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Go on - have a grow! Sign up to the One Pot Pledge

Anna Guyer | 24.02.10

The One Pot Pledge is about getting people that want to grow, but are a bit afraid to start, to make a pledge to grow their own edible veg. What can simpler than growing something – just one thing - in a pot this year?

We are working with Garden Organic to encourage more than 30,000 newcomers to gardening to have a grow. Personally, I love cut and come again lettuce. It can last in pots throughout the year. Another of my favourites is Basil. Why waste £1.39 per pot at the supermarket when you can grow your own all through summer?

For something a bit more exotic, try a chilli plant. Matthew made some de-licious chili oil this year which has gone down a treat at home and as Christmas presents too.

All you need is a pot, some compost and some seeds. We are providing all sorts of very helpful growing advice at www.onepotpledge.org.uk.

As part of our commitment at Greenhouse we have said we will get 250 new people into gardening this year. If you are a keen gardener, consider hosting a ‘plant a pot’ party, or go into your kids' schools to get them all planting up a pot to take home.

We at Greenhouse are about to get a bit competitive among our team on the creative use of pots: who can make the best pot? Will it be something recycled, unusual, or bit decorative? I am planning a home made mosaic pot decorated with old pieces of crockery. I have been meaning to do a mosaic table for about a year so I thought that a pot might be easier. It might be a bit Heath Robinson (?) and you're free to laugh at it later when it appears on the blog.

Who knows what our pots and plants will look like, but we will post our best pots and produce later on - before they get eaten.

We would love if you want to send in pictures of your plant in a pot when the first green shoots appear, or to pass on advice. Tell us what you have you have chosen to grow and why.

Go on, join us. Have a grow!

Food | Share +
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Give it a grow: Join us in the One Pot Pledge

Anna Guyer | 18.05.10

Everyone at Greenhouse is working to recruit 1,000 people to join us in the One Pot Pledge, a campaign to get 30,000 first-time gardeners to grow a pot of fruit or veg.

I love this project. It's good for the environment, and it's stuff you can eat :-)

Please join us in pledging to grow a pot of veg. Like you, we are just starting out.

The official web site is chock full of tips for first-timers, and they have expert advice from well-known gardeners like Alys Fowler. You can even submit your gardening questions and they will be answered.

It's all on the One Pot Pledge site, sponsored by Garden Organic, the leading organic growing charity.

We'll be posting our progress here and on our new Facebook page. Check it out and "like" us. We're mailing free veg seeds to new Facebook friends.

If you're already a gardener, there's a role for you in the One Pot Pledge to help get a friend or two growing too.

Let's grow a tastier world together!

Environment Food Gardening | Share +
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Teach your children well

Anna Guyer | 20.05.10

The greatest resource we have for creating a sustainable future isn't a law or a revolutionary new product. I believe it lies in our ability to, as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young so beautifully put it, teach our children well.

As parents of three, Matthew and I are keen for our children to develop an understanding of the importance of being good stewards for the planet. They are really into it -- and so are their friends, which I find both fascinating and heartening.



When Rosie’s school, St John’s in Wimborne, celebrated Environment Week, we spent a day there to help more than 160 children plant edible veg. This was part of our effort to support Garden Organic's One Pot Pledge, which I've talked about on the blog. It's all about getting first-time gardeners to plant a few seeds and grow something edible.

Our day at school was really great. It was also exhausting - a good exhaustion - which left me in complete awe and admiration for the stamina and commitment that teachers expend everyday.

For many of Rosie's schoolmates, planting something was a first. We gave the children a choice of seeds for French beans, courgettes, carrots and salad. Everyone had fun and they loved growing the veg.

The day before, I went to our local supermarket and bought the equivalent of what we were going to plant. We looked at food miles:

• French beans from Kenya, 4685 miles
• green beans from Morocco, 1500 miles
• lettuce from Perthshire, over 400 miles
• carrots and courgettes from Spain, 585 miles

What was inspiring was that the children were knowledgeable about food miles and the issues where are food comes from, and they have an awareness about the impact of food transportation on the environment and the benefits of growing your own. There's something to this exercise of reaching kids when they are seven and eight. These are such formative years. 

We weren't taught lessons of sustainability when I was a kid. What I saw at Rosie's school gives me hope. It makes me reach for Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.



PS: I am going to keep asking you to take the One Pot Pledge. I have promised myself to recruit 1000 new growers! 

Food Gardening Green Living Parenting | Share +
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Greenhouse Weekly Roundup

Sally Hill | 10.09.10

We're now half way through the Soil Association's Organic Fortnight - a time of year which marks the challenge to 'Choose Organic Everyday'.

Here is a collection of special Organic Fortnight offers from many of the great organic businesses that are out there, as well as some fun ways the fortnight is being celebrated.

Organix Natural Baby Foods

Organic Fortnight fun on the Organix Facebook page including:

• Organic challenges: blind taste tests of organic vs. non-organic food such as strawberry jam and toast
• Fun organic facts of the day + organic quizzes
• Organic gardening tips, guide + photos

Green Baby UK and Green & Black's

Green Baby are hosting an Organic Fortnight competition to win a Green & Black’s organic chocolate hamper

The Green Familia and Wahanda

The top green shopping blog has teamed up with the largest online community for beauty and wellness to give suggestions and advice for switching to organic cosmetics and skincare, and treating yourself the natural way.

Soil Association

At the headquarters of Organic Fortnight there is a hive of organic activity but we thought the highlight was an organic bake-off among Soil Association team. What a great way to get everyone involved. There were photos posted to the Soil Association's Facebook page and the delicious sounding winner was a caramelised onion foccacia.

Prince Charles and Start UK

During Organic Fortnight Prince Charles and his Start UK initiative have been busy inspiring people to lead more sustainable lifestyle.

• The 'Garden Party to Make a Difference’ is now on. This is a 12-day green garden party where the Prince’s gardens of Clarence House have been opened to the public. It will be attended by Dame Vivienne Westwood among other high profile Britons and is open for public visits until 19 September.
• There will be a parade of eco cars in The Mall in London on Sunday 12 September featuring the fabulous electric Zero Motorcycles
• The garden party features an 'Earth Pavilion' made of mud tiles
• Prince Charles has taken biofuel-powered royal train on a tour of Britain to promote his message

The Guardian

Q&A on the Guardian blog with Peter Melchett, policy director of the Soil Association, who discusses organic food, products and farming.

Garden Organic

Garden Organic is holding a number of events over Organic Fortnight:

• Garden Organic Ryton is running daily organic tastings in their shop between 12pm and 2pm over the whole of organic fortnight. Visitors can sample organic products ranging from delicious breads, to mouth-watering fresh juices.
• On Friday 12th September, 11am to 1pm, Roberto Perez, an internationally renowned urban agriculture activist and star of the film The Power of Community from Cuba, will give a talk at Garden Organic Ryton on his experiences of permaculture. The talk costs £5 and includes access to the gardens. The talk is open to all, but people involved in the UK Transition Towns movement may find it of particular interest.
• On Saturday 20th September, 10am – 5pm, Garden Organic's world renowned Heritage Seed Library will hold its harvest event with talks on preserving our gardening heritage and seed saving. Tours of the seed library will also be held and a chance to see some of the collection's rare and unusual vegetable varieties. Tastings on the day will include Heritage Seed Library produce.

Waitrose and Booths

During Organic Fortnight, Waitrose and Booths are offering a third off Bonterra wines.

Waitrose and Duchy Originals

The new Duchy Originals from Waitrose range, the result of a unique partnership announced last year between Waitrose and Duchy Originals, is re-launched in Waitrose branches this month. Boasting a new look, and over 150 products, there is something to tantalise every taste bud. And to mark the occasion, tonight will see Duchy Originals on-screen debut with the brand’s first television advertisement screened on ITV1 at 7.00pm.

Waitrose is offering 25% off the new Duchy Originals range over Organic Fortnight.

Organic Food Awards

The Organic Food Award winners were announced and include Organix, Black Isle Brewery, Pertwood Organics, Clipper Teas and Vintage Roots organic wine. The awards will be presented by celebrity chef Hugh-Fearnley Whittingstall at the Organic Food Festival.

2010 Bristol Organic Food Festival

This brings us to one of the centre-pieces of Organic Fortnight, the 2010 Bristol Organic Food Festival, taking place this weekend. There are so many exciting things to do including the Kids Taste Experience with this week's Greenhouse Eco Hero Katy Davidson and free screenings of Food Inc. 

Here are the links we loved this week:

Read more

Weekly Greenhouse Updates | Share +
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