5 Tips for starting an Urban Garden

While we mostly deal with people who have whole farms to plant, with today's urbanization it is important to realize that urban gardening and growing is possible too. Whether you're in an apartment or your house is just inside of a city, it is still possible to grow your own fresh produce. However, starting a urban garden can be somewhat daunting, so we've assembled the top five tips for starting an urban garden.

1) Evaluate your gardening space: Do you get sun exposure? Is there access to a sufficient water supply? Is there heavy traffic nearby? All of these factors can lead to success or failure in urban gardening and so it is crucial that you scope out what sort of space you'll be working with and plant accordingly. If you don't get much sun pick plants that thrive in the shade, if you don't have a hose nearby only plan enough to water with your watering can, and try to plant far away from traffic as it can cause wind and pollution that are harmful to plants.

2) Find plants that work for your space limitations: One of the big factors in urban gardening is pot or plot, how much space do you have? If you only have enough room for potted plants, make sure your plan accordingly and get plants that can flourish in pots. Some vegetables and herbs do well in pots, but some need the space to spread. Make sure you know whether yours can thrive or if it needs a bigger space.

3) Evaluate your skills and your time commitment: If you are new to gardening, perhaps it's better to go with a low maintenance, easy to grow plant. There are lists all over the web about easy things to grow as a beginner, even vegetables. If you're a gardening pro, but you don't have a ton of time to garden a lower maintenance plant is probably for you as well.

4) Know your plants before you start: Some plants like to dry between waterings, while others need constant watering to survive. Determining what your plant needs in the way of water and sun can lead to a thriving garden.

5) Make sure your landlord/city is okay with it first: creating your own garden is a great plan, but if your upset landlord kicks you out because of your green habit then it isn't something you should be doing. Make sure that your landlord and your city is okay with it, and check if you need a permit to grow in your city.

If you follow all of these tips you'll be on your way to your own urban garden!

10 simple ways to live more sustainably

We all want to help our environment, however, it can be a pretty daunting task with work, school, and everything else going on in our lives. Luckily there are small changes that we can all make that make a huge difference. Here are 10 simple ways you can change your life to be more sustainable.

1) Take shorter showers. Shorter showers help conserve water and they help out your water and electric bill at the end of the month! Rather than falling asleep in the shower each morning, stay alert and get in and out quicker. It may even mean a couple extra minutes of sleep for you if you are a long shower person. 

2) Switch to filtered water rather than bottled. Bottled water will cost you more and the containers create a huge amount of waste. You can even purchase reusable water bottles that have filters in them now, so it's easier than ever to get the fresh filtered taste without all the biowaste.

3) Unplug your appliances when they're not in use. Many appliances still draw energy, even when turned off. You can also get a 'smart' power strip (one that recognizes when appliances are turned off and cuts off energy use) if unplugging all of your appliances seems like a hassle. 

4) Biking is another obvious answer, but if you live in a rural setting it may not be an option to ride your bike to work. If biking and walking aren't options, keeping your car in great condition will still help. Change your oil and air filters regularly and make sure your tires are inflated so that you can get the best out of whatever car you drive. 

5) Plant a garden. Planting a garden can help you supply some of your own food, whether it's herbs, tomatoes or an apple tree. That way it literally goes from you garden to your kitchen, no gas powered transportation required. For the things you can't grow yourself, buying local should be your first choice. Then it's something made in your area rather than something that has to be flown across the world, cutting down on oil and supporting local business. 

6) Bring reusable bags when shopping. This really does make a difference. If you often forget to grab them on your way to the store, keeping them in the car will make sure you're ready to shop whenever you're out. 

7) Go to restaurants/coffee shops that provide 'green' dining options, or bring your own. This one sounds a little strange, but if your local coffee shop isn't providing compostable cups yet, bring your own travel mug. Restaurants are slowly making the shift to compostable to-go containers, but if they don't some people even advise you bring tupperware with you. However, with local restaurants it's always important to support sustainability. If you know one burger joint in town makes huge efforts to be sustainable and offers compostable containers, go there over the fast food chain up the street. 

8) Only do full loads in your appliances. If your dishwasher is half full, give it another couple days before you run it, same for your washer and dryer. These appliances use a lot of energy every time you use them, so if you use them only when they're full then you'll save money on your bill and you'll be more sustainable. 

9) Rather than buying a product, try to make it yourself. With the Internet literally at the tips of our fingers, DIY projects are easier than ever. If you can make your own Ranch dressing, rather than buying it bottled at the store, you're saving a little bit of cash and the plastic from container that you would probably just toss afterwards. 

10) Along the lines of DIY, learn how to upcycle. Upcycling is essentially recycling products by making them into something useful. There are tons of upcycling projects on the web and it can be a great way to reuse single use products and make something great out of them. I've seen upcycling projects for everything, from purses to picture frames. 

With these easy steps you can make yourself more green without having to change your daily habits too much.