2009's Victory Gardens ushered in a
new era of self-reliance and sustainability!
Let's Make 2010 an Even Better Year!

Implement the Precautionary Principle

Organic standards are a great example at the federal level of the precautionary principle in action. If this country valued human health and environmental protection, all US food would be organic, and industrial food production, with its pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, genetic engineering, nanotechnology, cloning and factory farms, would never be allowed because it has never been proven safe - and it never could be proven safe.

While the precautionary principle has begun to be applied in Europe through the REACH legislation, it has never been put to use in the US at the federal level. (The epidemic of diet-related diseases in this country is proof that the precautionary principle hasn't been applied.)

At the local level, the precautionary principle could be used in decisions on zoning and land-use to make sure that risks to human health and the environment are fully explored.

     2010 Winter Gardening

Read about our history

Read the story about ...

Sacramento's new 2007 front yard landscape ordinance!

Check out our kids books, links, and teaching resources
 

Plant Notes - for vegetable planting and growing
information specific to the Sacramento region.

MULCH helps to maintain balanced soil temperatures, increase water infiltration and retention, prevent soil compaction, control erosion, reduce weeds, improve soil texture and provide a source
of organic matter for the "soil food web" which includes the "Microherd."

* Remember: plants in stress send out signals that attract insects & disease.

* It is also important to leave areas of bare dirt (without inches of mulch) in your yard for ground-nesting native bees.

Slugs and Snails - Anytime new plants are added to the garden, it is a time to check for slug and snail trails. They love tender new growth. Stale beer in saucers can keep them in check during this vulnerable time. Copper tape around raised beds creates a barrier that they don't like to cross. Many gardeners go out after dark with a flashlight and stomp on them. Some people spray a mixture of 50/50 household ammonia to water directly on the slug or snail.

Reap the benefits of fresh produce - Vegetables and fruits are rich in flavonoids and carotenoids with both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, and both promote healthy digestion, can fill you up with few calories and little to no fat, and are among the healthiest snack options when on-the-go.

Dark leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables are especially good choices, as are berries and other low-glycemic fruits. Aim for 4-5 servings of vegetables and 3-4 servings of fruit per day - go for a wide range of colors, choose fruit and vegetables that are fresh in season, and buy organic whenever possible, or best yet, grow your own!.

JOIN THE BILLION TREE CAMPAIGN:
PLANT FOR THE PLANET
The United Nations
Environment Programme
(UNEP) worldwide tree planting campaign.  Make a pledge to plant one tree or many.  
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Site update: Feb. 8, 2010

The rewards of planting, caring for, and enjoying the bounty of a home garden are many. Join us in growing healthy food and creating a sustainable ecosystem.

Some of the joys of gardening include the abundance of frozen and dried produce a garden supplies us with all year long.

We can still plant some cool weather vegetables - such as chard, spinach, kale, lettuce, carrots, alliums, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, potatoes, garlic to name a few. Some veggies are still being harvested from our early fall gardens. It is easy to grow herbs in your garden too. Rosemary, oregano, marjoram, parsley and the thymes are some great companions for growing vegetables, as well as perennials in your gardens. See our page - Sustainable gardening with intercropping & companion planting

These new starters may need some protection from freezing temperature right after planting at this time of the year and also windy conditions that can dry out new plantings. Garden catalogs show many interesting heritage plant varieties. It is fun to grow a new veggie every year. These catalogs do a pretty good job describing many exciting choices. The hardest part is making a decision about what plants to start, as there are so many wonderful choices. It is time to start choosing spring seeds.

Anytime new plants are added to the garden, it is a time to check for slug and snail trails, as slugs and snails love tender new growth especially when the garden is wet. Read more about slugs and snails in the far right column.

It makes good sense to grow your own food or at least some of it. Growing one’s own food is becoming more important today with worldwide food safety and food security issues, as well as making good economic and environmental sense.

 - more articles  
Pesticides everywhere:help to avoid them

The grass is greener at Harvard

Weed-whacking herbicide proves deadly to human cells

Urban farm tells how to grow vegetables-and cook them

Compost powers USDA's organic People's Garden

Edible Garden Planned for Capitol Park - Sac. CA

Obamas to plant vegetable garden at White House

Rain: Saving it for a sunny day includes easy ...

City Chicken

Green From the Ground Up

Farmer in Chief

Nature loss 'dwarfs bank crisis'

No way to bee

Swap seeds this season

Slow food savors big moment

A locally grown diet with fuss but no muss

Nonprofit group wants farms near urban homes

No-dig crops help reduce water

Rain gardens capture storm water, clean it up

Banking on Gardening

Bike tour finds gardens blossoming in city lots

We're in love with our lawns

Exhibit gives the dirt on lawns

Consumer tips for choosing healthy food

Permaculture: beyond the garden

A Rose Is [Not] a Rose

In a forest's breath, deciphering climate clues

Why we will all be gardeners

Prairie Revival

Sterile soil, dirty hands

At park, a new garden sets example

Prof's new book focuses on critical role of native plants

Organic food is healthier: study

Don't Think 'Yard,' Think 'Habitat'

Disappearing Honeybee and Native Bee articles


- more books - garden books
 
            
The Art of Simple Food - by Alice Waters
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle - by Barbara Kingsolver
In Defense of Food:An Eater's Manifesto - Michael Pollan

Growing your own fruit and vegetables and buying locally grown organic food can provide fresh, nutritious food for you and your family, while supporting the local ecosystem. Most locally grown and seasonally available food is more nutritious, tastes better and is more environmentally friendly, since shipping food over long distances requires fuel for transportation.

Growing food can be a joyful experience for many reasons. Working the soil has many mental health benefits on several levels. Is Dirt the New Prozac?
Being self-sufficient and providing quality food is very rewarding. Why Grow Your Own Food?

Victory Gardens Symbolize a New Age

Victory gardens are popping up all over. Last seen during World War II, these gardens now represent our fight to regain control of our lives and our health. They are the first battlefields against the increasing corporate tyranny, a battle that may end with us throwing off the philosophy of every man for himself and a realization that we are all together in this thing called life.

A garden teaches us the secrets of creation in various ways. Once we make the decision to pull back from the getting and spending lifestyle, we learn the power within us to create our world by the choices we make. We realize that we no longer have to be controlled by the power of events, but that by our power of thought, we control events. We can bring about what is in our thoughts.

When this is our direction we will have the confidence to succeed in the garden. Gardening is about the relationship we have with the plants. When we love and cherish them, they will return the favor. Plants are like our children. A child who is loved thrives no matter what the conditions are, but a child who has no love dies. Gardening is never about technique or the color of your thumb.
It is about what is in your heart and spirit.

                  Read  Barbara L. Minton's full essay ...

* Photos from 'Compost powers USDA's organic People's Garden'

*** Obamas to plant vegetable garden at White House

**Watch the groundbreaking for the White House garden-video

* White House Garden update - video

* Michelle Obama Fall Harvest: Revealed that The White House garden cost only $180 to plant



Your Sustainable Backyard-Edible Landscaping-R.Creasy Mar.6

Effie Yeaw Nature Center Calendar of Events - February

UC Davis Arboretum Calendar - February and March

Sacramento Garden Notes - February

Elderberry Farms Nursery - call for volunteers, work days






You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces -
just good food from fresh ingredients.  ~ Julia Child