Cascadian Edible Landscapes » Featured Articles

We are doing the 2012 Northwest Flower and Garden Show- here’s a preview-Show 2/8-12th

admin — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 19:53:42 +0000

Our Design! CEL will be creating an awesome 99% edible garden for the show this year! Feb 8th-Feb 12th.

The amazing VW Bus that we will have in the show. This will be available for purchase by silent auction!

*Update: We would absolutely love more volunteers for the show as well as some items from our Wish-List:

- People who will loan us some hens for the show (and will transport them to the convention center)

- A 10-12ft long dining or outdoor table and 10 chairs for loan

please contact us at food@eatyouryard.com if you are interested in lending your time or any of the above items!

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

We’ll be setting up on Feb 4-7th; Plants will be a mixture of edible shrubs, trees, flowers, and veggies and herbs. If you are interested in helping out and want to learn how to build a landscape from the floor up please contact us at food@eatyouryard.com. We are also looking for an experienced carpenter to help us build our amazing tunable trellis, please spread the word!

The Chicken Co-op

admin — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 18:38:58 +0000

“Next we will hear how a pie can be used as a weapon against Racism” was the promo for the piece I was listening to on NPR about a group of women who fundraised for the Montgomery Bus Boycott during the civil rights movement. It got me thinking about how we use food as a tool for social change. “Next we will hear how a chicken coop can build community.”

Last August, Emma and I moved into a beautiful townhouse in the Central District, that we are transforming into our edible garden paradise with figs, apples, persimmons and mushrooms all sharing the land.

Our first project last September was creating a Chicken Coop in our front yard. My Neighbor Brandon was initially opposed to the idea saying folks would harass the chickens, our eggs would be stolen, etc. But I insisted on the front yard, knowing full well the power of the chickens as a force for community building.

We built the Chicken coop out of 90% recycled materials. The lumber we scavenged from garbage piles, and chicken wire was originally used to make phone book skirts for an all trash inspired Fremont Solstice Parade entry last year. With a picture window, a back porch and an earthen roof; our Chicken coop became more of a Chicken palace that quickly received the attention of our neighbors

We receive daily visits from kids feeding the chickens dandelion greens. Folks driving by, literally jump out of their cars to come get a look at our chickens. I am happiest when I connect with someone who has never experienced a live chicken before.

One of the greatest things I have heard is from my neighbor Brandon; “I have lived in this Neighborhood for 13 years, and I never talked to my neighbors, and now I am out talking to them everyday, and it is because of you and your hippie ways!”

Building community one coop at a time.

Happy Growing!

Jake Harris

Edible Holiday Gift Ideas!

admin — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 23:07:42 +0000

Our beautifully designed-gift certificates and the promise within will delight your loved ones on the holidays. Have a hand-written gift card and gift certificate sent right away–no waiting! Three kinds of gift certificates:

1. A FRUIT TREE PLANTED FOR YOUR LOVED ONE We will plant a fruit tree in your loved one’s yard this winter (Jan/Feb). Our gift certificate includes the fruit tree, planting, compost, micronutrients, and a care guide for your new friend. Trees Available: Apple, Fig, Pear, and Plum. Tree Size: 2-3 year old trees with DWARF (6-8’ tall at maturity) & SEMI-DWARF (10-15’) rootstocks. COST is $75 for the first tree and $50 for each additional tree. (additional surcharges for delivery outside of Seattle will apply) Purchase now!

2. VEGGIE STARTS FOR THE YEAR. A year’s share of Community Supported Plant Starts. We will deliver a flat of ready-to-plant edible seedlings to a convenient neighborhood pick up location each season (March-September). Cost is $140 for four successions (flats) of crops. Purchase now!

3. Landscape Consultation or Garden Coaching. We will help develop your loved one’s edible paradise with a one-time consultation, or have us over every season for a year to help! Cost is $250 for the 2 hour consultation, resource book, and report. Purchase now!

Sod Cutting Spree–Lawns meet their Doom

Michael — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 04:11:53 +0000

Partl fund-raiser for SPRING INTO BED, and part to fulfill a long held fantasy of Michael Seliga (CEL co-owner), on April 24th 2010 Cascadian Edible Landscapes will be hosting a promotional day of Sod Cutting across Seattle.

About Sod Cutting Spree is:

We send a team, a truck, and a sod cutter out to cut the sod for all the willing neighbors in a neighborhood/community. We remove lawns for as many people in 1 day as possible.
We cut and roll up sod as quickly as possible.
- NOTE: We can cut several hundred square feet in a couple of hours.
Minimum charge will be $80 (2 labor hours) to make sure we cover transportation and admin.
- Removal of sod can be done on a different day for additional time/cost.
CEL tracks each team’s effort. Winning team will be awarded a prize (TBD)

All proceeds (after CEL covers costs), will go towards CEL’s $1000 contribution to Spring Into Bed (SIB). The $1000 contribution towards SIB will be used to build a (lower income) family a set a garden beds NOW, and will help another family get their garden going later.

If you and your neighbors would like to participate in this event and have sod ripped out, hooray for you and please contact us right away.

Thanks and talk to you soon,

CEL

Party at our New Green house space! Want help with yours?

admin — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:12:26 +0000

We have Greenhouse #1 up and are in the process of putting up #2–want to learn how it’s done (aka help)?

We will be hosting (bi) weekly work parties on-site with friends and interns throughout the From February-September. These are potluck style and we like to have music. Generally they last between 3-5 hours. Please contact us if you would like to participate in any of these

We are committing to having fun, supporting the community with high quality plants at affordable prices, keeping things orderly on site, and growing 40,000 plants from seed!

In food community,
–CEL

Fruit Trees, Edible Landscapes, and Veggie Starts for a Year!

Michael — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 02:14:53 +0000

Give the gift that keeps on Giving ! We have 3 ideas:

1. PLANT A FRUIT TREE We will come to your loved ones’s place to plant a fruit tree in the winter January/February are the best times for the tree. We will bring the tree, compost, and micronutrients, as well as a care guide for your new friend. **Our beautifully designed gift certificate and the promise within will delight your loved one(s) on the holidays.

Types of Trees Available: Apple, Pear, Cherry, and Plum. All varieties will be chose for their hardiness on West (wet) side of the Cascades, and will be announced by November 15th. Tree Size: We will have 2-3 year old trees with DWARF (4-8’ tall at maturity) & SEMI-DWARF (10-15’) rootstocks available.

COST is $65 for the first tree and $45 for each additional tree.

2. VEGGIE STARTS FOR THE YEAR. Grow more food by Pre-ordering a share of Community Supported Plant Starts and have flats of ready-to-plant seedlings arrive in your community throughout the growing season (March-September).

Cost is $130 for four sucessions (flats) of crops.

3. BUILD YOUR DREAM EDIBLE LANDSCAPE. This could be simple veggie boxes or an entire landscape complete with trees, shrubs, planter boxes, herbs spirals, and medicine wheels. Cost is $500 on up.

Community Supported Plant Starts-Sign Up for season

Michael — Wed, 20 May 2009 09:40:58 +0000

*About Community-Supported Plant Starts: we grow various plant starts throughout the year to help gardeners stay on top of succession planting

For a reasonable upfront fee, we get you the plants that want to be planted according to the NW Maritime Planting calendar. In Early Spring we start broccoli, kale, cabbage, cauliflower, etc. In late spring and early summer, we’ll supply tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, and other heat-loving crops. In August, when you should plant Brussel Sprouts and Fall Brocoli, we’ll get you those. In essence, we provide quality plant starts and a path towards year around vegetable production. Also, in purchasing a continual supply of plant starts, we can offer you discounts over retail prices.

Community Supported Plant Starts, had a successful pilot year in 2008, a great 2009 highlighted by Organic Gardening Magazine , Real Change Magazine, and Seattle Times featuring the program.

For more information, or to place an order, please download this form: 2009-csps-order-form-may-update.doc

Lastly, we are searching for a location for one of our urban greenhouses starting in 2010. If you know anyone with a large footprint with full sun and access to electric and water (we pay the bills), please pass this on to them.

CEL featured in Organic Gardening!

Michael — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 21:07:30 +0000

Check out the May issue of Organic Gardening Magazine. You have to peruse the actual magazine as it seems they don’t have the content available online quite yet. Check back soon as we hope to have the article loaded online.

Start a Community Edible Landscape!

Michael — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 04:50:48 +0000

A Community Edible Landscape, aka “Garden Node”, is a group of neighbors that decide to build an edible landscape together. It can be 3 neighbors, up to an entire block.

The idea is this: Neighbor #1 plants a Pear tree and has a nice sunny backyard for heat-loving crops. Neighbor #2 plants a Plum tree and had an excellent shaded area for Chard, Kale, Spinach, etc Neighbor #3 plants an apple tree and great soil for blueberries. All the neighbors plant what works best in their yards, and then they share the bounties.

The design process is very similar to what we would go through with an individual, justwith a group of people: Who likes to eat what, how much maintenance are the people of the neighborhood (and their children!) willing to do.