apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Well hey... if someone has more money than time, this may work for them, but I can't imagine it's much of an option for those of us who are on real budgets.

I can understand feeling like it's a little overwhelming to do it all yourself, and love the idea of any sort of consultancy service that encourages people to go for it. But this seems a bit excessive. Will they cut the food on my plate for me?

While this is certainly in the "good for those who can afford it" category, I can see this being a great way for someone to get a solid head start on gardening. For example, busy working parents without any gardening experience could do this one growing season, and then pick up the habit themselves. It's getting started that's the hard part--preparing your soil, etc.--all that can be overwhelming for a novice. In fact, I'd like a consultation and planning session myself, but I find the work the fun part.
Pretty ingenious entrepreneurship also, I must say! It's a job I'd like to have.

This is the most amazing idea I've read in awhile, and not just in the "for yuppies" category. The basic idea is ingenious! It's community gardening without the community space(which in my community is VERY limited!). I'm not thinking so much for the people who are paying for the garden, but if you adjusted the business plan to accommodate using some of these peoples space to grow a little more than they need/want and use that extra food in a charitable way... man this is a goldmine, million dollar style idea!

Just think... you pay for fantastic food grown in your own backyard, part of your gardens crop is donated to a charity. You could also incorporate many of the ideas of community gardens into the business plans, like having people who would benefit from the donated food participate in some of the garden labor... teach a man to fish ect....

what an inspirational idea!

I own a "foodscaping" business in Boulder, Colorado.

And though I do maintain some gardens, most of my clients just need someone to get them started. I build beds, amend soil, install inrrigation, and give advice. They take it from there.

My favorites are the people who consent to having part of their front lawn ripped out and replacing it with vegetables. They're out there gardening in front of the neighbors and everybody! One hundred percent of the time these front yard farmers begin meeting neighbors they've never talked to before--thus gaining a valuable resource for the unloading of zuchini!

and-regarding wendy-rae's comment: check out an organization called "Plant a row for the Hungry" they advocate just what you're talking about.

while i enjoy growing veggies and flowers in the yard each summer, i applaud the coverage of greenbean gardens and the business model

we live in an area north of boston where there are a lot of double-deckers with yard sizes about the same size as the footprint of the houses

a few years back, a neighbor went through a tough time and spent all her time inside alone

well we encouraged her to plant her yard with tomatoes and some flowers, and she has spent so-o-o-o much time outside talking with neighbors and tending her garden

we still pass zucchini of the fence to her, but the change that her garden has made in her life is astounding

now that you've covered greenbean gardens in your blog, perhaps more people will jump in, feel the love, have some lucious fresh food from right outside the door, and maybe even share their abundance!

nicely done

looking forward to more of your contributions to apartment therapy; always food for thought :)

all the best!