Join The Treevolution, greening the cape and spreading a little love!

Urban Harvest has partnered with Greenpop to plant 1000 indigenous trees at schools this Arbour month!

Today we planted 30 trees at 2 schools in Capricorn on the cape flats. It was a super first day with  loads of little tots and volunteers getting their hands dirty.

You can donate a tree, or two or three for R50 each and or join us for planting any day this month ….and beyond.

Check out www.greenpop.org to donate, for further information and to view pics and video clips of the great work we are doing!

We will Keep you posted as we steam toward our 1000 tree target!!!

An article by Shannon Draper of The Gravel Garden

My definition of an heirloom vegetable (and there are a few) is the seed that has been nurtured and saved over generations. These seeds were smuggled over borders and seas in times of strife. Often sown into hemlines and jackets; immigrants from all over have always travelled with seed that had traits they found desirable. Flavor, productivity, disease resistance being some of them. Some modern day varieties have been bred and although not strictly heirlooms (50 years or older) are still on seed lists for heirlooms because of their ability to produce true seed.

I started growing heirloom vegetables about 4 years ago. Having had a veggie garden for a couple of years I was constantly on the lookout for “new” varieties. What I didn’t figure on was that finding that “old” varieties was where all the taste was, especially when it comes to tomato’s. The tomatoes that we have become accustomed to are generally all picked green for shipping countrywide and gassed with ethylene to speed up ripening. This means that they can sit in cold storage for a long period and make it to your salad looking perky and ripe as if it were just plucked from the vine.The taste….well, that seems to have fallen by the wayside hasn’t it . Older, tastier (so much tastier) varieties are just not marketable. They don’t travel or store well. Their shapes are far from uniform and just don’t fit in those little polystyrene punnets . So the flavor of our fruit has been compromised and we forget how good that used to be.

There are virtually thousands of open-pollinated varieties out there. The real beauty of this is that gardeners and farmers can save their own seed from these fruit and vegetable and hold these ‘genetically diverse gems’ in safe keeping for future generations who just might need to have a little “food security” in the future. If one takes note of the insidious control of “certain” multi- national seed companies that have a LARGE chunk of the market share of seed distribution worldwide, it would be ludicrous to have the entire planet’s eggs in one ‘grain ‘basket…. but this is real, and is happening. South-African and Indian farms have been choice subjects for field trials on a massive scale involving Genetically Modified cotton, maize, soya, canola etc. Those who have fortunate to see Peter Proctors DVD on the return to organic (and specifically biodynamic) principles in India will be aware of the necessity to preserve the old varieties of seed; particularly grains. So many varieties and genetically rich species of rice and grain has been lost in a relatively short period of time in favor of the seed which is failing them so catastrophically now. There are a number of sources of open-pollinated seeds emerging; South Africa has 4 or 5 small companies operating on a small scale at present putting the seed out there. The time is now… not later, to start securing our heritage seed.

At Urban Harvest, we integrate ‘waste materials’ into our innovative designs. This keeps our prices low while helping, in our little way, to keep landfills clear.  Wine bottles, wine barrels, old roof tiles, rubble, scrap wood and tyres are some of the readily available ‘waste’ resources we utilize in making our gardens functional and beautiful.   Take a look at the Photos below:

We Have launched an exciting NEW SERVICE, “The 1 day Set-Up”…

Urban Harvest can completely Set-Up a 20 square meter edible garden in your home in 1 visit!  This allows us to fully establish an ecological design suited to your context and budget and to have in place, from DAY ONE, a system which has the potential for real sustainability.

After 1 day you can experience your edible garden, and we get to see the smile on your face immediately!

Yesterday, 3rd of August, Urban Harvest completed it’s first 1 day Set-Up for Lynn Wengrowe in Kenilworth, Cape Town (who came to us via the website). We received this email the same evening (exact exert):

“I’ve just paid R2000 into your account and we are
absolutely delighted with today’s progress. Am feeling a real sense of
gratitude around us having made this decision to invest in this ‘programme’,
and blessed around the kind of energy that was brought into our home
by Ben and your two team members and generally just feeling very privileged to even embark upon this journey! Thanks guys – I think you have a very wonderful experience to offer! Lynn”

Contact us now for a free consultation

info@urbanharvest.co.za | 0724752977

“Let’s Grow Together”

This news media reports that the first lady suggested an organic vegetable garden at the White House, partly to bring organic vegetables to the presidential family and partly to educate on the importance of good nutrition.

The orchard produces 55 varieties of fruits and vegetables including among others, lettuce, onions,cucumbers, spinach and broccoli. Part of what occurred is donated to a food distribution center for indigents.

Michelle says that her children eat things they would never usually eat just because have met the people who grow them and they have experienced them growing.

Now it’s your turn to launch your own – call us now for a free consultation at your home 0833913636/0724752977.

Love always from
The Urban Harvest Team

Urban Harvest has recently opened a branch in Jefreys Bay which will be owner-operated by Susan & Jakkie Botha. Here is a little bit about each of them and their vision for Urban Harvest Edible Gardens on The Garden Route.

Jakkie Botha – I am a graduate from Stellenbosch and Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Labour Relations and Human Resource Management. Since then I have moved back to Jeffreys Bay to spend time with my family and spend some time thinking and planning our dream of building a completely sustainable home. We want to build a house that amongst other things re-uses grey water for a vegetable garden and trap rainwater for use inside the house. Our envisioned home will use alternative building materials that are more insulating than ordinary brick and cement and will also have a much smaller carbon footprint! We started building an organic vegetable garden at our home and I was amazed at the positive interest this project brought from our neighbors and friends. I grew up in the Kouga region and am so happy to give such a valuable service to the people from this area: being able to grow your own scrumptious vegetables that are chemical free and eating it the same day: no driving, no freezing, and no packaging. It makes total sense.

Susan Botha – I have had an interest in making compost heaps and growing trees since an early age. After two years travelling abroad I returned to study at UCT where I completed a MSc in Botany. Afterwards I joined the Namaqualand Restoration Initiative, a project that developed new restoration techniques to return the indigenous biodiversity to large areas that had been destroyed by mining and other activities. We converted our scientific findings into practical techniques and trained local people from surrounding communities in how to put a disturbed ecosystem back together. We also helped to create a new restoration business that now employs 18 people. In 2008 I started the Green Campus Initiative which is now one of the largest organizations at UCT. Some of the projects I participated in were the implementation of a university-wide recycling system, a web-based car-pooling site and a residence greening project.  I have now moved to Jeffreys Bay, my home town, to build a lovely family home using sustainable, environmentally friendly principles.

Welcome to The Urban Harvest Website!!!

A Big Thanks to everyone who visited our stall at the Natural and Organic Products Expo @ The CTICC.

If you did visit us, we hope you were inspired by our unique range on Services and Products and that you are happy with your complimentary organic seedlings!

If you are holding onto your seedling but wondering what it is and what on earth to do with it, the following is for you:)

Celery stalks are delicious in soups and salads, but i enjoy them most eaten crunchy and raw in the garden – eating your vegetables within a few minutes of harvest will ensure an unbeatable flavor and the highest Nutritional value! Celery also has a medicinal function as a diuretic.

Celery enjoys a cooler environment and should not dry out completely as this will cause it to become quite tough and bitter. Plant in well composted and mulched soil in the shady nooks between tomatoes, dwarf beans and marigolds

….

Swiss Chard often referred to as spinach is a relatively hardy leaf crop which can be grown year round and, if planted in the right conditions can continue producing tasty leaves for many seasons. The leaves and stems are perfect for stir frys, soups, stews and salads. Creamed Spinach and feta is delightful in bakes and pies.

Spring Onion, Beetroot and herbs like thyme & oregano are good companions for Chard.

….

….

Crisp Lettuce or Iceberg lettuce is one of the more common lettuce varieties which forms a crisp, relatively tight head. It is used primarily for salads and sandwiches

Like most lettuces it prefers a cooler shadier spot in your vegetable garden – especially in summer.

It can be grow successfully between herbs, garlic, onions, chard, beetroot, cauliflower, cabbage and most other vegetables.

….

……

Green Oak Lettuce is an attractive and tasty leaf crop (ideal for salads and sandwiches) and matures quickly to harvest. Like most lettuces it prefers a cooler shadier spot in your vegetable garden – especially in summer.

It can be grow successfully between herbs, garlic, onions, chard, beetroot, cauliflower and cabbage.

….

…..

…..

Red Oak Lettuce is an attractive and tasty leaf crop (ideal for salads and sandwiches) and matures quickly to harvest. Like most lettuces it prefers a cooler shadier spot in your vegetable garden – especially in summer.

It can be grow successfully between herbs, garlic, onions, chard, beetroot, cauliflower and cabbage.

…….

…….

…….

Bulb Fennel is best known as a culinary herb which forms a delicious sweet, liquorice-flavored bulb ideal for roasting with meat or other vegetables or for soups. It also has medicinal value and aids in digestion.

It can be companion planted with many vegetables but is antagonistic to tomatoes, beans, kholrabi and coriander.

…..

……

……

Thyme is a well loved aromatic culinary herb. It is perennial and hardy which means it will grow through the year and needs much less attention. It will grow in relatively poor soil and will form an attractive and useful ground cover.

Due to its strong smell and insect repelling properties thyme is a wonderful companion plant for most vegetables except strawberries and beans.

…..

…..

…..

Oregano, much the same as Thyme is a well loved aromatic culinary herb. It is perennial and hardy which means it will grow through the year and needs much less water or attention than most vegetables. It will grow in relatively poor soil.

Due to its strong smell and insect repelling properties Oregano is a wonderful companion plant for most vegetables except strawberries and beans. It works especially well with tomatoes, peppers and basil and can be cooked with them to in pastas, pizzas and salads

…

Marigold Seeds which you will have received inside our Business card can be planted a few millimeters below the soil surface and between your vegetables. Keep the soil well moist and warm until germination.

….

Marigolds are both attractive and very useful in vegetable gardens. Their flowers add Phosphorus to the soil (which is beneficial for plant root development) and attract beneficial predators as well as giving off a strong smell which repels pests.

As such, marigolds are good companions for almost any vegetables and can be dotted around the garden. They also tend to be self seeding – which means in time, you will have your own popping up and wont have to buy seed or seedlings again.