All Posts Tagged With: "plants"

In honor of Green Week Baltimore I wanted to highlight a few important efforts that I’ve come across in the past couple of months. The MTA of Maryland has implemented a Green Facts page on their website. This interactive page provides information on all the energy alternatives which are taking place within our Mass Transit system. We currently have 10 hybrid diesel-electric buses and coming soon are some 100% biodiesel conversions and much more. Parks and People Foundation of Baltimore has created the Community Greening Resource Network (CGREN) , a membership program supporting Baltimore City community gardeners with materials like seeds, plants, tools, and educational hand-outs and downloadable PDFs. There are a list of upcoming events and workshops on their calender and ours that include information on composting, rainbarrel systems, etc. This year I’ve signed up to be a member of the Village Green Community Garden in Remington and will be making visits around to as many other community gardens as I can. Check back soon to hear more about the exciting momentum stirring around urban farming city-wide! In addition to active green spaces, the city has also set a goal of increasing its tree canopy from 20 percent to 40 percent. The Growing Home program is an innovative public-private partnership between Baltimore County, Baltimore City, Harford County, 50 local retail nurseries and garden centers, and homeowners to increase the tree canopy in the region by offering homeowners comprehensive education about planting trees and a cash incentive, the $10 Growing Home Tree Coupon redeemable toward the purchase of a qualifying tree with a retail value of at least $25.

I leave you with this quote from critic and urban activist Jane Jacobs, "No one can find what will work for our cities by looking at..suburban garden cities, manipulating scale models, or inventing dream cities. You’ve got to get out and walk." Be the green you wish to see in the world. There are hundreds of ways to get involved. Check our calender for more Green Week Events.

Other urban farming/gardening resources:

Intervale Center

Growing Power

Rhizome Collective

Fresh Start Farm

The Riverdale Park Farmer’s Market, situated just north of Washington, DC in a historic region of Prince George’s County, is open every Thursday from March to November. As a “producers only” market, everything is locally grown or made. To expand on “everything”, the market offers organic and conventionally-grown fresh vegetables and fruits, award-winning honey, European-style baked goods, pasture-fed meat, bedding plants, artisan breads, hand-made soaps, pottery, jams and jellies, fruit syrups, fresh cut flowers, as well as talented local artisans and musicians. Its site offers subscribers a list of vendors, market dates, and special events.

Located on South Charles Street, SoBotanical is a Baltimore-based company that offers their own signature line of skincare and body products that come from handpicked, all-natural ingredients. Combining healing herbs, aromatic plants, organic oils, and their own skincare instruction, their product line provides a wholesome addition to aromatherapy. SoBotanical’s own fabulous-smelling products are packaged mostly in glass bottles and jars, which they will refill at a slight discount. They also carry other brands, including Pangea Organics, a visionary company that rigorously pursues the triple bottom line.