Growing a Greener World

- Season 4

(2013)

In the heart of New York City there is a public school with a very unusual story, and just the kind of inspirational message we love to share with our viewers. Led by Sidsel Robards and Manuela Zomora, the parents and educators at The Manhattan School for Children wanted to give their students a solid perspective of the environmental concerns that come from living in the city.

While it may seem intimidating at first, starting seeds from scratch can be a very rewarding experience. Once you know the basics, it really isn't hard at all and you have a lot more choices about what to grow. Rare, unusual and heirloom plants are easily sown from seed. In this episode Joe will share some of the joys and specific how-tos of growing your own plants from seed.

Did you know that only about 3% of the insect population actually does any kind of harm to our plants? That leaves 97% percent that are actually good bugs or just neutral. Joe looks at how the horticultural community is embracing biological controls and shows you that you don't need to grab the pesticide spray at the first sign of a bug problem in your garden.

With more people living in urban settings than ever before, it can be difficult for them to find locally sourced food within their neighborhoods or even to find a plot of dirt in which to grow their own food.

Have you ever been driving through a neighborhood and thought this place just feels right? We bet it has to do with all of the mature trees. Trees offer shade in the summer, beautiful colors in the fall, and solid structure in the winter. Plus, they provide much of the oxygen, we as humans, need.

The garden built is the new home garden set for our show. We're very excited to finally have a home base garden that we can use to grow lots of organic produce, flowers and herbs. In addition, we plan on using this space year round, to test the hardiness of various crops, as well as disease resistance, varietal options, and various gardening techniques. This is an all-organic garden and we'll share with you what works, what doesn't and the challenges as well as the successes we have along the way. Our goal is to help make you a better gardener, while seeing that ...

We're always in the pursuit for a beautiful lawn, but in our pursuit for this beauty we do some not so good things to the water, soil, and environment. Today, we will visit Glenstone, a private non-profit estate museum in Potomac, Maryland, that decided to change over their 16 acres of landscape to become completely organic. Founders, Mitch and Emily Rales realized they had a duty to the environment and the people that visited their estate museum to keep their land as healthy as possible.

Did you know that only 1% of the water on the Earth is fresh water? This isn't very much. Water is an important natural resource that affects everyone on the planet. We use about 100 gallons per person per day for all that we do, from drinking to irrigating our lawns and landscapes.

Today, a lot of people are interested in consuming locally grown produce, but in a big city, like New York much of that produce is brought in from outside locations compromising the freshness of the produce. Luckily, Brooklyn Grange, a small group of forward thinking farmers, found a way to grow high-quality, local produce right in the heart of New York City. With little valuable real estate left, instead of looking for space on the ground, Brooklyn Grange looked to one of the most beautiful views of New York, the skyline rooftops.

It's been said that there are only two things for certain in life, death and taxes. However, gardeners know there is a third, weeds. So, how does the concept of a weedless garden sound? Well today, we'll meet Dr. Lee Reich at his own home garden, where he's mastered the art of weedless gardening, all without chemicals.

What if we told you there was a plant that used minimal water and stayed green all year long? You can use it as a lawn, never have to mow it or trim it or use chemicals on it. It's moss, an eco-friendly, low maintenance plant. Mosses are the oldest terrestrial plant, even predating dinosaurs. They've survived that time span without pollen, seeds, flowers, or even roots. We head over to Moss and Stone Gardens, in Raleigh, North Carolina to meet with David Spain and Ken Gergle where they show us to how grow and cultivate moss.

We could bet that at some point in your life you've had a favorite store, one that you went to all the time and could never get enough of. For us, ours is an Independent Garden Center. Today, we are going to visit two of the countries best IGC's, or Independent Garden Centers, to explore why they are so valuable to any level gardener and how they can help you with your gardening needs.

It's a goal of every food gardener to have an abundant harvest. But what are the best ways to get the most produce from your efforts? Today, we share tips for achieving a really productive garden and answer some of those tough harvesting questions every gardener faces.

Joe takes us on a beekeeping journey. He travels to Seattle, Washington to visit Corky Luster, the owner of Ballard Bee Company. Joe talks with Corky about the importance of honeybees and their relevance to the foods we eat. Corky Luster helps homeowners set up their own beehives. Those that are interested in having a hive in their backyard can sponsor 2 to 4 hives and Corky will come out and maintain the hives on a weekly basis.

Joe travels to different areas of the country to talk about controlling your growing environment when you can't control the weather by using a greenhouse. He first visits Shenandoah Growers of Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, one of the only greenhouses that can certify its produce as organic.

If you're like us, most of the bills coming to your home have to do with running the house. Normally, the biggest one of all is the power bill. How would you love it if you never had to have a power bill, or gas bill again? We're talking totally off the grid.Well, for one Freeville, New York couple, that is exactly what they did.

The words "dirt" and "soil" are often interchanged, but to a gardener, there's a big difference. "Soil" is what gives life to a garden - full of organic matter, minerals, and nutrients. However, not all soil is created equal, which is why it's great to get to know your soil first. Today, Joe takes a look at how to take a soil sample for testing, and then visits the North Carolina Department of Agriculture to take a closer look at soil and the process of testing it. Joe talks to David Hardy, Section Chief for Soil Testing at the NCDA. David shows us the ropes of ...

Margaret Roach did what many of us wish we could do ourselves. She left a high-powered job for a more authentic life in the garden. Although Margaret was "living the dream" as the Executive Vice-President and Editorial Director of Martha Stewart Living, she knew that due to her busy, high-power schedule, she was also missing her connections to nature and the garden that she loved. Luckily for us, Margaret took the leap and traded in her high heels for gardening boots. Now we are all benefiting from that transition.

Have you or a neighbor had a garden or yard that was the envy of the neighborhood? As gardeners we are always looking for tips and tricks to make our gardens look the best they possibly can be. Some of the remedies available in today's market can do more harm than good, not only to our plants but to the environment, as well. Today we bring back one of our favorite garden scholars to help us examine some of the remedies that work and the some of the ones that don't.

We talk a lot on this show about people in urban communities looking for new ways to grow their own food. Well, today is all about one organization that not only sets up community gardens in big city neighborhoods but it also teaches the people HOW to grow their food. But what really sets their mission apart is that all of the gardens they build are only temporary.

In our first season, we featured one of the top people in urban farming, Will Allen, of Growing Power in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. From the start Will Allen's dream was to grow fresh food in food deserts and to teach others how to do the same, one of those being his daughter, Erika Allen.

Greensgrow Farm, one of the first urban farms in America, is located just 3 miles from Philadelphia's city center. We filmed our very first episode of Growing a Greener World here in 2009. At the time, they were already considered one of the most forward-thinking urban farms in America. And they're still at it. The heart and soul of Greensgrow is comprised of a dedicated group of loyal employees, led by co-founder and Chief Idea Officer, Mary Seton Corboy.

We love to hear stories of young people making a difference in the world and that is why today's story really struck a cord with us. Today we tag along with four young farmers who are traveling the country in a retrofitted school bus. Now, that may not sound very unusual. But there's more. This bus has a greenhouse, rain collections system, composting system, solar panels and a living space for the farmers.SolFoodMobileFarm_253-with-logo And the bus runs on waste vegetable oil.

Who doesn't love a fair? From the exhibits, food stands, and goodies to purchase, fair's have plenty for everyone. The Common Ground Country Fair, in Unity Maine, is nothing short of exciting with all of the treats that many fairs offer, but with some special twists many other fairs don't offer.

Locally grown, organic foods are in demand year round, not just the spring and summer months. Depending on the climate that you live in, temperatures can soar into the 100s or dip low into the negatives. Our desire for fresh from the garden produce is stronger than ever, so how do you grow foods when temperatures get bitterly cold? Well, with some simple techniques, you can grow organically, even in the dead of winter.

Having a great garden takes maintenance all year long. Getting your spring garden started off right has everything to do with how you put your garden to bed the fall before. Without a doubt, one of the best seasons for preparing your landscape for success is often a missed opportunity. For a lot of people, the fall season is dreaded because of the large amount of leaves that usually have to be raked. But, with clear fresh air and no bugs, the fall season is the best time to get ready for your future garden seasons, from compost piles to harvesting the final fruits ...