design a greenhouse for the Summerhall community garden!

With winter fast approaching, it's hard to remember that gardening can continue despite the cold! There are tons of edible crops that can be planted, grown & harvested during the wintertime, and with a greenhouse or polytunnel, the possibilities are even greater!

we had a terrific harvest of edible crops at our little garden at Summerhall, and would like to turn the largest of our veggie beds into a greenhouse or polytunnel by the end of the year. It doesn't need to be huge, and doesn't need to be glass. In fact, plastic sheeting and PVC tubing can create a pretty awesome polytunnel that can house all sorts of winter crops like kale, chard, cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts, leeks & parsnips. 

In keeping with the brave and innovative artistic mission of Summerhall, we thought it appropriate to hold a Design Our Greenhouse competition! Details to come, but have a look at the below images of simple greenhouses & polytunnels to get an idea of what can be done with very little....and c'mon, these designs could so easily be made into amazing creative structures! Questions? email us: treesnottrashuk@gmail.com

update on the contest to come!

Edible Breakfast at the Botanics on Wednesday!

Hey everyone!

Come check out the awesome Edible Breakfast event at the RBGE on Wednesday June 19th from 7.30-10am ! Wake up early & hang with TNT UK and make edible animals, while chefs and foragers cook up a free delicious breakfast just for YOU! Organic, home-grown, slow food and inspiring folks to share breakfast with... it's all there on Wednesday!

Harvest day!

Knee deep in organic green goodness!

Salad days at summerhall!

Join us Saturday June 13th at 2pm in the courtyard at Summerhall to harvest our beautiful salad greens and eat them! Also lots of mint for mojitos and Barney's beer! Come check out how tasty local grown can be! See you there!

in go the trees!

10 fruit trees found their new home at summerhall! Thanks to everyone who came out to help plant- these beautiful trees will flower & fruit for years and years of summerhall. Next up: lupins! Stay tuned!

Holy before & after, batman!

Summerhall courtyard garden is almost ready for harvest! The majority of our amazing seedlings are edible, organic, and local! Check out the before and after pics ... I did so today after sampling the tastiest spinach i've ever had! Reminds me that the possibilities for transforming space are endless... And delicious! You are invited to come and sample our salad greens next Saturday June 15th in the Summerhall courtyard!

Fruit Tree Planting at SUMMERHALL tomorrow Saturday May 11th!

friends+ gardeners

please join us SATURDAY MAY 11th @ 12-3pm in the SUMMERHALL Courtyard for fruit tree planting & community gardening! Our 10 fruit trees arrived and we are eager to get them into the ground.

lots more jobs to do like fence building, weeding, and digging! we have gardening gloves & tools for all, so just show up and dig! no gardening experience necessary :) kids welcome!

ciao!

kate & TNT

Plant Now Ask Questions Later! TNT talks at the Counting House May 9th

Please join me  Thursday, May 9th from 7-10pm at the Counting House, 38 West Nicolson Street for a talk as part of Ragged University's Speaker Series! The talk will cover:

• Green roofs
• Community gardens
• Reclaiming public space
• Gardening with the community
• Teaching kids to garden
• Taking the iniative (ask questions later!)
• ‘You know best’ (how to politely ignore the rules)
• Importance of getting involved in your city

I see cityscapes as potential urban growing sites and opportunities to connect people with their environments again. Too often we trade in our connections to nature for an urban existence, but the need to engage on a basic level with our hands in the dirt is still present and so important to nourish. Furthermore, directly engaging in our environment gives us a sense of purpose and confidence that we have the right and the responsibility to positively change our situations. Why shouldn’t we make community gardens where there is nothing but asphalt, and repurpose public space for community projects? Each person has a skill set and a perspective, and by demonstrating an "I can do it" ethos, we can show others how they too can take the initiative and improve their physical environments for themselves, their neighbours, their kids and the city at large.

I have been improving neighborhoods with guerrilla & community gardening since 2004. I started Trees Not Trash, a non-profit organization in Brooklyn, NY and focused on getting street trees planted and community gardens built for underserved neighbourhoods. Since its inception, Trees Not Trash has had over 2500 street trees planted and has built and maintained 3 community gardens, 4 community green spaces and developed the public outdoor space for the Bushwick Public Library in Brooklyn, NY. Trees Not Trash has since broadened its reach to include Edinburgh, and we are working with Summerhall, Ragged University, Green Roof initiatives, and the Forest Cafe to increase the amount of usable growing space for the people of Edinburgh.

Hope to see you Thursday!

Planting at summerhall today!

Come join us at summerhall at 2-5pm today Saturday April 20th! Just got tons of donations from Klondyke garden center! Woo hoo!

Summerhall Take 2!

A fine day at Summerhall on Saturday April 6! We planted organic kale, spinach, chives, oregano, oriental greens, peas in our new raised beds, and armfuls of wildflower seeds in front of the building! Next up is planting 10 fruit trees (apple! Pear! Plum!) in front. How great would it be to be apple to pluck ripe fruit while waiting for the bus outside summerhall?

Trees Not Trash is taking part in the amazing EDINBURGH DO! 3 days of awesome workshops & actions - we are getting down & green guerrilla garden-style on Saturday and Sunday, March 23rd & 24th. Come join us for one day, or both!

SATURDAY MARCH 23

LOCATION: SUMMERHALL COURTYARDSummerhall Place, Edinburgh EH9 1QHSTART TIME: 10.30amEND TIME: 2pm

Summerhall is in need of some greening! Trees Not Trash is partnering up with some of the tenants at Summerhall to transform empty space within the courtyard and front façade into a blooming oasis! Please join us on SATURDAY for some clearing, soil turning, planter bed building, path laying, planting and beautifying! Barney's Beer will be on hand!

All tools and materials will be provided, but if you have any gardening /work gloves, please bring these along. Also please be sure to wear sturdy shoes and dress for the weather!

twitter @treesnottrash

SUNDAY MARCH 24

LOCATION: In front of the old Dole building on Castle Terrace (across from the Farmer's Market & the Castle!)START TIME: 10.30amEND TIME: 1.30pm

Join us on SUNDAY for some guerilla gardening and seed planting on a neglected stretch of land in front of Edinburgh’s glorious castle! We will be clearing garbage and weeds and planting cornflower seeds and wildflower seed bombs! Please wear sturdy shoes and weather-appropriate clothing. 

Note: the terrain is uneven and steep in places.  Not for the faint hearted! Gardening is at your own risk!

Imagine it green

This is is roof of the old Dole building on castle terrace . The roof overlooks the farmer's market and is going to look very different very soon....want to get involved? Email us: treesnottrashuk@gmail.com

Green Roof Revolution

Ever considered the roof of a building as a site for growing food? As cities develop and populations increase, there is less and less usable growing space. That is, of course, if we are limited in our perceptions of what we consider usable growing space. Roof tops can provide the necessary space for urban populations to grow food, and to keep energy costs down.

There is a growing interest in green roofs, and in many major cities there are working farms atop large buildings, such as grange farm in brooklyn, ny and eagle street rooftop farm. Different climates require different rooftop solutions, but even in Montreal, Canada there is a booming business for rooftop farms, such as Lufa Farms

Edinburgh has no rooftop farms yet, but Trees Not Trash UK is going to change that! We intend to turn  the roof of the old Dole building at Castle Terrace into a food-producing rooftop farm, and sell our produce at the Farmer's Market which the rooftop will look out over. Want to get involved? email us!

There are many resources for learning about and implementing a green roof, one of which is green roofs today , that provides the following information:

What is a Green Roof?

Green roof refers to a system of roofing that uses plant life for roof covering instead of traditional covering materials. The system of green roofing dates back to the 1960’s but only in recent years it has became a popular alternative to the traditional roofing due to its environmental benefits and savings for heating and cooling. The plants that cover the roof provide an excellent insulation to the building reducing energy consumption significantly but they also act as a natural filter for rainwater which means that they significantly reduce the amount of rain drainage. The plants absorb over 50% of rainwater which would otherwise run into sewage system. The water that is absorbed by the plants on the rooftop then evaporates back into the air. But the benefits of green roof technology do not end in reduction of rainwater.

Green roofing has become increasingly popular in cities because it creates additional green spaces that bring some nature in the concrete and steel jungle. Green roofs in larger buildings often mimic parks and include rich vegetation that does not only provide an additional green space but also attracts wildlife including butterflies, honeybees and other insects as well as birds that can be otherwise rarely seen in urban areas. In addition, green roofs are visually appealing and create an attractive contrast to concrete and steel, while many people take advantage of possibility to grow their own fruits and vegetables as well as flowers on rooftops.

A green roof is covered with plants, most often vegetation that is resistant to weather effects and requires little or no irrigation. Native, hardy, pest- and disease-resistant, and fireproof plants that grow fast and are not invasive are ideal for green roofs. In addition to collecting rainwater, plants on rooftops also absorb the heat which keeps the building warmer during cold winter months, while the growing medium helps keep building cooler during hot summer months. Green roofs have been shown to reduce the costs for cooling and heating for as much as 50 percent offering major financial benefits to building owners. Another major advantage is green roofs over conventional roofing is absorption of air pollutants including carbon dioxide by the plants which helps lower the temperatures in the urban area and reduce the heat island effect.

 According to some estimations, green roof lowers the costs for heating and cooling for over 50%. In addition, green roof systems are extremely durable. It can last as long as 50 years and requires virtually no repairs like many other roofing systems. 

Here Comes the Survey

Our community green space & community garden alongside the Union Canal was demolished by the Edinburgh Council in November 2012. Check out the Scotsman's coverage & press here

There was an amazing amount of support shown for the garden, particularly one that was started by community members, for the community, and didn't rely upon the Council (or Council money). As well as support, some people voiced their concerns that the area should have been left "wild", ie. the didn't like the raised bed we had built for organic veggie seeds etc. This concern to keep the area wild & undeveloped was quoted as one of the more important ones to me (and indeed I am in favour of wild spaces everywhere) but it was not the reason why our garden was destroyed, as is evident by the concrete slabs & metal benches and table the Council put in on top of our garden site. There is neither wild space nor a garden there now.

Since the garden demolition, we have been in talks with the Council to determine a way to move forward with our gardening efforts, and a plot of unused land was suggested as a site for our new garden in Harrison Park. Sounds good, right? Well, it hasn't happened yet but we are in it for the long haul, and with that in mind, the Council has come up with a survey to determine the amount of support there is for a community garden/growing space. Check it out here: Edinburgh Lothian Greenspace page . There is a survey on a link from that page and as there is space to add your own comments, I would ask you, friends of Trees Not Trash, to weigh in with your thoughts about the destruction of our garden, the need for this type of community involvement and initiative, and if you are supportive of our group running this proposed garden : take the survey!