NeedleCloud

NeighborSpace’s One Seed Chicago will distribute over one million seeds to Chicago area gardeners.

CHICAGO-After four months of voting Bee Balm has emerged triumphant over Purple Coneflower and Nodding Onion as the One Seed Chicago for 2010. Area gardeners who voted for their favorite prairie plant will soon receive a free seed packet in the mail. Anyone who didn’t get a chance to vote can still request a free packet by visiting oneseedchicago.com. Bee Balm was the clear favorite for Chicago gardeners who wanted to help declining honeybee populations by planting Bee Balm.

“The past few years have seen an interest in the health of insect pollinators as a sign of a breakdown in our agricultural systems of production,” says Michael Thompson, Farm Manager at the Chicago Honey Co-op. “Providing habitats with nectar forage for pollinators is a positive way to help with the decline in pollinating bees and other invertebrates.”

NeighborSpace, through One Seed Chicago, will distribute over one million seeds for Monarda fistulosa, commonly called Wild Bergamot, Bee Balm or Horse-Mint. This native perennial has many advantages in the garden.

“Native plants attract native birds and insects and help to increase biodiversity in your garden,” says Jennifer Davit, Director and Horticulturalist at the Lurie Garden at Millennium Park. “Our native plant friends are more adapted to their local surroundings and can handle the Chicago area’s fluctuations in climate and weather.”

In addition to helping the honeybee population, participating in One Seed Chicago serves as a unifying symbol for the City’s gardening community, showing in one small way what’s possible when we Grow Together.

“By planting a common seed, backyards, windowsills, community gardens and balconies across the City will be linked together in a season-long celebration,” says Ben Helphand, Executive Director of NeighborSpace.

Each packet of Bee Balm seeds invites Chicagoan’s to get involved in one of the City’s hundred of community gardens. “Join the community by planting 2010’s One Seed Chicago. Grow deep roots by getting involved in a garden near you.”

Bee Balm Introduced to Great Fanfare

Bee Balm was unveiled at the 18th Annual Green & Growing Fair at the Garfield Park Conservatory on April 24, 2010. Thousands of gardeners and urban greeners attended the fair to learn about urban gardening and meet the winner of One Seed Chicago 2010. Within the span of two hours NeighborSpace handed out over one thousand specially printed seed packets containing Monarda fistulosa seeds. Many more sowed seeds for Monarda fistulosa and created plant labels in the hands-on “rot pot” workshop. The workshop highlighted One Seed Chicago’s 2010 theme of sustainability in the garden by using recyclable and reclaimed items to create artistic plant labels.

Requesting Free Seed Packets

Everyone who voted between January and April 1, 2010 will receive their seed packet in the mail. Gardeners and educators in the Chicago area who did not participate in voting can request a free seed packet be mailed to them at www.OneSeedChicago.com while supplies last.

Growing Together by Staying Connected

Throughout the growing season on the One Seed Chicago website gardeners will receive gardening tips and news about events created to celebrate the 2010 winner. Participants are encouraged to visit the website and grow together with their fellow Chicagoans.

Origins of One Seed Chicago

One Seed Chicago is a project of NeighborSpace in partnership with GreenNet, Chicago’s community greening coalition. In 2008 the program handed out 10,000 sunflower seeds. In 2009 they distributed 100,000 blue lake pole green beans. Now in its third season, the program aims to encourage even more Chicagoan’s to get involved in gardening. From Rogers Park to South Chicago; from the Loop to Austin, we can all Grow Together.

About NeighborSpace

NeighborSpace is a nonprofit urban land trust dedicated to preserving and sustaining community managed open spaces in Chicago. Their growing network of gardens provide thousands of people the opportunity to grow fruits, vegetables and flowers; to restore habitats; and create unique gathering places in their own neighborhoods. NeighborSpace’s partners in the community can rest assured that the land will remain dedicated to conservation and their efforts will never be displaced. For more information, please visit www.neighbor-space.org .

I learned about this project a while ago and keep meaning to post something about it on here but keep forgetting so here it is.

It’s such a great idea and something people should really try to incorporate into their normal routine. Instead of going to some big chain store to buy things try to find a smaller independent store to support. Instead of going to Starbucks go to the local coffee shop. Invest in your community and support your neighbors. Even if you don’t have a lot of money, your money has power.

If we lose our small businesses we lose what makes our neighborhoods and cities unique. I’ve noticed this when traveling to new cities and am looking around and see chain after chain after chain. Pretty soon every city will be the same, with the same 10 stores and the same 10 chain restaurants.

Check our the 3/50 Project and tell others about them.

We’re finally getting a composting bin put in! I’m pretty excited about it. I brought it up to the board and the other owners in the building and found that some others were thinking the same thing so we’re going to do it.  That should help quite a bit with reducing the amount of garbage we throw out.

This week I came across this article in the Chicago Reader about the garbage issues facing the city of Chicago. Honestly it was a little depressing. Mayor Daley is constantly up on his little pedestal saying how ‘green’ the city is and how he’s committed to making Chicago the greenest city in the country but we still don’t have a fully functional citywide recycling program. Granted he has implemented a few good ideas like having green roofs on some city buildings but overall he hasn’t done enough.

My neighborhood is one of the few that actually has the ‘Blue Bin‘ program but my building can’t get one because we have 13 units. We pay for our own recycling pick-up from an independent company. The problem is that we can’t recycle every thing that you can recycle using the city’s blue bin. We can only recycle #1 and #2 plastics in the shape of a bottle. No yogurt tubs, no margarine containers.. It’s not a huge deal but I think it’s silly that our neighbors who have 2 people living in their house get this huge cart to use and can recycle pretty much everything and we have to pay for a private company to come out to get our and we can only recycle a fraction of what they can.

And so I’m happy to have a little bit of power. I’m really happy my neighbors are excited about composting. I’m hoping it’s not too difficult to get people in the habit of doing it and doing it right.

This week there have been some big developments in movement to get styrofoam packaging, especially disposable trays used in Chicago Public Schools, banned in the city of Chicago.

There was a nice article in the Chicago Tribune early in the week. Check it out here.

If you want to keep up to date on this issue consider becoming a fan of No Foam Chicago on Facebook or join their mailing list.

I have been working with No Foam Chicago over the past few months mostly in a web site updating capacity. They are a fantastic group of people who have been working really hard to get this ban passed.

It’s been a while since I’ve posted an update here but I wanted to write a quick note to say Happy Holidays to everyone and please check back in the new year for some new articles and features here at NeedleCloud.

I’ve been settling into the routine of a new job and also helping out over at NoFoam Chicago with updating their website and research. So needless to say things have been a little hectic here.

Things should be getting more manageable in a few weeks and I’ll be back in the saddle!

Happy Holidays and thanks for visiting!

~Jasmine