CasaSugar

Cool Idea: Free Tomato Seeds From Campbell's

CasaSugar — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 06:15:18 -0700

Ready to start your victory garden? Then consider adding some tomatoes to the mix. For the first time ever, the Campbell Soup Company is offering you the opportunity to grow the specially cultivated seeds used to grow tomatoes for its tomato soup.

This offer is part of the company's goal to grow more than one billion tomatoes across the country and to support American agriculture. As part of this effort, Campbell's is also teaming up with the National FFA Organization and Urban Farming Incorporated, each of which will use the special seeds to help create five community gardens in urban communities.

To find out how to get free seeds, read more.

Through June 21 (or while supplies last), every household that purchases any variety of Campbell’s condensed soup and enters the code on the can at Help Grow Your Soup can request a free packet of Campbell’s tomato seeds to plant in their own backyards and windowsills. With each request, Campbell's will donate the seeds being used to plant community gardens and achieve the one-billion-tomato goal.

One of my favorite eco-oriented designers, Danny Seo, is helping to kick off the Spring planting spree. “There is a huge trend right now of people seeking to grow their own food in their own gardens, because it’s cost-effective, environmentally friendly and ultimately produces delicious, fresh-tasting ingredients,” said Seo. “What’s exciting about using Campbell’s seeds is that people will be able to grow a very special tomato that goes into America’s favorite tomato soup - and get those seeds for free!”

Are you a Campbell's soup fan? Will you be trying the company's tomato seeds?

The Card Shop: Notes to Grow On

CasaSugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:00:23 -0700

When sending a hand-written note, it always pays to have cute stationery. But, what about multipurpose stationery? Why just send a card, when you can send a small packet of seeds along with it? The Lizard Press Notes to Grow On Set ($25 for 7) features beautiful green illustrations of seven different herbs reproduced from Albert Schramm’s Der Bilderschmuck der Frühdrucke (Germany 1450-1500AD), and adhered to the back of each is a small packet of coordinating seeds. Handsome brick-red type reads the name of the herb, and script indicates the most common uses for each herb. It's a small but heartfelt token to send to your green thumb friends, but who needs presents anyway? Also, check out this plantable card set.

Cool Idea: Swords Into Ploughshares, Planting the Piece

CasaSugar — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 11:00:57 -0700

Richmond, VA, artists Christopher Humes and Noah Scalin have taken the Bible literally in their art installation strong>Planting the Piece. The artists interpret the Book of Isaiah quote, "And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks" in a wholly 21^st century - and absolutely inspirational - manner.

The artists molded a 9mm 910 pistol, and then filled the mold with red clay powder, organic humus compost, water, and a seed mixture of annual and perennial flowers, including cornflower, daisies, blazing stars, lupines, poppies, and many other flowers. After these pieces of growable art have been exhibited, they are then planted, sometimes in garden boxes, and sometimes in abandoned city lots. As the "gun" decomposes into the landscape, flowers grow from it, echoing an iconic antiwar image from the '60s.

To find out how you can get your own seed gun or seed bomb, as well as to see a gallery of photos, read more.
In their artist's statement, they write:

Over time and with the appropriate amount of nurturing, the simple act of planting a seed can create life; sustenance and beauty. Applying a dedication to the act, or prayer, we can unite the audience and promote a discussion for change. With our literal sowing of these "swords into plowshares" we visually eliminate the violence from our community and pay respect to the lives lost and affected. . . . And in nurturing the "piece" to flower or fruition we are then committed to change and at the same time giving something back to the community.

To order your own seed gun, seed bomb, or donate to the project, go here.

Source

Casa Verde: The Svalbard Global Seed Vault Opens

CasaSugar — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:00:16 -0800

Today in Norway, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault opened its doors to the first deposits of what will eventually be 100 million seeds from over 100 countries. Seeds such as maize, rice, wheat, cowpea, eggplant, lettuce, barley, and potato were some of the first deposits in the seed vault. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault contains the most diverse and comprehensive collection of food crop seeds in the world.

Located on the island of Spitsbergen in the Arctic Circle, the vault was built 130 meters deep inside a frozen mountain. Its purpose is to serve as a library for food crop species that may become endangered or extinct due to climate change. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault has been built to ensure the safe storage of hundreds of millions of seeds for several centuries or more. Even if the worst-case scenarios of global warming prove to be true, the vault will remain naturally frozen for up to 200 years, thanks to its location in the Arctic Circle.

To find out what happened at the opening ceremony, and for a video about Svalbard, read more.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, along with the African Nobel Peace Prize-winning environmentalist Wangari Maathai, together placed the first seeds in the vault. European Commission President José Manuel Barroso, along with numerous dignitaries and agriculture experts, also deposited seeds during the ceremony, while music was provided by Norwegian musicians and choirs. Prime Minister Stoltenberg commented that, "With climate change and other forces threatening the diversity of life that sustains our planet, Norway is proud to be playing a central role in creating a facility capable of protecting what are not just seeds, but the fundamental building blocks of human civilization."

For more information on this important project, read more at Crop Trust.

Source

Time Lapse Inspiration

CasaSugar — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 06:45:18 -0800

While it doesn't seem as if my lettuce, peas, and cruciferous veggies are growing at all in this cold and rainy weather, I know that they must be. Still, I'm going to scratch my gardening itch by starting some seeds indoors this week. There's a great sunny space behind the kitchen sink just begging for some seeds to be started there.

To get us all inspired to start some interior growing, I have a great time-lapse plant growth video when you read more.

Fall Garden Inspiration: Seed Catalogs (and Sites)

CasaSugar — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 10:30:00 -0700

Whether you grew a prolific vegetable patch last summer or are just gearing up to start your very first garden, now is the time to start planning. There are a ton of great seed catalogs out there that will help you to gain inspiration. Check out Seeds of Change,
Territorial Seed Company, or Abundant Life Seeds for organic seeds and garden supplies. I also love the Jung seed catalog-it's huge and packed full of gorgeous photos of veggies, fruits, herbs, and flowers.

If you're still not feeling inspired, take a look at Gayla's incredible rooftop garden, from the awesome garden site You Grow Girl. Gayla grew 14 tomato plants and 2 tomatillo plants on her Canadian rooftop, amongst all the other bounty. She's also the the founder of the You Grow Girl site and the author of You Grow Girl: The Groundbreaking Guide to Gardening. Impressive, indeed!

How-To: Planting Seeds

CasaSugar — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 12:00:58 -0700

Just like you've got to learn your ABC's before you write a bestseller, or even a discount bin title, you must learn the basics of planting seeds before you attempt to grow a full-fledged vegetable garden. So, to commence Good to Grow month, I'm going to start you off with the foundations of seed growth. Then, you'll be armed and ready to grow your very own hanging Solanum lycopersicums, and perhaps some Cucurbita pepos and Abelmoschus esculentus. So, for your first kindergarten (which, coincidentally means literally "children's garden") lesson in planting seeds, and to see a jazzy video, read more.

Spread your seeds into a seedling tray or container evenly. Mark each section with the plant names so you remember what's what (trust me, you'll forget otherwise).
To learn the appropriate depth for planting your seeds, read the packet instructions.
Make a small depression with your finger to the correct depth for each section.
Plant one or two seeds into the depression of each section of the tray.
Gently cover the seeds with soil.
Water the seeds and keep the soil in each section of the tray moist.
Place your seedling tray or containers in a warm, sunny place on a waterpoof base.
Continue to keep the soil moist.

Source

Etsy Find: Plantable Card Set

CasaSugar — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 14:00:28 -0700

Perhaps taking a note from the Blooming Wrapping Paper I wrote about, the Recycled Ideas Plantable Card Set ($10) is a set of pastel cards embedded with seeds that you can plant to grow your choice of flowers. The cards themselves are simple and blank, so you can personalize them with your own message, and of course, they come with germination instructions. Since they're handmade, they have the wonderful irregularities and texture that only handmade paper has. In the spirit of Good to Grow month, I say you send one off to a friend, and plant one yourself, and you'll soon both be growing your own hollyhocks, snapdragons, or marigolds. Take that, Hallmark!

Love Shack: Year of Seeds

CasaSugar — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 06:30:57 -0800

Don't want to send roses this Valentine's Day? Then consider giving that special someone a Year of Seeds ($70). Your favorite gardener can grow a windowsill garden year round with this unique starter kit of easy-to-grow seeds. Simply place the included soil pellets and seeds into the pots, add water, and watch the flowers come to life - one month at a time. Seeds include petunias, marigolds, pansies, lobelia, alyssum, zinnias, impatiens, baby's breath, dianthus, cosmos, poppies, and sweet peas, and come with an earthenware pot featuring an etched illustration of the corresponding flower.

Nice and New: Graham and Brown's Essence Collection

CasaSugar — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 05:30:00 -0700

I still love the Tempting Wallpaper by Linda Barker in my foyer, but were I in the market for a new design, I'd definitely consider Graham & Brown's new Essence collection. The new line's seven designs feature delicate, meandering botanicals, and bold, graphic stripes. The palettes are subtle but sharp, including crimsons, charcoals, duck eggs, and creams. And my favorite element: the wallpapers have faint metallic accents (just like my own wallpaper), which adds depth and looks beautiful in the sunlight. I love this Alium wallpaper with its long-stemmed florals and seeded flower heads. It's available in several colorways: damson and gold, duck egg, taupe and sand. The collection doesn't seem to be available online yet, so take a peek at the other papers below.

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