Zero Waste Gardening: Small Steps to Reduce Your Impact
We all know gardening is a great way to get in touch with nature. However, the actual process of gardening—things like buying soil in non-biodegradable packaging, planting seedlings in plastic pots, watering thirsty plants multiple times a day in the summer—can eat up natural resources and create lots of unnecessary waste. While zero-waste gardening might sound like a daunting goal, there are small steps you can take to move towards a more sustainable, lower-impact garden.
Buy in Bulk
One of the largest waste producers in gardening is simply all the packaging your supplies come in! One way to reduce waste is to buy the amount of product you need and package it in either reusable or biodegradable containers. Urban Earth’s Soil Bar was created with this in mind—you can get just the amount of soil you need and package it in a paper coffee bag, reducing waste.
Use Biodegradable Materials
Natural fibers have been used in gardening for millennia, and though plastic-based products may be more common, more sustainable options get the job done just as well. Try using burlap in place of synthetic cloth when covering garden beds or winterizing potted plants, and use jute twine in place of plastic ties to stake plants to trellises.
Find Alternatives to Peat Moss
Peat moss, an aged form of sphagnum moss, is the basis of most bagged potting mixes you see on nursery shelves. However, because peat is slow to regrow and age, it’s not the most sustainable medium to grow in. A great alternative is coco coir, made from the husks of coconuts. Products like Foxfarm’s Bush Doctor Coco Loco Potting Mix use coir as a base, and you can also make your own mix using pure coco coir mixed with compost and perlite.
Reuse What You Have
The plastic nursery pots that your plants come home in may seem destined for the trash, but they’re actually surprisingly useful to hang onto! They’re great for potting up seedlings, and can be reused several times as pots before cracking and breaking down (just make sure to clean them well before reusing so you don’t pass on soil pathogens). Another way to reuse resources is buying secondhand tools and supplies. Here at Urban Earth, we often carry second-use toolkits comprised of salvaged tools we’ve refurbished, sharpened, and cleaned. Tools that seemed ready to throw away can be made brand new with a little TLC, and it’s one less thing getting thrown in the landfill. If you want tips to refurbish your own tools, let us know! We’re always happy to teach.
Remember: Every Bit Counts!
Anyone who’s embraced a low-waste lifestyle will tell you, it’s not about any one person getting everything perfect all the time, it’s about all of us doing a little bit more to change things. Just making a few small changes will have an impact, and the more people you get on board, the more those changes will be felt. Happy gardening!
Tips for Starting a Pollinator Garden
Plant Native Plants
Since the plants and local pollinators have evolved together, local pollinators are more attracted to native plant species. Native plants are also easier to establish.
Sunny Location
Since many pollinators are energized by the warmth of the sun, locate your pollinator patch in a spot that gets ample sunlight. Also provide rocks to serve as warming and resting spots.
Plant Diversity
Planting a diverse array of colors, height, fragrance and shapes will attract different pollinator species. Flowers in shades of blue, purple, white, and yellow are better to attract bees. Red, yellow, orange, pink, and purple blooms are better for attracting butterflies.
Vary Bloom Times
Providing a consistant food source will keep pollinators returning to your garden year-round. Plant a variety of plants that will bloom from early spring into the fall.
Plant Multiples
Grouping plants will allow your pollinators to feast with ease. Planting in masses will also attract more pollinators!
Skip Double-Flowering Varieties
As beautiful fluffy blooms are, they make it difficult for pollinators to reach the nectar.
Create Safe Water Access
Creating a watering space for pollinators can be as simple as using a saucer as a bird bath, or putting rocks or sticks in a deeper water dish.
Provide Safe Havens
Bee and insect houses can purchased at local nurseries or easily crafted. Dead wood, such as hollow logs and tree stumps, provide nesting areas and shelter for bees, wasps, and beetles.
Avoid Pesticides
Any use of pesticides should be avoided as much as possible. Please exhaust the methods of IPM before considering the use of pesticides.
Beneficial Insects
Beneficial insects are an important part of an integrated pest management system. IPM is a process you can use to solve pest problems while minimizing risks to people and the environment. IPM programs combine management approaches for greater effectiveness: Biological Control, Cultural Controls,
Mechanical and Physical Controls, then moving to Chemical control as a last resort.
Biological control is the use of natural enemies—predators, parasites, pathogens, and competitors—to control pests and their damage. The following beneficial insects are available now at Urban Earth Nursery and will help eradicate common pests like aphids, spider mites, broad mites and thrips.
Combat Thrips & Broad Mites with Cucumeris
Ambylseius cucumeris is a predatory mite that feeds on immature thrips, broad mites, russet mites, and spider mite eggs. Adults are pear-shaped, tan in color, and less than 0.5mm long. Cucumeris do not have wings and cannot travel very far. For best results hang the sachet from your plant. One sachet per plant should suffice. Each sachet should last 6-8 weeks and has 1,000 cucumeris.
>> ORDER CUCUMERIS
Defeat Spider Mites with Andersoni
A. andersoni is a predatory mite that can be used to control a range of mite pests. Their polyphagous nature allows them to feed on many arthropods, including spider mites, broad mites, as well as pollen in the absence of an adequate pest food source. An adult is beige and less than 1 mm long. Another predatory mite without wings. Hang one sachet per plant. Sachet should last 6-8 weeks and has 250 per sachet.
>> ORDER ANDERSONI
Abolish Aphids with Aphidious
Aphidius species are a group of native parasitic wasps, frequently found parasitizing aphids in greenhouses and outdoor crops. Adults are tiny, dark colored, non-stinging wasps, up to 1/8 inch long. Larvae develop entirely inside host aphids, which eventually become rigid mummies when the larvae pupate. Aphidius matricariae is an outstanding searcher, and can locate new aphid colonies even when aphid populations are low. Simply open the blister pack near your infested plant and they will begin to hunt. There are 100 per blister.
>> ORDER APHIDIOUS
Sachets Hooks: Hang from foliage near pest infestation, preferably one sachet per plant. Use caution, especially in hanging basket applications, to ensure that sachets never touch the soil as the material on the outside of the sachet can wick moisture, potentially drowning your beneficials.
Blister Packs: Look at the back of the pack, and note that you must push in a little tab to open the blister so that the insects can find their way out. Hang blister packs from the foliage close to the infected areas and out of direct sunlight. Ensure to the best of your ability that the blister packs are not getting too hot.
Creating a Tropical Oasis in Seattle
There are many direct flights from Seattle to tropical locations, but the you could create a tropical oasis right in your own backyard!
Fan Palms and Windmill Palms are two of the few palms that are hardy in the pacific northwest – they are real attention-getters! Hardy to 5 degrees although they may lose their leaves in really cold winters. Windmill Palms feature showy panicles of yellow flowers hanging below the branches. They are blooming all over Seattle right now!
Mediterranean Fan Plam, Chamaerops humilis
This smaller Fan Palm is without a doubt the best candidate of any landscape Palm. It tends to grow in clusters, but is slow enough to rarely outgrow its space. Plant as a single specimen or group several while young. Very cold hardy, this Palm makes the perfect focal point in a tropical garden that needs to take a frost.
Hibiscus syriacus
When people think of Seattle, I don’t think hibiscus comes to mind. However, this deer resistant, fast growing shrub is super hardy and super stunning. Hibiscus are available in a variety of foliage and flower colors with huge blooms that last from summer into the fall!
Ensete Red Banana
A stunning plant with huge palms that fan out from a single trunk. Eye-catching foliage that has wine-red and green tones with prominent venation. A great choice for tropical-inspired gardens. Perfect for large containers.
A few more hardy tropical favorites that grow well in Seattle:
Mandevilla
Mountain Pepper Tree
Colocasia
Pseudopanax
CANNA
CALLA LILY
PLUMBAGO
HOSTAS
UMBRELLA PLANT
Gunnera
Caladium
Once you plant these hardy tropicals, all that you’re missing is a hot tub and a tiki bar!
Kokedama Care
Kokedama, the art of binding plants into green, mossy orbs dates back centuries to the Edo era in Japan (around 1600 AD). The Japanese word Kokedama translates to English as "moss ball," and such simplicity is the very essence of this elegant garden art form. An accompaniment to the practice of bonsai, you can display your Kokedama in a dish, tied to a board, or suspended as a string garden.
Watering Procedure: Caring for these living sculptures varies widely depending on the species of the plant used. Most times your Kokedama will enjoy a well lit section of your home out of direct sunlight. Because this style of planting tends to dry out faster than others, check on your Kokedama weekly.
Soaking: Depending on the size of your Kokedama, fill a bowl or bucket with room temperature water that you have left out overnight to let chlorine and salts dissipate. Place your Kokedama in the water, plant side up. Push the moss ball down so that it is fully submerged and begins to absorb water. Allow to soak for 10-25 minutes, or until fully saturated with water. Remove your Kokedama from the water, and gently squeeze the moss ball to allow excess water to drain. Allow Kokedama to drip dry in a colander before replacing in its given home.
Feeding: During the spring and summer, fertilize your Kokedama monthly with a liquid indoor plant fertilizer at 1/2 the recommended concentration. Simply mix the fertilizer into the water and soak as usual.
Leaf Browning: Kokedama are susceptible to over- and under-watering just like any other potted plant. Leaf browning and crisping around edges tends to indicate under-watering. A brown "mushiness" of the leaves or stems, black stems at the base, and leaf-yellowing tends to indicate over-watering. Remember; all plants require less water during dormancy (fall & winter) and more during periods of active growth (spring & summer.)
Pet Friendly Houseplants
We love our furry family members! This list includes houseplants we often carry in our shop, but it’s not exhaustive–there are many more! :) We utilize the ASPCA’s guide on toxic and non-toxic plant varieties. If you’d like to review their full list of toxic and non-toxic plants, click here.
African violet (Saintpaulia spp.)
Areca Palm (Dypsis lutescens)
Baby Tears (Soleirolia soleirolii)
Banana (Musa acuminata)
Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exalta)
Bromeliads (Neoregalia spp.)
Burro’s Tail (Sedum morganianum)
Candycorn Plant (Manettia)
Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra elatior)
Chenille Plant (Acalypha hispida)
Chicken Gizzard Plant (Iresine herbstii)
Christmas/Easter Cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii)
Cockscomb (Celosia plumosa)
Echeveria (Echeveria glauca, Hens and Chicks)
False Aralia (Plerandra elegantissima)
Kentia Palm (Howea forsteriana)
Lipstick Plant (Aeschynanthus humilis)
Living Stones (Lithops)
Mistletoe Cactus (Rhipsalis cassutha)
Money Tree (Pachira aquatica)
Nerve Plant (Fittonia albivenis)
Orchid (Phalaenopsis sp.)
Parlor Palm (Chamaedorea elegans)
Polka Dot Plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya)
Ponytail Palm (Beaucarnea recurvata)
Prayer Plants (Calathea/Maranta varieties)
Purple Passion Vine (Gynura aurantica)
Purple Waffle Plant (Hemigraphis exotica)
Rabbit’s Foot Fern (Davallia spp.)
Rhapis Palm (Rhapis flabelliformus)
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
Sage (Salvia officinalis)
Silver Table Fern (Pteris sp.)
Spider Plants (Chlorophytum comosum)
Spikemoss (Selaginella kraussiana)
Staghorn Fern (Platycerium bifurcatum)
Starfish Plant (Stapelia hirsata)
Jasmine (Jasminium sp.)
Jewel Orchid (Ludisia/Haemaria discolor)
Zebra Plant (Aphelandra squarrosa)
Be advised that the consumption of any plant material may cause vomiting and gastrointestinal upset for dogs and cats. Plants listed as either non-toxic, or potentially toxic with mild GI upset as their symptoms are not expected to be life-threatening to your pets.
If you believe that your animal is ill or may have ingested a poisonous substance, or if you have any further questions regarding the information contained in this database, contact your local veterinarian.
Pet Friendly Herbs & Veggies
We love our furry family members! This list includes edible plants we often carry at our shop, but it’s not exhaustive. We utilize the ASPCA’s guide on toxic and non-toxic plant varieties. If you’d like to review their full list of toxic and non-toxic plants, click here.
Basil (Ocimum basilicum)
Beet (Beta vulgaris)
Broccoli (Brassica oleracea)
Carrot (Daucus carota)
Catnip (Nepeta cataria)
Celery (Apium graveolens)
Cilantro/Coriander (Coriandrum sativum)
Cucumber (Cucumis sativus)
Dill (Anethum graveolena)
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)
Pumpkin (Cucurbita)
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
Sage (Salvia officinalis)
Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana)
Zucchini (Cucurbia pepo cv zucchini)
Phoebe the Urban Earth cat. @urbanearthphoebe
Be advised that the consumption of any plant material may cause vomiting and gastrointestinal upset for dogs and cats. Plants listed as either non-toxic, or potentially toxic with mild GI upset as their symptoms are not expected to be life-threatening to your pets.
If you believe that your animal is ill or may have ingested a poisonous substance, or if you have any further questions regarding the information contained in this database, contact your local veterinarian.
Caring for Lucky Bamboo
Lucky Bamboo
Dracaena sanderiana
Ease of Care: Easy
Light Requirement: Indirect to Low Light
Water Requirement: Can be grown in water, or evenly moist soil
Lucky Bamboo is an easy growing plant for low light spaces. Most people growing lucky bamboo indoors will grow it in a glass container with water and stones at the bottom.
If your lucky bamboo is growing in water, be sure to use filtered water and make sure to change the water every two to four weeks. Keep at least 1 to 3 inches of water in the container while your bamboo is putting on roots. Once it grows roots, make sure that the roots stay covered by water.
As your lucky bamboo grows, you can increase the amount of water it grows in. The higher up the stalk the water goes, the higher up the stalk the roots will grow. The more roots the lucky bamboo has, the more lush the top foliage will grow. Encourage more growth during the spring and summer by adding a small drop of liquid fertilizer to fresh water.
Spring Tree, Shrub & Vine Requests
A note from Natasha, Outdoor Buyer
We are fast approaching Fall -- one of my favorite seasons! Not only do we get to enjoy brisk air and bright colors, we also alas get to slow down. As the Outdoor Buyer, this time is invaluable to me in regards to preparing for the following Spring. Whether you are a long time gardener or were introduced to it during the pandemic, you are probably familiar with the hustle and bustle of Spring planting. It's as though one moment it's Winter and then the next day, Spring! At Urban Earth, we do our absolute best to bring in unique, healthy, edible and floriferous plants for your balconies and gardens. One of my greatest delights is hearing, "Wow, I've never seen this elsewhere!" or "I've been looking for this exact plant!"
While we do take plant requests, I have found that with the fast pace of Spring, it is very challenging to get ahold of special requests during that time. I am currently working on Spring Pre-Orders for next year and with all of you in mind, this got me thinking, “I want to try something new this year!” I'm hoping that if you send us your requests during the Fall, the slower season, we might be able to actually have them come in for you and fulfill your Spring planting dreams!
Maybe you have a list ready to go, or maybe you take a morning to sit in your garden and imagine the missing color, texture, season of interest and come up with a list of dream plants and then send them our way. I will be focused on taking requests for Trees and Shrubs during this time, but feel free to add in other dream plants as well. If you know the exact tree you want, great! If not, feel free to fill out the request sheet with the desired characteristics (deciduous, evergreen, Spring flowering, Fall color, height, etc.) and I'll see if I can come up with a match for you! Again, no guarantees, but at Urban Earth we are always up for trying something new, especially when it comes to helping our fronds (you all!) and your gardens!
Submitting a plant request does not guarantee that we will be able to source this plant for you. We will be in touch with you about the status of your request.
Want to talk to someone about your garden plans?
Sign up for a Virtual Plant Consultation!
A Plant Powered Approach to Controlling Aphids
Of all of the insects that commonly visit your garden, aphids seem to be the most unwelcome guest. We’ve received numerous phone calls this season from customers looking for lady bugs to release in their garden. Unfortunately, the lady beetle population was dramatically impacted by last years fires, so we haven’t be able to bring them into the nursery. The good news, there are other holistic approaches to try, before reaching for a chemical control. Simply try controlling your aphid population with plants!
Plants that Naturally Repel Aphids
Aphids aren’t big fans of aromatic herbs. Planting garlic, chives, leeks, catnip, fennel, dill and cilantro will help repel aphids. Marigolds are also known to drive away a number of unwanted pests. Research good companion plants for these garden additions and place them wisely.
Plants that Attract Aphids
While some plants naturally repel, others are known to attract aphids. These trap plants will allow the population to be concentrated in one location, making it easy to spray or remove the little guys from your garden. These plants include Nasturtiums, Nicotiana and Sunflowers. Just make sure not to plant them too close to your key plants, as aphids might travel.
Let us know how this plant powered approach to aphid control works for you! Share your comments below or on Instagram.