlife friends. Organic Gardening offers a nice little list of other fruits that could be incorporated quite easily into your yard - apples to kiwis to grapes - for an edible landscape.

Perhaps the key thing to remember when choosing plants, trees, or shrubs to increase the "edibility" of your landscape is local. Look around at the Farmer's Market to see what's on offer to get ideas, and don't forget native varieties - Serviceberry and American Plum - offer tasty treats, too.