Homegrown Garden Talk at Monmouth Beach Cultural Center at 1pm

It’s a beautiful spring day – just the kind of glorious ambiance that gets gardeners in full gear.

It’s perfect for my presentation and talk about Edible Gardens and my book, The Hamptons & Long Island Homegrown Cookbook

The Free talk takes place at the Monmouth Beach Cultural Center (formerly a coast guard facility), located at 128 Ocean Avenue.  

I was asked to speak by a friend and former garden design client, Mary, who lives in Monmouth Beach.  Our collaboration produced such a beautiful garden; it was one of two of my garden designs featured in the coffee table book, Cottages and Mansions of the Jersey Shore  

So it is more than heartbreaking to see her garden yesterday -- I scooted over to make sure our technology worked for the presentation -- and saw the last of the trees damaged by Superstorm Sandy removed...

As part of my talk, I’ll discuss how we can practice permaculture -- gardening in harmony with Nature.  And gardening for a sustainable world in an age of Climate Change -- or "Climate Chaos."  We need to ask more of our gardens than “just” to be pretty.  

And with Earth Day just about here - what better way to celebrate?

I’ll talk about the importance of trees as carbon sinks, getting your garden to fifty percent Native plants (at least), saving money.  Did you know that use of Native plants rather than exotics saves up to $3,000 a year over time?  And that trees save 75% on air conditioning costs and more than 15% of heating costs.  

And we all know that growing your own edibles saves money. 

But we do it for the sheer, unmitigated luxury of taste.  When food is eaten for taste vs. transport, there is just no comparison.  Garlic that crunches like a water chestnut or fresh asparagus still warm from the earth is truly one of life’s best pleasures…

I’ll talk about the importance of soil -- how to get good soil and how to prevent it from eroding and how to nurture it.  There is no greater responsibility.  Everyone in the food chain  -- from chefs to farmers -- recognizes this and worships at the altar of Soil!

I’ll show how to learn what kind of soil you have and how to amend it.  

Then we will discuss garden design - a bit about ornamental and mainly the edible or kitchen garden.  Even if you don’t have a yard or community garden - you can use the “Crops in Pots” way to grow vegetables and herbs.  The plants are so pretty, too.  Utilize a three-step planting process of “Thriller, Spiller, and Filler” - to make your containers looking great as well as tasting great.   

I’ll share some good companion plantings, too.  Both to benefit the garden and protect from harmful insects or critters, as well as those that grow well together.  You know about plant adaptations, right?  Take marigolds for instance, they help keep away or suppress pests.  Because of their nematodes. Plus they possess beneficial soil microorganisms.  

We’ll talk about what tools to use and garden maintenance.  And in a climate change world - we’ll discuss watering the gardens.  It’s not just California that has water issues.  There’s the old saying, “As California goes, so goes the nation.”  With recent legislation restricting water use, I suggest it could be that way in many states soon.  In the meantime, we can all re-use water (Doesn’t it seem selfish to use potable water to irrigate a lawn?!), use of water barrels, practice storm water runoff, and use drip irrigation, in addition to xeriscaping.

Gardens are healing, hopeful places.  Enjoy your garden.   And for those in the Garden State, I look forward to seeing you soon.

Kitchen Garden: Grow Your Own - Interview on healthy eating with the Asbury Park Press

Here is a copy of an interview with me, written by Laura Martin, from the Garden State's Asbury Park Press.

The print version has a number of delicious, healthy, fruits and vegetable and how-to hands-on gardening images. 

The online version has a few too.

Here is the link to the full story.  

http://www.app.com/article/20130428/NJLIFE02/304280079/Kitchen-garden-grow-your-own

I pasted a copy of news below.

Laura is a great writer - and captured the excitement of growing your own food. 

Thank you so much, Laura.

Enjoy the story and then get out there and start growing your own kitchen garden! 

Kitchen garden: grow your own

Now is the time to start growing your healthy lifestyle at home

Looking to eat better? It is time to embrace the “garden” part of living in the Garden State, says Leeann Lavin of Atlantic Highlands.

“New Jersey’s corn, blueberries, tomatoes, peaches and cherries are famous all over the culinary world,” says Lavin, who owns the garden-design company Duchess Designs. “It is called the Garden State for a reason, and we’ve gotten too far away from that.”

It is simple, convenient and healthy to grow fruits and vegetables right in the backyard, says Lavin, also a resident of New York. Lavin recently published the book “The Hamptons & Long Island Homegrown Cookbook,” which highlights the connections between the dining, gardening and farming industries.

“The biggest reason to (grow an edible garden) is taste. Most foods sold in stores are grown for transport, not taste,” Lavin says. “Plus, there is an excitement and thrill in growing your own food. It can be very empowering.”

Want to give it a shot? Lavin shares her tips for creating a “kitchen garden” that can provide fun and food for the whole family.

What to start with: New Jersey has great soil for growing a variety of fruits, vegetables and herbs, she says. Radishes, peppers and peas are easy-to-grow spring edible plants, while tomatoes, lettuce, corn, peppers, melons and berries work great in the summer, she says. For those planting right now, it is best to start with container gardening inside, then transfer the plants outside after Mother’s Day (May 12).

No yard needed: For people who live in an urban environment or those looking for a simpler way to grow food, container gardening during any season can work great for vegetables, fruits and herbs, Lavin says.

Get the family involved: Giving the garden a fun food theme like “pizza,” will get kids excited to help out, she says. A pizza garden could feature garlic, tomatoes, oregano and basil.

“Children love to get their hands in the soil,” Lavin says. “It is a great way for parents and grandparents to engage with the child. They learn a lifetime of healthier eating knowing where their food comes from.”

Try new things: Many beginner gardeners mistakenly believe they don’t have the space for the items they want to grow, she says. But many fruits and vegetables come in multiple sizes and varieties.

“Look at seed catalogs,” Lavin says. “A garden store may only have one kind of tomato that is too big for your garden, but if you check with a seed company or online, the varieties are limitless.”

Stay local: Plants grown locally will flourish better, says Lavin, and they have a smaller carbon footprint. “If you are buying a plant, ask where it is grown,” she says.

Ward off animals: Critters may be tempted to chow down on an edible garden, so consider putting a small fence around it or installing a sprinkler that is motion activated. Mirrored pinwheels placed around the garden also can scare away animals looking to eat plants.

Just try it: “When people look at gardening, they have a fear of it because they are afraid they will mess up, but when you see that first seedling come up, there is such a joy in it,” Lavin says.