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April 2020
Selector: Alexandra Sarkozy & Lori Rinaldi
April is a great month to get gardening! Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned pro, each new spring brings a fresh set of gardening possibilities and challenges. There are as many ways to grow a garden as there are gardeners: growing vegetables in pots, tending a bed of flowers, and constructing larger landscaping projects are all fun and relaxing ways to strengthen our relationships with the natural world and to discover the wonder of plants in the human environment. We hope this guide will provide some resources for your gardening adventures in Southeast Michigan.
image source: Dreer's Garden Book, 1904, p. 8
Weekly virtual conversations with MSU Extension
MSU Extension will be hosting weekly Cabin Fever Conversations via Zoom. "Zoom will be used for these conversations, which will start Friday, April 3, 2020 at 10 a.m. and occur indefinitely every Friday at 10 a.m.. Each Cabin Fever Conversation will feature one guest with a different specialty, allowing them a space to share their passion and expertise. Conversations will include seed saving, cultivating indoor houseplants, flower bulbs and others. The hosts will direct the conversation based on each guest’s specialty and participants are encouraged to ask questions of their own.
Websites, April 2020
- MIGardner BlogMIGardener is a comprehensive resource for organic vegetable and flower growing in Michigan. The site features videos, growing guides, planting schedules, and how-to guides for all aspects related to home gardening, from starting seeds to preserving the harvest.
- Gardenweb Forums (Houzz)The Gardenweb forums are a vast repository of gardening expertise and knowledge from all over the world. Dating back over a decade, it's a great place to ask gardening questions, and to search the existing forums for gardening information. While a lot of gardening discussion has moved to social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook in recent years, Gardenweb stands out because of it's ease of search and backfiles of discussions.
- Michigan State University Extension ServiceMichigan State University Extension Service for home gardening offers online expertise and resources on many gardening topics, including plants, pollinators, soils, and lawns. The site contains a searchable archive of garden information, and a garden hotline (1-888-678-3464) you can call with garden questions.
- MSU Weed Identification GuideHow to identify and learn about common Michigan home garden weeds, and how to eliminate and prevent them.
- A Way to GardenMargaret Roach offers gardening tips, how-to lessons with experts, a newsletter, recipes, and events on her website.
Detroit Gardening Connections
- Keep Growing DetroitKeep Growing Detroit is a non-profit that seeks to support gardeners in Detroit, Hamtramck, and Highland Park. KGD offers online guides, in-person workshops, and education programs for children and adults. Their Garden Resource Program provides seeds, transplants, and support for gardeners getting started.
- Detroit Black Community Food Security NetworkDBCFSN is a non-profit whose mission is to provide food security for Detroit's. DBCFSN runs D-Town Farm, and provides educational and volunteer opportunities to youth and community members interested in growing food crops and engaging in the food justice movement in Detroit.
- Oudolf Garden DetroitPiet Oudolf is a Dutch garden designer and nurseryman who has created world-class gardens that include the Highline in NYC and the Lurie Garden in Chicago's Millennium Park. He has designed a garden on Detroit's Belle Isle, currently under construction. Educational and volunteer opportunities are available at this extraordinary garden site.
- Community Gardens in DetroitNorth Cass Community Garden and Art Center Community Garden both offer garden space to community members in exchange for a minimal fee and volunteer service.
- The Greening of DetroitThe Greening of Detroit is a non-profit that has planted over 130,000 trees in Detroit, Hamtramck, and Highland Park over the last 30 years. The group also provides volunteer and educational opportunities, and training for horticultural careers.
- Detroit Biodiversity NetworkDBN is a Wayne State University student-run non-profit that provides expertise on native plants in the urban environment, and grows native plants for sale to the Detroit community.
Gardening Podcasts
- A Way to GardenMargaret Roach interviews horticultural experts about their work, and gardening techniques for home gardeners.
- On the LedgeJane Perrone shares knowledge about growing houseplants.
- Let's Argue About PlantsFine Gardening magazine editors discuss plants to consider for your garden, and share their extensive horticultural knowledge.
- The Beginner's Garden PodcastJill McSheehy introduces beginning gardeners to gardening lingo, concepts, and techniques.
Journals
- Organic Gardeningback issues from 1990-2001 of Organic Gardening Magazine
- Mother Earth Newsback issues from 1988-present of Mother Earth News.
- Curtis' Botanical Magazine, volumes 1-14Digitized issues of The Botanical magazine, or, Flower-garden displayed. 1790-1800
- Curtis' Botanical Magazine, volumes 17-130Browse historical botanical magazines- filled with beautiful illustrations of common and exotic garden plants.
Videos April 2020
Urban Roots 2011 Kanopy streaming video "This is the story of the spontaneous emergence of urban farming in the city of Detroit. Detroit, once an industrial powerhouse, is a city devastated by the loss of half its population due to the collapse of manufacturing. By the looks of it, the city has died. But now, against all odds, in the empty lots, in the old factory yards, and the sad, sagging blocks of company housing, seeds of change are taking root. Official Selection at the **Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival** and at the **San Francisco Green Film Festival.** *"...conveys an infectious energy spreading throughout the city, garden by garden, that is palpable even to faraway viewers." - Claire Thompson, **Grist***
Food (Justice) for All 2014 Kanopy streaming video "All across the country, the ways and means of America’s small farmers are evolving. Young Hispanic farm laborers in California’s Salinas Valley are moving up the economic ladder, training to become tomorrow’s organic farm owners. In Houston, Congolese refugees are creating communities around vacant urban lots. And in nearby Dallas, a struggling college commits an unthinkable act of football heresy, plowing their gridiron into a garden and transforming a social need into a delicious educational opportunity."
eBooks
Gardening with Young Children by ISBN: 9781605541570Publication Date: 2014-05-13Explore the unique and expansive learning opportunities offered by gardening with children Gardens are where children's imaginations engage nature, and the result is joyful learning. Gardening helps children develop an appreciation for the natural world and build the foundation for environmental stewardship. This book is packed with information and inspiration to help you immerse children in gardening and outdoor learning experiences--green thumb or a perfect plot of land not required. Learn how a gardening curriculum supports learning and development across all domains. You'll also find heaps of suggestions for planning, planting, and caring for a garden suited to your unique setting, such as container gardens, raised beds, in-ground gardens, gardens grown vertically on a wall or fence, and even rooftop gardens. Cultivate children's wonder and appreciation for nature. This book provides More than 60 hands-on learning activities for children of all ages to explore plants and garden creatures Vibrant photographs and classroom stories showcasing great programs from around the country New content reflecting childhood issues and gardening trends that have surfaced in recent years, including concerns that children are becoming alienated from nature, and that childhood obesity is becoming an epidemic Resources to help your garden flourish, seed and garden supply lists, information on poisonous plants, and books about gardens and garden creatures
Butterfly Gardening by ISBN: 9780691170343Publication Date: 2018-04-10An indispensable and lavishly illustrated guide to creating a garden that attracts and sustains butterflies Butterfly gardening creates habitats that support butterflies, connecting us with some of the most beautiful creatures in the natural world and bringing new levels of excitement and joy to gardening. In this engaging and accessible guide, lavishly illustrated with more than two hundred color photographs and maps, accomplished butterfly gardener Jane Hurwitz presents essential information on how to choose and cultivate plants that will attract a range of butterflies to your garden and help sustain all the stages of their life cycles. An indispensable resource for aspiring and experienced butterfly gardeners alike, Butterfly Gardening is the most gardener-friendly source on the subject, covering all the practical details needed to create a vibrant garden habitat that fosters butterflies. It tells you which plants support which butterflies, depending on where you live; it describes what different butterflies require in the garden over the course of their lives; and it shows you how to become a butterfly watcher as well as a butterfly gardener. While predominantly recommending regionally native plants, the book includes information on non-native plants. It also features informative interviews with experienced butterfly gardeners from across the United States. These gardeners share a wealth of information on plants and practices to draw butterflies to all kinds of gardens--from small suburban gardens to community plots and larger expanses. Whether you are a gardener who wants to see more butterflies in your garden, a butterfly enthusiast who wants to bring that passion to the garden, or someone who simply wants to make their garden or yard friendlier to Monarchs or other butterflies, this is a must-have guide. An essential guide for aspiring and experienced butterfly gardeners Encourages readers to rethink gardening choices to support butterflies and other pollinators in their gardens and communities Introduces gardeners to butterfly watching Includes regional lists of plant species that are time-proven to help sustain butterflies and their caterpillars Features informative interviews with expert butterfly gardeners from across the United States
Midwestern Native Shrubs and Trees: Gardening Alternatives to Nonnative Species: An Illustrated Guide by ISBN: 9780821421666Publication Date: 2017-03-30In this companion volume to the bestselling The Midwestern Native Garden: Native Alternatives to Nonnative Flowers and Plants, Charlotte Adelman and Bernard L. Schwartz offer another indispensible guide to replacing nonnative plants with native alternatives. This time, their subject is the native woody species that are the backbone of our gardens and landscapes. Among other ecological benefits, native shrubs and trees provide birds and butterflies with vital food and reproductive sites that nonnative species cannot offer. And they tend to be hardier and easier to maintain. The authors provide a comprehensive selection of native woody alternatives that, season by season, provide effects similar to those of nonnative shrubs and trees used for ornamental purposes and shade. These plants are suitable for all garden styles, provide blooms and fall color, and have the same cultivation requirements as their nonnative counterparts. Nature notes alert readers to the native species' unique ecological roles. Unlike other gardening guides, Midwestern Native Shrubs and Trees goes beyond mere suggestion to provide gardeners with the tools they need to make informed, thoughtful choices. Knowing which native species to plant for desired effects empowers landscapers and gardeners to take on a greater role in protecting our midwestern environment.
Green Wizardry by ISBN: 9780865717473Publication Date: 2013-09-01Tested skills for thriving in the age of limits Merlin, Gandalf, Voldemort-these well-known sorcerers from popular culture are famed for their amazing spells and spectacular magical powers. In ancient times however, a wizard was actually a freelance intellectual whose main stock in trade was good advice, supported by a thorough education in agriculture, navigation, political and military science, languages, commerce, mathematics, medicine, and the natural sciences-in essence, the true Renaissance man. Greer proposes a modern mage for uncertain times; one who possesses a startling array of practical skills gleaned from the appropriate tech and organic gardening movements forged in the energy crisis of the 1970s. From the basic concepts of ecology to a plethora of practical techniques such as composting, green manure, low-tech food preservation and storage, small-scale chicken and rabbit raising, solar water heating, alternative energy sources, and more; Green Wizardry is a comprehensive manual for today's wizard-in-training. Providing a solid practical introduction to the entire appropriate tech toolkit, this book is a must-read for anyone concerned about decreasing our dependence on an overloaded industrial system and, in a world of serious energy shortages and economic troubles, making life a great deal less traumatic and more livable.
Growing Home by ISBN: 0816633053Publication Date: 2000-02-29This beautiful book brings together interviews and photographs of more than thirty Minnesotans who have imported the style and tradition of their native or ancestral lands into their gardening. Susan Davis Price relates the fascinating stories of these people's lives as she explores gardening techniques and plants brought from every part of the globe.We meet Finnish-born Maiju Kontii, who cultivates the beautiful roses of her homeland, and Polish native Danuta Mazurek, who manages to grow the colorful, leafy alpines of the old country in her small urban yard. John Maire moved to Minnesota from the Sudan and has encouraged many fellow Africans to reconnect to communal lite through the Immigrant Farmers Coalition and a group farm located near Elk River. Next to their downtown Minneapolis high-rise, a group of Korean Americans grows a Peace Garden, which includes wild sesame and the lovely and edible Chinese bellflower. The profiles in Growing Home also feature American-born citizens who use their gardening as a link to their cultural past. Minnesota native Kevin Oshima yearned for a connection to his Japanese heritage and eventually earned the title "bonsai master" for his success in growing these temperamental trees. Seitu Jones considers his attempt to keep the city green a tribute to "all the marvelous, unsung black folks who've been gardening for years". Well over one hundred beautiful color images highlight this unique look at how ordinary people create the extraordinary in their own backyards. Growing Home will delight not only gardeners but also readers of all backgrounds and interests.
Saving Seeds, Preserving Taste: Heirloom Seed Savers in Appalachia by ISBN: 9780821420492Publication Date: 2013-04-15The Brown Goose, the White Case Knife, Ora's Speckled Bean, Radiator Charlie's Mortgage Lifter -- these are just a few of the heirloom fruits and vegetables you'll encounter in Bill Best's remarkable history of seed saving and the people who preserve both unique flavors and the Appalachian culture associated with them. As one of the people at the forefront of seed saving and trading for over fifty years, Best has helped preserve numerous varieties of beans, tomatoes, corn, squashes, and other fruits and vegetables, along with the family stories and experiences that are a fundamental part of this world. While corporate agriculture privileges a few flavorless but hardy varieties of daily vegetables, seed savers have worked tirelessly to preserve genetic diversity and the flavors rooted in the Southern Appalachian Mountains -- referred to by plant scientists as one of the vegetative wonders of the world. Saving Seeds, Preserving Taste will introduce readers to the cultural traditions associated with seed saving, as well as the remarkable people who have used grafting practices and hand-by-hand trading to keep alive varieties that would otherwise have been lost. As local efforts to preserve heirloom seeds have become part of a growing national food movement, Appalachian seed savers play a crucial role in providing alternatives to large-scale agriculture and corporate food culture. Part flavor guide, part people's history, Saving Seeds, Preserving Taste will introduce you to a world you've never known -- or perhaps remind you of one you remember well from your childhood.
Kentucky Heirloom Seeds: Growing, Eating, Saving by ISBN: 9780813168876Publication Date: 2017-02-20Saving seeds to plant for next year's crop has been key to survival around the globe for millennia. However, the twentieth century witnessed a grand takeover of seed producers by multinational companies aiming to select varieties ideal for mechanical harvest, long-distance transportation, and long shelf life. With the rise of the Slow Food and farm-to-table movements in recent years, the farmers and home gardeners who have been quietly persisting in the age-old habit of conserving heirloom plants are finally receiving credit for their vital role in preserving both good taste and the world's rich food heritage. Kentucky Heirloom Seeds: Growing, Eating, Saving is an evocative exploration of the seed saver's art and the practice of sustainable agriculture. Bill Best and Dobree Adams begin by tracing the roots of the tradition in the state to a 700-year-old Native American farming village in north central Kentucky. Best shares tips for planting and growing beans and describes his family's favorite varieties for the table. Featuring interviews with many people who have worked to preserve heirloom varieties, this book vividly documents the social relevance of the rituals of sowing, cultivating, eating, saving, and sharing.
Collards by ISBN: 9780817318345Publication Date: 2015-03-30Food is essential to southern culture, and collard greens play a central role in the South's culinary traditions. A feast to the famished, a reward to the strong, and a comfort to the weary, collards have long been held dear in the food-loving southern heart. In Collards: A Southern Tradition from Seed to Table, Edward H. Davis and John T. Morgan provide this emblematic and beloved vegetable the full-length survey its fascinating and complex history merits. The book begins with collards' obscure origins. Like a good detective story, the search for collards' home country leads the authors both to Europe and West Africa, where they unravel a tale as surprising and complex as that of southern people themselves. Crossing back over the Atlantic, the authors traverse miles of American back roads, from Arkansas to Florida and from Virginia to Louisiana. They vividly recount visits to homes, gardens, grocers, farms, and restaurants where the many varieties of collards are honored, from the familiar green collards to the yellow cabbage collard and rare purple cultivars. In uncovering the secrets of growing collards, the authors locate prize-winning patches of the plant, interview "seed savers," and provide useful tips for kitchen gardeners. They also describe how collards made the leap from kitchen garden staple to highly valued commercial crop. Collards captures the tastes, smells, and prize-winning recipes from the South's premier collards festivals. They find collards at the homes of farmers, jazz musicians, governors, and steel workers. Kin to cabbage and broccoli but superior to both in nutritional value, collard greens transcend human divisions of black and white, rich and poor, sophisticated and rustic, and urban and rural. Food trends may come and go, but collards are a tradition that southerners return to again and again. Richly illustrated in color, Collards demonstrates the abiding centrality of this green leafy vegetable to the foodways of the American South. In it, readers will rediscover an old friend.
Easy Edibles by ISBN: 9781623493394Publication Date: 2015-09-15Veteran gardener and author Judy Barrett's book dispels the idea that growing plants we can eat is harder than growing plants we can't eat and introduces readers to the idea of placing plants that can produce in an ordinary landscape, a harvest of herbs, vegetables, fruits, and nuts. Whether buying a few tomato plants for a patio container or exploring the idea of a frontyard or kitchen plot, incorporating plants that "bear food" into the landscape has real appeal, even to weekend gardeners. For the more ambitious, Barrett offers a primer on the various kinds of garden beds that are easy to create and maintain. For those without the space to garden themselves, she describes where and how one can buy the bounty produced by others in farmers markets, farm stands, and pick-your-own operations. Finally, Barrett invites readers to enjoy the camaraderie and learning opportunities available at community, neighborhood, and schoolyard gardens.
From Seed to Table by ISBN: 1897178751Publication Date: 2009-01-01Eating locally grown and seasonal foods addresses many of the social and environmental problems raised by today's energy intensive methods of food production. In From Seed to Table, organic gardener Janette Haase offers a month-by-month guide to growing a significant amount of food in a small home garden. From the earliest spring salads to autumn's sweetest root vegetables, this book will show anyone with willing hands and a small plot of earth how to grow an efficient and productive garden and enjoy a healthier, more environmentally responsible diet.
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