Planting Seeds to Grow One Million Backyard Food Gardens by 2012
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Tuesday, 09 June 09 - 11:15 AM (GMT -06:00) By John C Thomson in Gardening |
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The National Garden Commission, in Partnership With Edible Gardens, is Planting Seeds to Grow One Million Backyard Food Gardens by 2012
In celebration of April being National Gardening Month, the National Garden Commission is offering backyard gardeners an opportunity to get a free assortment of heirloom seeds, as part of their One Million Gardens campaign. Get started growing your own food at http://www.onemilliongardens.com.
Santa Barbara, CA (PRWEB) March 26, 2009 -- There is a growing revolution sweeping the country! From Washington State, all the way to Washington DC, people everywhere are digging in to help ease the pinch at the grocery store, and have taken to planting their own edible gardens, growing their own food, and restoring the biodiversity of the earth.
President Obama issued a powerful mandate for change, when on the first day of Spring, the first lady and a group of school children planted an edible garden at the White House, it's first since Eleanor Roosevelt had her Victory Gardens back in 1943. "Obama is telling America that now is time to get your own edible gardens growing," said William Martin, co-founder of the one million gardens program. "We are very Inspired by Obama's example, and share the hope of transitioning our nation's dependence on a globalized food system that requires huge amounts of oil to grow and transport our food, to a more sustainable, localized food production system. We have to grow beyond having our basic systems for human survival being tied to the cost and availability of cheap oil. In my opinion, Obama did nothing short of declaring a revolution in terms of how we feed ourselves and the rebirth of local food in our communities."
Within this massive shift towards local food and gardening, there is a growing movement to preserve our natural seeds. "We are seeing a huge increase in sales for our heirloom seed collections at Edible Gardens Seed Company," according to Lara Sammon, manager at the Edible Gardens seed farm in Santa Barbara. "People are wanting to have some control over their food, but more than that, they are becoming more aware of the far-reaching health and environmental impact of what we grow, and how we grow it. We specialize in the open-pollinated, heirloom varieties, and we offer a dazzling collection of some of the most sought-after heirloom varieties in the world. Especially popular this year has been our Thai Seed Collection and the Kids Garden Collection - we are nearly sold out for the season."
Heirloom seeds are the original seeds that have been feeding humanity for thousands of years. When you grow hybrid and genetically-modified seeds, you end up with plants that have lost their natural ability to reproduce true seeds that can be saved and planted again the following year. These kinds of plants, while popular, end up making gardeners and farmers around the world totally dependent on these giant agribusinesses for more seed the following season - it is a totally unsustainable approach. With heirloom seeds, you can plant and grow these tasty and interesting varieties, and then save the seeds and plant them again and again for years.
Humans have tampered with the seeds to the point they have lost much of their vitality - there are hardly any natural seeds remaining. 
Today, seeds and food are becoming more valuable than gold. "Everyone is so focused on Wall St, but the real story of our future is playing out in the garden," stated William Martin. "Humans have tampered with the seeds to the point they have lost much of their vitality - there are hardly any natural seeds remaining." Scientists and seed experts agree that we have lost 95% of the seed varieties within the last 100 years, and former Vice President Al Gore called the loss of biodiversity "the single greatest threat to humanity's future."
As more people are becoming aware of this tragic loss of biodiversity, gardeners everywhere are discovering these open-pollinated seeds, and planting them in their backyard edible gardens for long-term food security. Today, with the help of environmental entrepreneurs like William Martin, gardeners everywhere are enjoying the revival of these natural varieties.
This is nothing short of a revolution in the way America eats. And the revolution is growing into an army of millions of backyard gardeners who are discovering the delicious flavor of these old-time varieties, and sharing the joy and hope of growing good healthy food while caring for the earth - what could be better?
The garden is a place to feed our families and restore our lives, our communities and the world. When we plant an heirloom seed variety, when we grow our own food, when we celebrate good eating, when we save seeds, when we value and provide stewardship for the life-giving forces of the earth - we are directly engaged in growing a more peaceful and sustainable world for our children. Get yourself some natural seeds and join the revolution in your own backyard.
For additional information on the news that is the subject of this release, contact William Martin at 805-964-5810, or visit www.onemilliongardens.com.
About the companies featured in this article:
Edible Gardens Seed Company:
Edible Gardens is an heirloom seed company whose primary goal is to preserve and reintroduce these endangered old-time varieties back into the food chain. Edible Gardens currently offers a wide variety of heirloom seeds from around the world. Visit them on the web at http://www.ediblegardens.com.
Contact:
William Martin,
director of One Million Gardens
805-964-5810
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Planting Seeds to Grow One Million Backyard Food Gardens by 2012
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Tuesday, 09 June 09 - 11:15 AM (GMT -06:00) By John C Thomson in Gardening |
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The National Garden Commission, in Partnership With Edible Gardens, is Planting Seeds to Grow One Million Backyard Food Gardens by 2012
In celebration of April being National Gardening Month, the National Garden Commission is offering backyard gardeners an opportunity to get a free assortment of heirloom seeds, as part of their One Million Gardens campaign. Get started growing your own food at http://www.onemilliongardens.com.
Santa Barbara, CA (PRWEB) March 26, 2009 -- There is a growing revolution sweeping the country! From Washington State, all the way to Washington DC, people everywhere are digging in to help ease the pinch at the grocery store, and have taken to planting their own edible gardens, growing their own food, and restoring the biodiversity of the earth.
President Obama issued a powerful mandate for change, when on the first day of Spring, the first lady and a group of school children planted an edible garden at the White House, it's first since Eleanor Roosevelt had her Victory Gardens back in 1943. "Obama is telling America that now is time to get your own edible gardens growing," said William Martin, co-founder of the one million gardens program. "We are very Inspired by Obama's example, and share the hope of transitioning our nation's dependence on a globalized food system that requires huge amounts of oil to grow and transport our food, to a more sustainable, localized food production system. We have to grow beyond having our basic systems for human survival being tied to the cost and availability of cheap oil. In my opinion, Obama did nothing short of declaring a revolution in terms of how we feed ourselves and the rebirth of local food in our communities."
Within this massive shift towards local food and gardening, there is a growing movement to preserve our natural seeds. "We are seeing a huge increase in sales for our heirloom seed collections at Edible Gardens Seed Company," according to Lara Sammon, manager at the Edible Gardens seed farm in Santa Barbara. "People are wanting to have some control over their food, but more than that, they are becoming more aware of the far-reaching health and environmental impact of what we grow, and how we grow it. We specialize in the open-pollinated, heirloom varieties, and we offer a dazzling collection of some of the most sought-after heirloom varieties in the world. Especially popular this year has been our Thai Seed Collection and the Kids Garden Collection - we are nearly sold out for the season."
Heirloom seeds are the original seeds that have been feeding humanity for thousands of years. When you grow hybrid and genetically-modified seeds, you end up with plants that have lost their natural ability to reproduce true seeds that can be saved and planted again the following year. These kinds of plants, while popular, end up making gardeners and farmers around the world totally dependent on these giant agribusinesses for more seed the following season - it is a totally unsustainable approach. With heirloom seeds, you can plant and grow these tasty and interesting varieties, and then save the seeds and plant them again and again for years. Humans have tampered with the seeds to the point they have lost much of their vitality - there are hardly any natural seeds remaining.
Today, seeds and food are becoming more valuable than gold. "Everyone is so focused on Wall St, but the real story of our future is playing out in the garden," stated William Martin. "Humans have tampered with the seeds to the point they have lost much of their vitality - there are hardly any natural seeds remaining." Scientists and seed experts agree that we have lost 95% of the seed varieties within the last 100 years, and former Vice President Al Gore called the loss of biodiversity "the single greatest threat to humanity's future."
As more people are becoming aware of this tragic loss of biodiversity, gardeners everywhere are discovering these open-pollinated seeds, and planting them in their backyard edible gardens for long-term food security. Today, with the help of environmental entrepreneurs like William Martin, gardeners everywhere are enjoying the revival of these natural varieties.
This is nothing short of a revolution in the way America eats. And the revolution is growing into an army of millions of backyard gardeners who are discovering the delicious flavor of these old-time varieties, and sharing the joy and hope of growing good healthy food while caring for the earth - what could be better?
The garden is a place to feed our families and restore our lives, our communities and the world. When we plant an heirloom seed variety, when we grow our own food, when we celebrate good eating, when we save seeds, when we value and provide stewardship for the life-giving forces of the earth - we are directly engaged in growing a more peaceful and sustainable world for our children. Get yourself some natural seeds and join the revolution in your own backyard.
For additional information on the news that is the subject of this release, contact William Martin at 805-964-5810, or visit www.onemilliongardens.com.
About the companies featured in this article:
Edible Gardens Seed Company:
Edible Gardens is an heirloom seed company whose primary goal is to preserve and reintroduce these endangered old-time varieties back into the food chain. Edible Gardens currently offers a wide variety of heirloom seeds from around the world. Visit them on the web at http://www.ediblegardens.com.
Contact:
William Martin,
director of One Million Gardens
805-964-5810
###
Invest in Guaranteed Growth in Your Own Backyard
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Tuesday, 09 June 09 - 11:12 AM (GMT -06:00) By John C Thomson in Gardening |
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Invest in Guaranteed Growth in Your Own Backyard
$70 Investment Yields an Average Return of $600 in Produce New Online Kitchen Garden Planner Makes It Easy to Learn How
These numbers are based on a $2 per pound in-season market price of produce grown in a national average garden size of 600 square feet with typical yields from the most popular vegetables
Burlington, VT (PRWEB) March 11, 2009 -- According to recently released survey results from the National Gardening Association (NGA), a $70 investment in home food gardening can yield, on average, a $600 return on the investment.
"These numbers are based on a $2 per pound in-season market price of produce grown in a national average garden size of 600 square feet with typical yields from the most popular vegetables," said NGA's Director of Research Bruce Butterfield.
In response to a dramatic increase in the number of U.S. households growing vegetables for the first time, Gardener's Supply has created a new online Kitchen Garden Planner (KGP). The KGP online tool was created in response to the increased volume of questions from new gardeners as basic as "How do I start?" and "What should I grow?"
"We want new vegetable gardeners to have a fun and rewarding experience right from the start" said Kathy LaLiberte, Director of Gardening for Gardener's Supply, a Vermont-based earth-friendly gardening company. "We designed this playful, interactive planning tool to take away the worries of what, when and how to plant a successful vegetable garden."
View Now - Direct Link to Online Kitchen Garden Planner:
http://www.gardeners.com/Kitchen-Garden-Planner/kgp_home,default,pg.html?SC=XNET9009
Gardeners using the new online tool will have access to five different features: a selection of six pre-planned vegetable gardens, an interactive design-your-own-garden map, a guide to planting & care, a vegetable encyclopedia and a list of recommended supplies and accessories.
Using the interactive design tool, gardeners can select from among 30 different vegetables and 'click and drag' plant icons to a 3' x 6' garden. The tool displays how many of each plant -- carrots, beets, cucumbers, etc, --- will fit into each 1' x 1' section of the garden. It also provides step-by-step planting and care instructions, including a soil calculator to determine how much soil you'll need to fill your raised bed garden. For those who'd rather have an expert do the planning, there are pre-planned gardens with printable planting maps available, including the 'Plant It & Forget It Garden' and the 'Cook's Choice Garden.'
The company, well-known for its practical, garden-tested products is also expanding its' already wide selection of vegetable gardening products. Some new offerings include the Forever Raised Beds, the Self-Watering Raised Bed, Potato Bins, Cascade Planters, a stylish new look for their Tomato Success Kits and more.
In 2009, the number of households growing some of their own vegetables, fruit, berries, or herbs could increase by 7 million households (19%) to 43 million according to Butterfield.
The primary focus of our business - for the past 26 years - has been organic vegetable gardening. This renewed interest in growing your own food is very exciting. We believe strongly that food gardening is an important way for people to reconnect with nature, family, community and themselves," continued LaLiberte.
Gardener's Supply is employee-owned company of avid gardeners providing gardening-related products and information via their catalogs, website and retail stores. Located in Burlington, Vermont, the company has won many awards for its patented products and innovative business practices. Gardener's Supply can be found on the web at gardeners.com. Gardener's Supply donates 8 percent of company profits to gardening-related initiatives and organizations working in the areas of sustainable agriculture, the environment and hunger relief.
For Photos, Additional Information:
Maree Gaetani 802-660-3500 x5925
Sue Chayer 802-660-3500 x5926
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New Online Florist Donates 100% of its Profits to the Community
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Friday, 17 August 07 - 11:52 AM (GMT -06:00) By John C Thomson in Gardening |
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Fund Flowers is a new charity organization that has come up with an innovative concept to help schools, churches and many other nonprofit groups to raise money effortlessly. Essentially what they are promoting is that by purchasing flowers, plants, balloons, chocolates, gift baskets and other gifts from them you are also helping your own group and the community to raise money for their cause. 10% of your total sale is donated back to your group of choice and all remaining profits are donated to organizations that have made a difference in the community. They recently launched two online websites. One for 'Groups' where the coordinator can order items for their own fundraising events and the other for 'Supporters' where anyone can shop online for gift delivery worldwide.
Toronto, ON (Bluehost/PRWEB ) August 17, 2007 -- Fund Flowers is a new charity organization that has come up with an innovative concept to help schools, churches and many other nonprofit groups to raise money effortlessly.
Their charity was created to genuinely help organizations raise money. Both the founders have kids, and watching their kids year after year struggling to raise funds for their school with very little return on their hard work, raised the question of how fundraising could be improved. Not only did they find a great solution to help these schools they also help thousands of other nonprofit groups and organizations raise funds for their cause. Church groups, sport groups, political groups and charity groups are just a few examples of organizations that FundFlowers.com helps.
Fund Flowers Fundraising Program changes the way you look at fundraising. Groups can earn thousands of dollars by simply having their members and supporters purchase flowers, gift baskets, balloon arrangements, chocolates and other gift items through their charity organization. By placing orders with Fund Flowers rather than with other florists and flower shops they help their group of choice raise money from purchases they would have already have made at other florists without any rewards of this type.
So how does their program work?
There are two parts to their fundraising program. One targeting the groups and one targeting the supporters or consumers. They recently launched two online websites to separate these two fundraising directions. One for 'Groups' where the coordinator can order items for their own fundraising events and the other for 'Supporters' where anyone can shop online for gift delivery worldwide. Joining their program is free and can be done on their website or by calling their toll free number.
Groups: How does it work?
There are 2 parts to fundraising.
1. Through their online shopping cart. When supporters buy flowers and other gifts 10% of all sales made from the group members will be donated back to the organization on a quarterly basis.
2. Through planned fundraising events. Fund Flowers provide the products and services for fundraising events such as flowers, chocolates and balloons etc. and the group sells these items. 100% of all profit made through these events will be for the group.
A free custom website (with all the great promotions) is also created for the groups. Then they can simply send email invites to friends and family to try the promotions on the fundraising website. When their supporters purchase from them or participate from any of the customized fundraising events they organize, their group earns money. 100% of the profits from these events are for the group - It's that simple.
Supporters: Why shop with Fund Flowers?
- They are a charity organization that helps schools, churches and other nonprofit organizations with their fundraising initiatives.
- 10% of their sales are donated back to these groups.
- All remaining profits are donated to nonprofit groups that make a difference in the community.
- They offer online shopping and gift delivery services all Tax Free.
- All Inclusive Prices for delivery worldwide.
- They offer Quality Gifts, Great Value and Professional Service.
To find out more about their fundraising program or to add your group to their growing list - you can visit their website at:
http://www.fundflowers.com/
Call Toll Free: 1-877-883-GIFT (4438)
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New Algae Control Package from Natural Environmental Systems
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Friday, 09 March 07 - 11:05 AM (GMT -06:00) By John C Thomson in Gardening |
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wiseGEEK Launches $10,000 Writing Contest
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Thursday, 08 March 07 - 07:45 AM (GMT -06:00) By John C Thomson in Gardening |
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Get Ready for Spring Entertaining: Transform Your Back Yard with a Decorative Concrete Patio
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Thursday, 01 March 07 - 06:47 PM (GMT -06:00) By John C Thomson in Gardening |
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Landscaping Ideas Guru Diagnoses and Cures Your Lawn and Garden Problems
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Thursday, 01 March 07 - 06:44 PM (GMT -06:00) By John C Thomson in Gardening |
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| Landscaping Ideas Guru Diagnoses and Cures Your Lawn and Garden Problems | |
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GreatLandscapingIdeas.com newly designed website about patio design, walkways, deck design and landscaping design helps home owners reach their full landscaping potential as they face lawn and garden issues in the springtime and beyond. Virginia Beach, VA (PRWEB) March 1, 2007 -- The newly launched website, www.greatlandscapingideas.com, may just be the tool home owners need to transform their lawn and garden landscape into the beautiful oasis they have always wanted. The website, conceived by John Voight offers resources for both landscaping design ideas and money saving tips for upcoming landscaping projects. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, studies show that a well designed landscape reduces home heating and cooling costs and provides enough energy savings to return an initial landscaping investment in less than 8 years. Combine that with the average increase in home value of up to 14 percent after the landscaping is in place and home owners can rest easy as they begin their next project. Voight adds "choosing the correct landscaping design not only increases the value of your home while reducing energy expenditures but it's also a great way for homeowners to maximize the use of their space and add a touch personality to the landscape as well." One question to ask before making changes to any landscape is "What's the best use of this space?" Most people think of plants, flowers and trees when starting a landscaping project, but walls, terraces, walkways and outdoor seating should be considered too. Whether planning a new patio design, pool landscape, or a backyard built for outdoor parties, landscaping software can be a big help in the actual landscaping design or layout process. Other easy landscaping tips suggested by Voight include: 1. Choosing plants and shrubs that won't outgrow their useful space. A great tip is to plant vertically for added dimension. 2. Picking varieties of flowers, plants and trees that are known to be tough, adaptive and drought-resistant. Well-placed plants and trees can serve as shade and/or windbreaks for homes, reducing energy costs. 3. Filling deep cracks of rock gardens or walls with old nylon stockings filled with soil. Ensure the stockings look like big sausages once filled, tying the opened ends in a knot. Pack the stockings in crevices and cut a slit the length of the stocking to expose the soil. Plant ivy, hanging petunias, or any type of trailing annuals in the soil. 4. Watering newer plants well enough to develop strong, deep roots. Water early in the day using sprinklers that produce large droplets of water instead of a fine mist. Use soaker hoses or drip irrigation when available. 5. Starting a landscaping journal to record mistakes, successes, and great ideas gleaned from other gardeners and landscapers. Record the location and color of bulbs that should grow in spring. 6. Laying the backyard landscaping foundation by choosing a deck design with newer, cheaper, maintenance free materials. There are a wide variety of alternative materials to choose from other than traditional wood. "Whenever I hear of a great landscaping idea, I like to write about it on the site," says Voight. "We've accumulated a tremendous amount of content already, and our goal is to keep fresh, innovative landscaping ideas coming on a regular basis." In addition to articles on landscaping design, GreatLandscapingIdeas.com offers articles on weed control, with a special section on crabgrass alone. There are also articles on organic pesticides, flower selection, fertilizers, lawn equipment and lawn care. About Great landscaping Ideas: Great landscaping Ideas is a Virginia based company that takes pride in providing quality landscaping ideas and information about patio design, walkways, deck design and landscaping designs to internet visitors and landscaping enthusiasts alike. Contact: John Voight, director of public relations 757-581-6959 Great Landscaping Ideas |
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