The most common type of urban gardening is container gardening. This is using pretty much any container that can hold soil to grow things. Examples range from old tires to kiddy pools to old shoes or watering cans, or even the typically used small pot.

Another idea, if you have some space (like a rooftop, and if you’re allowed to use the space) is to use raised beds. Those are made from wood or stone and hold soil, they are generally either 3 or 5 feet wide, 8 to 20 feet long, and between 8 in and 3 feet tall.  ( source ) These are like traditional gardens, but they are easier to maintain!

Now if you don’t have the space (especially in an apartment) you can still grow things in your window! There are some space requiring crops that will be out of your reach.. but you can still grow smaller things. Flowers are a given, but I’m going to be focusing on food here. Chives, basil, parsley, oregano, cilantro, peppermint and rosemary are good herbs you can start with, I’ve heard they are quite easy. Some small crops you could also try are things like lettuce, tomatoes, radishes, carrots, and peppers.

How much light you get of course helps determine what will thrive. Partial sunlight will support root and leaf crops, but if you want vegetables that produce ‘fruits’, it will need at least 5 hours of direct sunlight daily, and do best with 8 to 10.  If you don’t have enough light, you can use lightbulbs or reflective surfaces like aluminum.

For your containers, there are a lot of different possibilities. The standard clay pot is of course good, as long as it’s big enough to hold the grown plant. Other options include cut off plastic jugs (yay upcycling!), cedar boxes, or vertical plant boxes (I’ve reblogged those a few times, there are lots of options if you do a search!). Just make sure your containers have holes punched in the bottom for drainage.

I’ll post some more on this later! I have to go to work now and I can’t figure out how to save a draft lol.

More tomorrow!

(Source: pubs.ext.vt.edu)

This is a link to some vegan recipes that I found, and it looks pretty good! They have ratings for how easy it is and prep time for each dish. The one I’m really looking forward to trying here is grilled portobello burgers! I had one of these at a restaurant when I went out with my parents after Earth Fest, and it was the best burger I’ve ever had.

I can’t wait to learn to cook them on my own! There are tons of other recipes there besides this one, but that one just got me the most excited! =)

sonneillonv:

noelbackwardsisleon:

kaitlynthevegan:

rowansamonkey:

tiffanyarei:

orangeschmorange:

luckyandhardheaded:

thegreeatpretender:

queque:

A spanish designer Martin Azua has designed an Awesome Urn  which Will Turn You into a Tree After You Die

His urn is made from coconut shell, compacted peat and cellulose and inside it contains the seed of a tree.

Once your remains have been placed into the urn, it can be planted and then the seed germinates and begins to grow. You even get the choice to pick the type of plant you would like to become, depending on the kind of planting space you prefer.

via did you know tumblr

Source

I just want to reblog this kind of post again.

I want to be a tree.

I was just talking to someone about eco burial.  There is an orchard that has been donated as an eco cemetery.  I wish I could find the article on it.

this is kind of a beautiful idea.

I’m gonna be a Rowan tree.

I’m gonna be a Willow.

I’m gonna be a Lavender or a Maple.

I want to be a hawthorn tree, and I want my family to plant me on the property so I can guard them.

theveganabolitionist:

Over the past few months, I have increasingly committed myself to environmentally-friendly behavior. While caring for the Earth is something that’s mattered to me for several years now, it was always a passive care. Like, oh, wouldn’t it be nice if everyone recycled more? And also maybe I’ll take slightly shorter showers.

But the time has come for me to step up and really do something. Why? It occurs to me that, as a vegan, I must be an environmentalist as well. If my goal is to abolish the suffering of all creatures, I must also work to eliminate habitat destruction. When we create landfill after landfill and pollute our oceans, we’re hurting the animals, same as if we stole their milk. Very unvegan.

Being raw has helped to reduce my environmental impact SO much. When you’re eating fruits and veggies, all of a sudden,you’re throwing out way less trash. I take fewer showers, and have trained my hair not to need washing so often. I don’t use shampoo or conditioner anymore. And you can’t even tell - no one EVER notices that my hair is any different, though I only water rinse it maybe twice a week.

What else can I do? I’m always searching for new options. I’m going to do work with my campus’ Green Team in the fall. This is just one more way for me to give back to the Earth, and more importantly, to the beautiful and amazing creatures that inhabit it.

This! I don’t feel as if animal rights, human rights and environmentalism can really be separated. This is our habitat. To take care of ourselves and others, we have to make sure our home is safe too. Do people think we (and other animals) somehow live completely separate from our environment? The air conditioned houses might fool you, but what we need to survive is out in the green. 

Although I try to rearrange my lifestyle so that I can live practically eco-friendly, something that everyone can get on board with but at the same time does take effort and change. For instance, most people I know wash their hair and shower everyday for business or social reasons, or just wanting to feel personally clean and happy (I’m irritated by my hair if I don’t give it a soak). That’s why there are shampoos and conditioners made out of 98% plant ingredients and recyclable biodegradable containers (also completely vegan). Whichever way people feel like they are doing everything they can - constantly asking oneself if there is something more they can do (there usually is!). 

It’d be like telling someone who makes long-distance trips to their only job to start riding a bike to save the environment. Meanwhile, they’ll show up to work late, sweaty, get fired, but at least they didn’t pollute, right? They could try to carpool. They could try to put extra effort into other areas of their impact. It’s not about limiting ourselves - it’s about changing how we do what we’ve already been doing.

——

I saw this and just wanted to share with you all. I agree with this view 100%!

vegancollegestudent:

gettingfitforzombies:

Happy National Vegetarian Week!

In honor of National Vegetarian Week, here are some resources for those of you who are considering, beginning or learning about vegetarianism.

• How to become a vegetarian or vegan
• Health benefits of vegetarianism
• Ethical reasons for becoming a vegetarian
• How being a vegetarian helps the environment
• Vegetarian recipes
• Information about veganism
• How to get the nutrients you need whilst being vegetarian
• The Vegetarian Society

Really informational!

Oh wow thank you! Don’t hesitate to send me a message if there’s a topic you would like me to cover. Since I’m not in classes right now, I don’t have ready made topics to talk about, and I have to decide on something by myself! hehe. Thanks for reading!

Thank you so much! I do my best <3

paradigmearth:

World oil production has flatlined since 2004.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to find oil resources we have not already tapped into; this is a problem of “low hanging fruit” as oil that is easily accessed has already been consumed. Crude oil’s growth rate has either stopped growing or is shrinking.

Any topics you would like me to discuss? Any advice seeking? This post has replies enabled, and you can drop me a line in my ask box!