#Diversity in UK gardens aiding fight to save threatened bumblebees, study suggestsecologists at Plymouth University in a study published this week have shown the most common species of bumblebee are not fussy about a plant's origin when searching for nectar and pollen among the nation's urban gardens.
But other species--and in particular long-tongued bees--do concentrate their feeding upon plants from the UK and Europe for
and encouraging gardeners to cast their net wide when choosing what to cultivate. Urban gardens are recognized increasingly for their potential to maintain
or even enhance biodiversity Dr Hanley said. In particular the presence of large densities and varieties of flowering plants supports a number of pollinating insects
By growing a variety of plants from around the world gardeners ensure that a range of food sources is available for many different pollinators.
But until now we have had very little idea about how the origins of garden plants actually affect their use by our native pollinators.
and northern Asia) and non-Palaearctic garden plants bees simply visited plants in proportion to flower availability. Indeed of the six most commonly visited garden plants only one--Foxglove--was a British native and only three of Palaearctic origin.
Among individual species however there were distinct preferences with the long-tongued'garden bumblebee'(Bombus hortorum) showing a strong preference for'native'Palaearctic-origin garden plants choosing them for 78%of its flower visits.
Meanwhile the UK's most common species--the'buff-tailed bumblebee'(Bombus terrestris)--favoured non-Palaearctic garden plants over species with
which it shares a common evolutionary heritage. Dr Hanley added As a general rule bees will go wherever there are flowers available.
and cities the long-term survival of some of our common pollinators--like the'garden bumblebee'--could be in jeopardy.
In addition to growing truly native plants like foxgloves where possible gardeners can help native pollinators by setting aside a small area to allow native brambles vetches dead nettles
or other green spaces a combination of commonly-grown garden plants from all around the globe will help support our urban bumblebees for future generations.
the Missouri Botanical garden Oxapampa Peru; and the Carnegie Institute for Science Stanford Calif. NASA monitors Earth's vital signs from land air and space with a fleet of satellites and ambitious airborne and ground-based observation campaigns.
The fish tacos were a resounding success combined with coleslaw made of carrots and cabbage from the residence hall's organic garden.
and tangerines â#in two cities in Iran where the existence of heritage gardens meant data were easily available.
less pollutionas every gardener knows nitrogen is crucial for a plant's growth. But nitrogen absorption is inefficient.
#New species of Oak hidden away in the greenery of Ton Pariwat Wildlife Sanctuaryan international team of scientists from Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical garden (China)
The most traditional form of cultivation can be found in the gardens of the Chagga people Hhere the sun-shy coffee trees
The tropical experts conducted experiments in twelve areas on the slopes of Mount kilimanjaro in Tanzania located in all three cultivation systems (Chagga gardens shade plantations and sun plantations.
the impact of the animal provided services on the harvest was equally good in all three cultivation systems even in the unshaded plantations. â#oewe put this down to the mosaic landscape structure on Mount kilimanjaro with its gardens forests
On the coffee blossoms in the Chagga gardens however they additionally recorded wild bees hoverflies and butterflies.
and are spreading tracking down ACP on citrus in people's gardens and orchards. The Tamarixia larvae will eat the ACP nymphs killing them
#Gardening provides high-to-moderate physical activity for childrengardening often considered to be reserved an activity for adults is gaining ground with children as new programs are introduced that promote gardening's green attributes.
Physical benefits of getting out in the garden have also been reported for adults and seniors--now a study from researchers in South korea finds that children too can reap the benefits of digging raking
They say that the data can inform future development of garden-based programs that help engage children in physical activity
The research team studied 17 children as they engaged in 10 gardening tasks: digging raking weeding mulching hoeing sowing seeds harvesting watering mixing growing medium and planting transplants.
The study was conducted in South korea in two garden environments--a high tunnel and an outdoor area.
The children visited the gardens twice and each child performed five different tasks during each visit.
They were given 5 minutes to complete each gardening task and were allowed a 5-minute rest between each task.
Results showed that the 10 gardening tasks represented moderate-to high-intensity physical activity for the children.
digging was more intense than the other gardening tasks studied. Tasks such as weeding mulching hoeing sowing seeds harvesting watering mixing growing medium
The researchers said that the study results will facilitate the development of garden-based exercise interventions for children
They added that the data can also be useful information when designing garden-based therapeutic interventions for children with low levels of physical ability.
Thus cities such as Columbus Ohio materially and discursively erased subsistence gardening and rules prohibiting foraging in parks became commonplace (Mclain et al.)
and planthoppers renowned common garden insect pests says Archibald. The newly discovered species were preserved in Eocene epoch fossil beds that are 49 million to 52 million years old
'Working with Dr Donald Edmonds from Oxford university's Department of physics Professor Vollrath showed that webs like that of the garden cross spider also cause local distortions in Earth's electric field
and home gardens just like currently used nitrogen-fixing bacteria Hirsch said. Our goal is to have discovered these newly nitrogen-fixing bacteria be used for a more sustainable approach to agriculture in the future.
Any farmer or gardener will tell you that there's a lot of failure on the road to success. So the sooner you start building your agricultural skills, the better.
and they produce nature's best fertilizer for your garden. Don't try to do it all alone.
Connect with local gardeners. There are probably tilth experts in your area who are more than willing to share tips
Gardening tools. Specialized tools. Lots and lots of tools. Don't buy cheap ones; they don't last.
Books on gardening home repairs, cooking, and every other imaginable sort of how-to books. Good tools and books are hard to find,
but some of my most essential gardening friends are social conservatives. Fine. So I steer away from those subjects (except where a very rational and unemotional exchange of ideas is possible and fruitful) and just discuss tomatoes and worms with them.
Friends and neighbors and gardening buddies are great, but it's generally true that nobody has your back like family
Fortunately, working in the garden is great exercise. Just do it Admittedly, this list just scratches the surface of the subject.
and a small garden. That reduces the amount of food they have to buy whether it's from Japan
Large towers that use  aquaponic growing systems--I'm imagining a larger version of this already functional aeroponic garden at O'hare airport in Chicago--grow food in various micro-climates at different
Support local agriculture, small gardening plots on unused city property and farmers markets. Switch city-owned fleet vehicles to electric or natural gas vehicles.
Smarter sprinklers help your garden growpodcast Your browser does not support the audio element. My husband and I live in San francisco. The lawn in our backyard is the size of a coffee table.
That's how much faith we have in our gardening skills. Most people use automated sprinklers that operate using basic timers.
They water your garden rain or shine. Sometimes they water your sidewalk, too--in other words, far from foolproof.
If that's what it takes to keep your garden looking lush and lovely it's no wonder
What technology do you use to make your garden grow
Smithsonian tracks bird strikes for military, airline industrydr. Carla Dove using a comparison microscope to study feather structure in the Birds Division at the Museum of Natural history.
but thanks to efforts across all 20 of the arrondissements, these Christmas decorations have increasingly been turned into mulch to be spread around the city 490 parks and gardens.
Jean-Charles Noudell, manager of green spaces and gardens of the 3rd arrondissement, says that the recycling program helps create mulch for the gardens that will keep soil moist,
and gardens will be open during the normal operating hours of the gardens. Citizens can leave their trees next to their recycling bins
So we couldn t put soil down like a traditional rooftop garden. How did you end up partnering with Alexandria?
so Jeffery brought out the idea of doing a temporary urban garden. The Alexandria Center will be three towers eventually.
which is about twice as deep as some rooftop gardens. They are super space efficient, no wasted room,
So far they are exited really about it How much is the garden yielding? We have between 80 and 100 varieties of plants that include eight varieties of tomatoes,
It doesn t have to be an ornate garden with deck and table like we have.
Although there are some underlying themes--work-life balance--and similar features--rooftop gardens, trees and greenery--planned for these projects.
Brooklyn to host nation's largest rooftop garden Rooftop produce coming soon to a rooftop near you Coming soon:
Greenthumb's latest gardening tool may just be...an iphone? Derek Peterson sure hopes that may someday be the case.
On-site organic garden: Weland said one of his biggest sources of pride is his organic vegetable and herb garden.
It started with 12 varieties of heirloom tomatoes, he said. Now we have two dozen fruit trees.
The restaurant partners with the Washington Youth Garden at the National Arboretum, and staff go there once a week to volunteer
and to get advice on their own garden. The more the staff gets involved, he said, the more they understand the restaurant.
The rest (coffee grounds, vegetable scraps from the kitchen, oyster shells) is saved for the garden. We re composting on two levels,
It important to our garden but also the fact that half our waste is now compost.
Within the park, you'll find a zoo, lakes, botanic gardens, ice-skating rinks, concert venues--and priceless views of the surrounding skyscrapers.
Venture into another borough to uncover the beauty of Brooklyn's Prospect Park and Brooklyn Botanic Gardens or the stunning Pelham Bay Park in The bronx.
The 250-acre Kensington Gardens has lined majestic tree promenades and views of Kensington Palace, while St james's Park is ostensibly Buckingham Palace's front yard.
France Luxembourg Gardens is one of those quintessentially romantic Paris spots--Luxembourg Palace against a backdrop of a lake, fountains,
Its neoclassical gardens were laid out in the 17th century with a broad central avenue and geometric design topiary.
the 18th-century English Garden (Englischer Garten) is a breathtaking sight. It was the first public garden on the European continent
or enjoy a pint at one of the beer gardens. The nearby Botanischer Garten (Botanic Garden) features 54 acres and 15,000 varieties of flora.
Further away from the city center the historic Hirschgarten is known now more for its massive beer garden than for its greenery,
but deer still roam there. Best Time to Visit: Parks are open throughout the year
000 acres and has a Japanese Tea garden, the Conservatory of Flowers, world-class museums, botanic gardens, and more.
The Presidio--made up of 1, 000 acres of wildflower meadows, gardens, and forest groves--offers incomparable views of the Golden gate bridge.
Throughout the year. 8. Melbourne, Australia Visit the Royal Botanic Gardens for its 12,000-plus species of plants, trees and flowers, the romantic Treasury Gardens, the greenhouses of the Fitzroy Gardens
and Flagstaff Gardens. Spy black swans, and breathe in the scent of eucalyptus trees. Best Time to Visit:
summer for picnics and movies in the park. 9. Tokyo, Japan Separated from the main gardens of the Imperial Palace by a moat,
For a more traditional garden, visit Hama-rikyu Gardens in the Shiodome area with its magnificent Edo-period tidal pond design;
Kiyosumi Gardens, a typical Japanese feudal-lord garden with a pond, clock tower, artificial hills and rocks (Kiyosumi-shirakawa Station;
and Mukojima-Hyakkaen Gardens, an early 19th-century design with a small temple, a shrine, and a playground (Higashi-mukojima Station).
the Azalea Garden; Boathouse Row; Batram's Garden; the Japanese House and Garden; Franklin D. Roosevelt Park (The Lakes;
and East and West Parks. Best Time to Visit: Get the most out of Philly's parks and outdoor spaces during the spring, summer,
and early fall. Images via Frommer's
The battle over tanking ethanol subsidiesthe new year may see the end to some ethanol subsidies.
While roof gardens and living roofs have been around for generations, Piano version is constructed with seven small,
She described Biolime as like a child crystal garden, where colorful crystals grow once the minerals are submerged in water.
What's not easy to find out is how many families have planted a garden and fruit trees, and maybe started a small chicken coop,
Constitution Gardens, Washington monument Grounds at Sylvan Theater, and Union square near the U s. Capitol. Here are the winning designs for each section:
Constitution Gardens Winning designer: Rogers Marvel Architects & Peter Walker and Partners Distinguishing feature: A pavilion that overlooks the lake and gardens.
The space will provide magnificent views of the gardens and the mall. There will be a restaurant in the pavilion to attract people to this corner of the mall that is often overlooked.
Ice skating will draw people to the area in the winter. Replaces this. Architect's take:
Constitution Gardens at the National Mall shows respect for the historic plans created by Olmsted, Mcmillan and Skidmore, Owings and Merrill.
The new experience will allow for a secluded and welcoming garden where Washington families will come on weekends,
Sylvan Garden Amphitheater has a sloping seating area that rises 32-feet at the edges and faces a stage with the Washington monument in the background.
The Trust begins fundraising for the Constitution Gardens and Sylvan Theater projects, while the The Architect of the Capitol gathers funds for Union square
This plant was used later by the Tropical Botanical garden and Research Institute (TBGRI) in Thiruvananthapuram to develop Jeevani,
In Boston, the rooftop of the Sea Port hotel houses hundreds of thousands of bees (pollinating hundreds of local gardens throughout the city.
Å By placing hives on the roof spaces of cafes, restaurants, hotels and individual gardens in and around Melbourne,
Å It s just an extension of our permaculture garden; everything is planned to coexist. The pond feeds the trees,
and we have drainage from the roof that goes straight onto the garden. Â For Scanlon, the benefits of keeping bees go beyond sharing honey with her neighbors:
. and E u. to stop using the neonicotinoid pesticides Plant bee friendly plants in your garden
and herbicide on your garden plants Purchase organic foods whenever possible Join local initiatives dedicated to helping the bee colonies Be good to bees Read these 10 things you can do Watch the documentaries Vanishing of the Bees
Vertical gardens, rooftop gardens, and transformed vacant lots? Sure. But a pair of entrepreneurs in London are hoping to take urban farming to unexpected depths.
the compost is used to maintain the rooftop garden. Even the restaurant's unbleached baking paper and plantation-timber cutlery can be processed through the composter.
Vertical gardens reaching new heights in Milanthe 27th story of a building provides a skyline vista,
which will integrate vertical gardens into the exterior structure of some new Milan buildings, such that the trees and plants will help control the building's climate, through shading in summer and daylighting in winter,
Vertical gardens have become an important design tool for eco-friendly buildings, helping to both conserve and reduce energy consumption while enabling onsite plant and food production.
the vertical gardens will require an onsite management team. Some day high-rise apartments might have building horticulturalists, as well as supers.
Eric Maudu's garden is wired with sensors that let him know just how thirsty his plants are,
I spoke to Maudu of Kijani Grows, during The Summer of Smart conference in San francisco about his aquaponic garden.
The garden has hooked sensors up, so Maudu can tell when the water is running low.
The plants have sensors that tweet updates so he can know in real-time how his garden is doing.
and community gardens could provide residents with a majority of their fruits and vegetables. Michigan State university researchers say that a combination of urban farms, community gardens,
storage facilities and hoop houses could supply residents with more than 75 percent of their vegetables and more than 40 percent of their fruits.
a rooftop garden and microturbines--a first for a Philadelphia business. How long does the material for the compost actually stay in the hotel?
Do you bring the compost back once it's ready to use  in the roof garden?
Talk about starting the roof garden. We bagged up finished compost. We made all of our beds out of native white oak.
For special events that we sponsor, lunches or dinners, we'll incorporate some of the stuff from our garden in the meal.
It's not that we really get a lot out of the garden but it represents
Shes getting involved with everything from community gardens to getting folks with food stamps access to farmers markets.
New zoning codes will ease restrictions on community gardens and urban agriculture and allow folks to do things like sell their produce from farm stands, even in residential areas.
Maybe as a temporary solution we can create urban gardens and farms and provide fresh produce for some of these places that are food deserts.
Brooklyn to host nation's largest rooftop gardena Brooklyn Navy yard warehouse will soon serve as a host to the nation's largest rooftop garden.
Brightfarms will soon be opening the nation's largest rooftop garden on top of an old Navy  warehouse  in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.
In 2010, Brooklyn Grange opened a rooftop garden in Long island City, Queens, Â with the help of a successful Kickstarter campaign.
they tell you'I have my tomatoes in my garden out back, and I get fish from the river,
A rendering of an abandoned factory in Cicero, Illinous, re-made as a garden, by Studio Gang NEW YORK--On a brisk Saturday afternoon in late February, a small,
And they have included environmental designs such as adding gardens in foreclosed factory sites. Also interested in encouraging a more natural atmosphere in its design solution for struggling suburbs,
Photo of architectural model for Studio Gang Architects'The Garden in the Machine project for Cicero, Illinois, Â 2011 James Ewing;
Brooklyn to host nation's largest rooftop garden Rooftop produce coming soon to a rooftop near you
The development is being billed as a sustainable garden city, reports Fastco Exist, and in line with many new housing and community developments and vertical gardens around the world, vegetation assume a major role in the design,
with fast-growing trees and plants being integrated from the ground level all the way to building rooftops. The development won't be a hub for solar panels and turbines.
The bioswales also act as a rainwater filtration system retaining excess water for irrigation of the gardens and parks within the development...
But if this material gets put in your garden or on the side of the road, it starts breaking down like a seed husk within three months to a year.
You really have to put them in your garden, in the environment for them to start biodegrading.
You get a program like Garden on the go, a service that brings fresh fruits and vegetables to a dozen such food deserts in the Indianapolis area.
The Garden on the go initiative was driven by statistics that show approximately 29 percent of adolescents and 65 percent of adults in the state of Indiana are obese or overweight.
said Lincoln Saunders, director of the Garden on the go program, which hit the street in early May in Marion County near Indianapolis.
and more of something that you can use for gardens and growth. It has this unique sex appeal because of that.
and gardens improve infiltration, reduce runoff and filter the water. But now, a company that for years has promoted healthy lawns by selling products containing phosphorus has changed its Tune in March,
You can meter out how much nitrogen is being released into your lawns and garden plants. A lot of companies put in slow-release
And food deemed inedible is turned now to compost for new urban gardens around the city.
like balcony gardens and places for staff to grow their own veggies. Located in the Central St giles Building in London's Covent garden, the new 16,000 square foot space also includes such cutting-edge ideas for the workplace like a gym,
because they have included classic features like woolly living rooms and rooftop gardens. Pension has named different parts of the office things like Secret Gardens, Allotments, Google Green, Google Park and Grannies Flat,
seeking to combine office seriousness with a bit of  playfulness. The new design wasn't massively expensive (at least as much as it could have been) due to a seemingly intelligent use of the existing space and materials.
the lucky gardeners get to spend some off-time working with herbs and veggies and work together in a non-work way.
The Secret Gardens are private booths on a balcony (the designers say it's sun-trapped,
The Gardens connect to Google's cafe, and Google Park, which is a big garden.
The cafe was designed with a retro-feel and has a view over the city. The Google Green looks out across this area
linking together the cafe, Gardens and the Town hall, and features couches for Town hall overflow or informal meetings.
This program brings food to Philadelphia's under-served population by way of a partnership between the city prison system and dozens of local community gardens.
Then, they're transferred to community gardens for full growth. When it's ready, the fresh produce is delivered to one of the city's food cupboards,
and parks and gardens are aiming to slash their water consumption in the coming years.
maintaining lush gardens, and so on. Indeed, energy in general is too cheap in Abu dhabi at about $1. 80 for a gallon of gasoline
Carleton Garden Blogspot A few food courses on Smartplanet: Rooftop farms budding in Beijing, Hong kong How to solve a universally irritating problem The simple plan that saved a supermarket chain millions The Morning Briefing:
Health concerns spur organic gardening in Indian homesritu Mathur in her organic garden GURGAON-Ritu Mathur poked the soil in the potted plants
and flowerbeds of her garden filled with organic vegetables and fruits. Snails! she exclaimed--before finishing,
Priya V. K. Singh, a government officer, has taken Mathur s help over the past three years to do organic farming in her garden in Gurgaon.
Her monthly workshops on how to do organic farming in small gardens backyards and balconies are attended by 8 to 10 people.
Farms like these have grown in popularity alongside the appearance of rooftop gardens in the city center.
The phenomenon of vegetable gardens being set up on the rooftops of towering high-rises in Hong kong â also open to the public
Quinzanos said while relaxing in a wrought iron chair on the shop's roof garden, which is designed to capture what it can of the capital's average 34 inches of rain annually just slightly less precipitation than soggy Seattle.
The rainwater filters through a teak patio and garden of cherry, orange and lime trees and carpets of lavender, mint and thyme into storage tanks.
If vacant urban lots were transformed into farms and community gardens, locals in Detroit could get 75 percent of their vegetables and 40 percent of their fruit this way.
Besides the farms and community gardens you'd need a place to store the produce.
as they convert ordinary backyards into lush food garden
How wireless networks could keep cows from burping methanehere s a novel way to combat global warming:
A dozen garden boxes brimming with 20 heirloom tomato varieties, peppers, squash and eggplant are begging for her attention outside in the Northern California sunshine.
There were periods when the garden didn't look as good. I wasn't, perhaps, as fussy, she says.
Lifelong learning Aside from gardening and her lead director role at Cisco, much of Bartz's time these days is devoted to quietly volunteering for various organizations with a focus on cancer support,
--When the owner of a historic villa called Ho Tung Gardens wanted to demolish her property's main building and construct a dozen new homes on its valuable land,
and what s just taking up valuable space at taxpayers expense it has been reported that keeping Ho Tung Gardens could cost taxpayers $380 million.
The most high-profile debate is over Ho Tung Gardens a privately owned mansion in a ritzy residential area,
The home and gardens are designed in the so-called Chinese Renaissance style, featuring curved eaves and dramatic archways.
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