Urban Homesteads

REBECCA GROSS

Urban HOMESTEADS

— How to live a more sustainable lifestyle —

CONTENTS

— be inspired —

Seeds of change: The urban homesteading journey ...11

Urban Veggie Patch ...156 Health benefits ...161 Involving the kids ...173

The Edible Garden Co. ...16

Rooftop Veg Plot ...176

The good soil ...21

Greenhouses and plant protection ...181

Composting ...26

Florence Street ...186

Homestead & Chill ...38

The benefits of a green roof ...197

Vermicomposting ...47

The Frenchie Gardener ...200

Raised garden beds ...52

Smart renting ...213

The Plummery ...58

Wicking bed ...214

Permaculture ...65

Argyle ...216

Seed saving ...70

Aquas Perma Solar Firma ...74 Chickens ...88 Aquaponics, food for thought ...95

Table & Tilth Terrace ...96 Growing herbs ...101 Heirloom varieties ...107

Think small and vertical ...224

Big Family Living ...230 Edible flowers ...242 Harvesting and preserving ...251

Welcome to the Jungle ...254 A carbon-neutral house ...258

South Austin Urban Farm ...110

Project credits ...268

The buzz about bees ...123

Resources and further reading ...269

Melbourne City Rooftop Honey ...124 Attracting native bees ...130

Floor’s Vegetable Garden ...134 Planning your garden ...143 Building a bee hotel ...152

Index ...270

Seeds of change

— The urban homesteading journey — Urban homesteading is a growing movement in which people are cultivating their own organic produce, connecting with nature and their community, and living lower-impact lifestyles. With consciousness of actions and attitudes, this more sustainable way of living is for the benefit of humans, wildlife and the environment, and an antidote to modern life.

A homestead, in the traditional sense, referred to a farmhouse and its surrounding land. The rural location inherently entailed living in closer proximity to nature and with substantial self-sufficiency, while also being interdependent with the local community. An urban homestead transplants this idea to a city setting, where people reside in medium- and high-density develop­ments and inner-suburban areas and live by some or all of the philosophies associated with urban homesteading.

This book introduces you to people around the world who are living this more sustainable lifestyle.

This group of generous and like-minded people are planting the seeds of change on their small Berlin balconies, New York terraces, and London rooftops, and in their backyards in Australia, The Netherlands, and the United States. There are also entire houses and gardens that operate as urban homesteads, with gardens, aquaponics, solar panels, and water harvesting integrated into the architecture. The city and inner-suburban locations also mean living in smaller homes, on smaller blocks of land, and often at a short distance to neighborhood amenities. This encourages residents’ use of community facilities and support of local businesses, and helps them establish neighborly friendships, as well as reducing the need for a car.

Growing food is at the heart of urban homesteading. It’s what humans have done for thousands of years, but today there is a notion that growing food at home is ‘innovative.’ Depending on your age, your grandparents and great-grandparents mostly grew food. For many, however, it has skipped one or two generations due to the rise of mass production, processed food, and more urban living. Growing fruit, vegetables, herbs, fish, and collecting eggs and honey alleviates our disconnect from food sources, and promotes consumption of local, seasonal food, which is good for the environment and for our well-being.

The amount of food being harvested may surprise you. But sharing is caring for these urban homesteaders as they give surplus produce to their neighbors, contribute to local co-ops and crop swaps, and invite family and friends for healthy, hand-picked dinners.

They also share more than just food. With an innate generosity, they share ideas, knowledge, expert advice, and time, wanting others to experience the joys and benefits of living a more sustainable life. Indeed, it’s not just about achieving a level of self-sufficiency, it’s about community interdependence—being part of society and supporting local businesses and the economy.

11

As a Certified Wildlife Habitat, the garden attracts birds, butterflies, insects, lizards, dozens of different species of bees, and possums (beneficial for controlling rodents).

56

57

Chickens —h—

Owning chickens is a rich and rewarding experience. Not only do they provide fresh eggs, but their endless supply of chook poo is an excellent fertilizer for your garden. Chickens help control insects, will happily devour kitchen scraps, and are a wonderful source of entertainment. They also make great pets, and caring for a flock helps introduce children to responsibility.

Before you take chickens under your wing, check your local area laws to see if you are allowed to keep chickens and how many. Urban areas often forbid keeping roosters, due to their noisy crowing, and there may be legislation or restrictions on the size of the chicken coop allowed in your area.

There is a huge variety of chicken breeds available, but research will help you determine which ones are best for you, in terms of egg laying capacity, their tendency to go broody, and so forth. Popular breeds include Isa Browns, Leghorns, Rhode Island Reds, Sussex, Wyandottes, and Australorps. Many larger breeds of chickens are available as bantams—the eggs may be slightly smaller, but this is a wonderful option if space is limited.

You will need to consider whether to start with grown hens or baby chicks. Grown hens or pointof-lay pullets are the best bet, as they have already been sexed (no unexpected roosters!) and most likely will have had vaccinations against Marek’s Disease.

Chickens adore free-ranging, but sometimes this isn’t possible, especially if you have a dog that enjoys chasing birds. Chickens will generally establish a compromise with other pets, and you may be amused to watch a chicken stand up to a curious cat. The general rule is that a chicken needs at least 2 to 4 square feet (about a square meter) of floor space. You can buy a pre-built coop or make a DIY project of it and build one yourself. A coop should provide chickens with nesting boxes and a perch to roost on at night, and protect them from the elements and predators. Make sure any protective chicken wire goes a long way into the ground to stop a determined fox digging into your coop. A galvanized wire mesh on the ground level will still allow grass to grow, but help to protect the birds from fox incursions.

Chickens are low-maintenance pets. Be sure to provide suitable food, change the water daily, clean out the coop regularly, and replace the hay or straw. You will also need to perform a regular worming treatment and dusting for mites.

Apart from the initial setup costs of the birds and the coop, it is relatively inexpensive to keep chickens. There’s the ongoing cost of commercial-quality poultry food, medicine, and bedding. But this is more than offset against the convenience and joy of collecting fresh eggs from your garden each morning, plus the chickens’ inexhaustible supply of manure and compost. Your family, friends, and neighbors will also appreciate any fresh eggs you can share.

B 88w

w89 B

building a bee hotel —u—

Bee hotels are a great way to attract pollinators to your backyard and to provide solitary bees with a place to make their nest.

Method * Find or build an enclosure with a sloping roof and generous overhang. * Source blocks or logs of untreated wood about 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 centimeters) long. Drill holes about 4 inches (10 centimeters) deep using a range of drill-bit sizes to create different-sized holes. * Cement breezeblocks and clay bricks already have holes, but make sure one side is sealed. * Arrange the blocks, logs, and bricks within the enclosure and add bamboo hollows. * Find a sheltered position, out of the searing sun, wind, and rain, and hang the bee hotel about 3 feet (1 meter) off the ground. * Plant a variety of pollen-rich flowers nearby to provide a food source. * Place a birdbath or watering station nearby and keep topped up with fresh water for a handy water source.

Individual bees have specific preferences for where they nest so search online to see what lives in your area, and source any additional materials.

The bees will nest inside the holes with a stash of food, then seal off the end. You can tell bees have checked into your hotel when they make a mud ‘door’ to cover the entrance hole. This means a female bee has laid an egg inside.

B 152w

w153 B

“Our message and communication are the return on investment. The educational benefits of this house are the return we are looking for.”

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267

Index

—¾— A

aquaponics Aquas Perma Solar Firma Argyle

95, 254 74–95 216–29

B

B. Jane Gardens 110 bees 123 attracting native bees 130–33 bee-friendly plants 130, 133 beekeeping 124, 126 bee hotels 16, 152 Big Family Living 230–53 books 269 butterflies 38

C

carbon-neutral house chickens children, gardening with companion planting composting CplusC Architectural Workshop

D

drying produce

E

eating seasonally edible flowers The Edible Garden Co. elements, protection for plants from

F

Floor’s Vegetable Garden Florence Street freezing produce The Frenchie Gardener

74, 258 88–91 173–75, 230 34, 176 16, 26, 27 74–95, 254–67

251

16, 22 240, 242–45 16–37 181

134–55 186–99 251 200–11

G

gardening, see individual topics green roofs, see also rooftop gardening greenhouses

186, 192–97 134, 181

H

harvesting produce 251 health benefits 58, 156, 161, 176 heirloom plants 23, 70, 107, 208 herbs 101 Homestead & Chill 38–57

I

interplanting irrigation

176 254, 264

M

Melbourne City Rooftop Honey 124–29 microclimate 97 mulch 20

N

Nest Architects 186–99 netting 34

S

S2 Design seasonal fruit and vegetables school garden schemes seed saving Smart Renting soil solar energy South Austin Urban Farm Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation sunflower microgreens Sydney Organic Gardens

T

Table & Tilth Terrace thrifty gardening tree planting

U

Urban Veggie Patch

O

organic gardening

58, 176

P

permaculture pests, protection from pickling planning a garden plants, protecting from the elements The Plummery preserving

58, 65–67 35, 159 251 143 181 58–73 251

Q

quails 62

R

rainwater, collecting raised garden beds resources rooftop gardening, see also green roofs Rooftop Veg Plot

270

116, 216, 222 52 269 216, 254 176–85

V

vermicomposting vertical gardening

W

216–29 22 174–75 70, 270 213 21 223, 259 110–23 172–75 28 74, 95

96–109 96 43

156–71

47 86, 176, 224

websites 269 Welcome to the Jungle 254–67 wicking beds 214 wildlife habitat 38 worm farms 47

271

— Be the change you want to see — This book is perfect for anyone who dreams of living self-sufficiently and growing their own organic fruit and vegetables. Take an inspirational trip across the globe to visit various sustainable urban homesteads, each a personal labor of love. Learn about the ingenious methods used by each urban homesteader as they grow tasty fresh produce, keep bees and chickens to harvest honey and eggs, and so much more. Be guided by the insights, challenges, and rewards of growing produce and how to be self-sufficient in suburbia—where you, too, can build a lifestyle where you can go from plot to plate in about a minute! Be inspired by these beautifully illustrated pages, filled with generous tips, modern eco-friendly concepts, and practical guidance on how to be the change you want to see.

ISBN 9781864709049

9 781864 709049 9 781864 709049

5 4 0 0 0 554000 4 0 0 0

$40.00 [USA] £30.00 [GB]

Photography Front cover: Deanna Talerico (Homestead & Chill) Back cover (clockwise, from top left): Ryann Ford (South Austin Urban Farm); Lee Sullivan (Urban Veggie Patch); Amy Piesse (The Plummery); Sabine Gudath (The Frenchie Gardener) Spine: Holly Capelle (Big Family Living)