Emily's eco-minded garden
SEED PICKS "Baker has the craziest varieties of fruits and veggies, in colors and shapes I didn't even know existed. Use whatever you buy that season, since older seeds can spoil." Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, from $1.25; rareseeds.comCOWBOY HAT "More attitude than a floppy sun hat." Cord and Concho Band hat, $50; shadybrady.com"Vegetable gardens don't have to be plain and utilitarian. There are some beautiful edibles. Choose colorful varieties, like red cabbages or purple beans"COCONUT OIL "To keep hands soft, I moisturize with raw coconut oil. It's super-nourishing and has no additives, Like parabens." Adara Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, $30 for 8.4 oz.; b-glowing.comUrbanites should start with herbs in pots, especially since so often store-bought herbs get thrown away. Set up your windowsill herbs with this self-irrigating container. Delta 20 Self Watering Planter, $38; sprouthome.com"For a mod urban touch, I mulch with beach glass or white stones." Cabo Beach Glass, $11 for 2 lbs.; origincrafts.comIf you're hunting for Maria Finn, check the roofs of San Francisco, where she sets up edible gardens for clients. Maria's also a writer (she contributes to Sunset) and recently penned A Little Piece of Earth (Universe Publishing, 2010; $20). The book's simple message: You don't need acres to grow edibles. "In a small space, you're not going to live off your harvest, but you can do things like grow kaffir ['Kieffer'] limes, using the leaves to season homemade curry, or grow ingredients to make cocktails. These ideas make life richer."SEED PICKGARDEN TOTE "It's durable, lightweight, and cute, but not so precious I have to worry about it getting messed up." Green Garden Tote, $33; angelas-garden.comTHE HOME DEPOT POTHeavy Petal blogger Andrea Bellamy, who lives in Vancouver, B.C., decided to plant edibles as an inexpensive alternative to hardscaping. She also wanted the garden to fit her modern style. Her book, Sugar Snaps and Strawberries (Timber Press, 2010; $20), devotes the first chapter to helping you find your personal style."Lettuce, strawberries, fig trees, and citrus trees like kaffir lime are all easy to maintain and do really well in containers"TEAL BEACH GLASSGRAPHIC PILLOW "I'd rather have a better pattern selection [than offered by outdoor fabric] and bring in my pillows every night. I like the bold style of Willa Skye." Maze Greek Key Pillow Cover, $28; etsy.com/shop/willaskyehomeIn Emily's toolboxMASON JAR "I reuse, or buy new jars to take different kinds of organic soil to jobsites." Ball Regular Mouth Quart Jars, $n for 12; freshpreserving.comIn Maria's toolboxKITCHEN SCRAPS COLLECTOR "You can grow so much more per square foot with nutritious soil--and to make soil rich, it's essential to add compost." Ceramic Compost Pail, $32; williams-sonoma.com"This Garden Babies butterhead lettuce always emerges pristine, like some produce manager from Whole Foods misted it in the middle of the night." Renee's Garden seeds, $2.73; renees garden.com"A staple in my kit, it's packed with screwdrivers and a knife, plus it's little, lightweight, and can be clipped to your belt when you're working." Leatherman Juice CS4, $83; leatherman.com for storesSEED PICKSFROM THE EXPERTIn Andrea's toolbox"This is pretty much the one tool I need, which spares me from having to look at a pile of clutter in my backyard It's great for cultivating or turning soil, digging little holes, and weeding." CobraHead Weeder and Cultivator, $25; cobraheadllc.comActress Emily Paul channeled her green thumb when the Los Angeles writers' strike hit, eventually forming Sprout, a landscaping company that plants organic produce in backyards. Emily believes in simple solutions. To grow edibles, she says, you only need seeds, soil, mulch, and compost. In her backyard, she repurposes old umbrella holders for planters and wine crates for storing supplies.STRETCH GLOVESAndrea's modernista yard"When plants have been sitting around for a while in containers, the roots tend to bundle up and tangle. A gardening knife is so helpful for root pruning and weeding."Multipurpose Garden Knife, $25; gardeners.comHERB PLANTERIn addition to heirlooms, Seeds of Change sells new varieties, so you can experiment. Maria's picks: 'Cocozelle' zucchini ($3.79) and cherry tomatoes like 'Peacevine' ($3.29). seedsofchange.comCOIL HOSE "This coil hose is perfect for tight spaces since it tucks away out of sight, and you don't need a big spool or basket to wind it up." Lee Valley 25-in. Deluxe Watering Set, $34; leevalley.comBAUER POTTERY Glazed ceramic pots hold water well (drill a hole in the pot if it lacks one); this is a modern twist on a traditional style. "I go neutral on big stuff like patio furniture and large planters, and add punches of color with smaller containers and pillows." 16-in. Jardiniere, $240; bauerpottery.com"Working in soil tends to dry out my skin. These are made of a stretchy fabric with neoprene over the palm and fingers, so you maintain dexterity." Atlas Nitrile Touch Gloves, $6.95; gardenbasket.comNo reason to spend a fortune on containers. "I buy mine used at the Rose Bowl Flea Market (rgcshows.com), or else at the Home Depot, whose ceramic pots look so much more expensive than they are." Atlantis Planter, $35; home deptot.com
"Lettuce, strawberries, fig trees, and citrus trees like kaffir lime are all easy to maintain and do really well in containers"
Author: Emily Hsieh
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