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produce images courtesy of carla crownover; greenling images courtesy of alison narro.
sk almost anyone whether they’d like to eat a diet of organic food made from locally grown, in-season ingredients, and your answer will almost always be “yes.” It’s like asking someone if they’d like to save the environment. But ask those same people which fruits and vegetables are in season right now, or whether grass-fed or certified organic beef is better for you, and you might get a blank stare. You shouldn’t feel guilty if your desire to eat sustainably trumps your knowledge of how to do so — the advice is sometimes conflicting, and the options mind-boggling. To level the playing field, we’ve done the homework for you — below are several Austin businesses that either come to your home and plant raised garden beds (a solution to circumvent Austin’s less-than-ideal soil) or deliver organic produce to your home or business.
The Planters Austin Urban Gardens austinurbangardens.com (512) 619 7966 Carla Crownover’s Austin Urban Gardens specializes in establishing raised garden beds for people who consider themselves self-reliant (that includes self-reliant novices). Although she gives seeds to her customers, she doesn’t install plants in the beds (unless asked to) or maintain the gardens. But she does everything else, including teaching you how to produce a bountiful crop. Her blog features a monthly planting guide with details on where to purchase the relevant seeds. Crownover’s site is thoughtful and clear, with prices laid out well. Constructed of eco-friendly, long-lasting materials, Austin Urban Gardens’
beds look more utilitarian than other Austin planters’ beds, but if cost is a factor, and you’re confident in your ability to act on what Crownover teaches you when she creates the garden beds, go with Austin Urban Gardens.
Resolution Gardens resolutiongardens.com (512) 743 4245 Resolution Gardens was founded two years ago with no less an ambition than “re-creating the local Austin food supply,” but Resolution owner Randy Jewart is emphatic about achieving that goal transparently. He says he doesn’t like to visit your yard to “size you up,” as he puts it, to see how much money he can make from you. As long as there’s a level area of your yard that gets sun, Jewart doesn’t even have to visit your site before showing up to construct the garden bed.
That’s because Resolution’s website is very clear about the kinds, sizes and costs of the gardens it creates (pine, cedar and limestone are his principal materials). Jewart makes the process as simple, convenient and “Ikea-ish” as possible, he says, because he wants Austin to be a place where “all...families, individuals, restaurants and grocery stores have access to healthier, more nutritious, locally grown organic food.” For an extra cost, Jewart will install drip irrigation, maintain your garden and seasonally re-install it. Jewart is also a noted sculptor, so ask him about the yard art he creates if you’re in the market. Resolution is perfect for someone who wants nice-looking garden beds, but already knows exactly what size and style they want.
Yard Farm Austin yardfarmaustin.com (512) 961 7117 Zachary Herigodt and his Yard Farm Austin crew have been planting custom-built raised vegetable gardens for Austinites for the past year and a half. Like Resolution Gardens, Yard Farm Austin creates gardens in a variety of materials, although Yard Farm offers a wider selection, including steel plate. “We’ll look at the whole backyard,” Herigodt says. “If they eventually want to do berry production, or grow a larger vegetable garden, if somebody wants steel, wood, this style, that style — we do whatever anybody can think of.” Some tribeza.com
may 2011
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