The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

Herb garden © Dr.DeNo

Watch a segment about Edible Gardens on NY1!

The importance of eating locally, or being a “locavore,” has become increasingly clear over the past few years. Not only does it help reduce your carbon footprint, but also eating locally is healthier and tastier.

"But I live in New York City," you're thinking, "I don't have room for a vegetable garden!"

Fear not, New Yorkers! What makes edible gardens a great option for city dwellers, is that they can be planted anywhere - in your backyard or on your building’s rooftops - but also in window boxes, small pots, or even inside on the windowsill of your apartment.

Rooftops
For businesses, planting a green rooftop can mean saving on heating and cooling costs because a thin layer of soil and grass to improve insulation and help with storm runoff. The Brooklyn Grange is a commercial garden on a roof in Long Island City that provides produce to local restaurants and farmer's markets. But you can set up your own rooftop garden if you have access to the roof.

Windowsills
You can grow a plethora of different plants and herbs in window boxes or on your window sill. This is a great way to teach kids about things that grow, the outdoors, and their environment because kids can get involved, take pride in what they grow, and then dig in.

Community Gardens
The City of New York has just created an amazing program, PlaNYC 2030, that includes plans to set up farmer’s markets at community gardens in the city, 80% of which already grow food. The program will also ensure that there are 150 school gardens by 2013, and that school cafeterias are able to serve their own produce