Farmscape, California's largest urban farming operation, recently wrapped a first-of-its-kind project in Downtown Los Angeles, one that (literally) takes urban agriculture to new heights. Atop The Jonathan Club now sits a large rooftop garden installation designed to grow fresh, organic greens. more ›

One California farm industry group has awarded $1,000 grants to 100 preschools and day care centers in the state so that they may build and grow edible school gardens. more ›

While the costs to revive the L.A. City Hall lawn from the wrath of Occupy L.A. are uncertain, one thing is not. The grass is dead. Parks and Rec's most recent estimate for sod replacement and sprinkler repair totals $120k, a number that, while still high, dropped down a few hundreds of thousands after the previous $400k projection. Is it worth the time and money to keep up the lawn? more ›

It took a village, and a lot of vision, but this three-acre Pasadena garden is living testament to what can be done with a lot gone to weed at the hands of Caltrans. As spotlighted by Garden Design, the beautiful urban oasis known as Arlington Garden is adjacent to the townhouse of Betty and Charles "Kicker" McKenney. more ›

Artisanal LA is back in full force this weekend, with a new sea-side location on the Dining Deck of Santa Monica Place, and a mix of new and returning vendors to a fun recurring shopping, tasting, and learning event focused on local and sustainable eating, drinking, and growing. Thanks to a sneak peak last night at the venue, we've got a few picks for some must-sees and tries when you hit up the event today or tomorrow. more ›

Shaded from the sun and 90 degree heat, about 300 gathered this afternoon under a sea of rain umbrellas for the "ground breaking" of California Medical Center's Hope Street Family Center. Billed as much-needed recreation space and home for wellness programs in the "underserved" neighborhood of South Park, the proposed project already has community engagement--at least judging by the excitement at the launch. more ›

It's the third day of 80 degree-weather in Los Angeles and you may be feeling like we missed spring. Spring is planting time and that takes the right seeds. I've written about companies that offer really great product, but nothing is better than the experience of friends. Their favorites might be your favorites too. Seeing that there is no "Yelp" for backyard gardens, I rely on my cadre of gardeners, garden writers and twitter cohorts to aide my planting decisions for the 2011 Season. I've leaned over the virtual fence of the internet to ask for advice from my community of gardeners. I've asked a dozen of stellar plant geeks to share their favorites with you. more ›

The Huntington Library is rediscovering its (agri)cultured roots with a 15-acre ranch project that will serve as, "a laboratory for studying and experimenting with sustainable urban agriculture," reports the Los Angeles Times. The Ranch idea began to sprout in 2006 when The Huntington agreed to take dozens of fruit trees rescued by growers during a land dispute in South Los Angeles.  more ›

This is a bittersweet installation of our Know Your Farmers' Market series, because not all our local weekly markets can operate year-round, and because of the weather, this one is about to close down for the chiller months. There are only two weeks left of this fabulously fun and unique market run by LA City Farm that launched earlier this year, but there are plenty of reasons to go check it out. more ›

LA’s Dept. of Water and Power has free weekend composting workshops countywide from Malibu to San Dimas. It’s also where you can purchase a compost bin at a huge discount for $40 (a similar model at a gardening center goes for well over twice that price). more ›

The Getty Villa in the Pacific Palisades offers breathtaking views, refined tranquility, and the chance to immerse yourself in the collected Greek, Roman, and Etruscan antiquities featured within the walls of the Roman-inspired architecture of the impressive structures. more ›

A group of young people in Highland Park are digging in deep and working towards some healthy results thanks to a new urban garden project they've recently launched. The Wave profiles this admirable "green-thumb project" run via a "a joint effort of students serving on Hathaway-Sycamores’ Youth Leadership Council along with adolescents participating in Hathaway-Sycamores’ Gang Reduction and Youth Development Program." more ›

An ordinance expanding what Angelenos can grow at home and later sell was approved by the L.A. City Council today. The "Fruit and Flowers Freedom Act," as it is called, changed the city's Truck Gardening ordinance, which said only vegetables and herbs could be grown, trucked to a market and sold. more ›

April, among other things, happens to be National Garden Month. And what an ideal time--it's spring, and it's the right time to get your planting done for the months ahead of garden goodness. But this isn't just about people with yards to dig up, or with seasoned green thumbs. The great thing about gardening is that you don't have to be a pro to give it a go, or even do the gardening where you live! In fact, you can celebrate National Garden Month, we say, without even setting foot in a garden. Here are 7 things you can do. more ›

Up until Monday, the portion of the yard at Saturn Street Elementary school marked as the garden was still asphalt. It's taken much hard work by the staff, students, parents, and local community, but today marked the launch of their school garden. To get things started, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa made Saturn his first stop today as part of his Mayor's Day of Service. more ›

Last night, the President and First Lady welcomed guests to the White House's first state dinner of the Obama administration, and the event was occasion to show off the bounty harvested from their garden. On the menu were items like "potato and eggplant salad with White House-grown arugula, and entrees that included roasted potato dumplings with tomato chutney, chick peas and okra, or a meal of green curry prawns," according to TreeHugger. more ›

Here in Los Angeles there is a valued relationship between the food on our plates and the ground from which it comes. From weekly stops at favorite farmers' markets to digging in at a local community garden, the bounty of the land and its role in our eating lives has a profound meaning for many Angelenos, and Americans. Local Chefs are eager to share how they use the market to influence their menu, like Grace and BLD's Neal Fraser and Ford Filling Station's Ben Ford, while some, like Border Grill and Ciudad's Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger have partnered with the LAUSD to help reinforce the importance of garden-based learning and to be conscious of what we eat. The politics of eating has become a local focal point, thanks to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's championing a Food Policy Task Force this summer as we celebrated 30 years of farmers' markets in L.A. more ›

Keep your eyes peeled for the perfect spot--not to park your car but to park your butt or two feet in a comfy, welcoming, back-to-nature focused space meant to remind us that in all this concrete we need to have some green space. You'll find spaces all over town converted into mini-green getaways, complete with all manner and variety of benches, greenery, decor, motifs, and opportunities to socialize with people from the neighborhood. Hosted by citizens, groups, architecture firms and others, these once-a-year spots are worth checking out today. more ›

I’m not going to wait until one of you gets your compost together to ask me an important question. I’m not going to hear the 4th query on “why do I suck at gardening?” (A: worms hate you). This column needs to be responsive, sure… but let me ask a question that you should be asking: Why do my dahlias have jock itch? more ›

Plant F-ing is a new Ask LAist series about growing food and flora at home--especially for those renters who do not have access to the luxuries of a yard and only have windows and patios to work with. If you've got a question, please send it to editor[@]laist.com and our in-house garden guru, aka Hand of Gardener, will answer. more ›

Plant F-ing is a new Ask LAist series about growing your food at home with an emphasis on renters who do not have access to the luxuries of a yard and only have windows and patios to work with. If you've got a question, please ask and send it to editor[@]laist.com and our in-house garden guru, aka Hand of Gardener, will answer. Today we'll kick it off with a basic question from LAist Editor Zach Behrens. more ›

The Protege Basketball Block Party stops at the Kmart in Torrance (19330 Hawthorne Blvd.) today from noon to 6 pm with free on- and off-court interactive activities (shooting contests, b-ball tips, etc.) for all ages. It’s an 18-wheel, 53-foot show truck that transforms into a 4,500-square-foot basketball playground. And best part of all? Former Laker-turned-commentator James Worthy stops by from 5-6 pm today. more ›

The Huntington's legendary Corpse Flower (because when it blooms, look out, it smells like rotting flesh!), which has been nicknamed "Stinky," is now closing in on 7 feet tall (he's 6ft 9.25 inches, according to the Huntington's Twitter feed). Jim Folson tells us what we can expect in this short video. more ›

Yesterday, First Lady Michelle Obama joined 5th graders from a DC-area school in harvesting some of the bounty from the White House's Kitchen Garden, a 1,100-square-foot, L-shaped plot on the South Lawn planted in April. Together they picked "harvested 73-pounds of lettuce and 12-pounds of peas," then worked together to create a meal they shared picnic-style right there at the White House. NPR broadcast a lovely story about the event, including the enthusiasm of the kids for working with the land and what it's taught them. The powerful partnership between learning and gardening has never been more evident than now. more ›

North Hollywood: What do you do when the city owns a vacant lot that's being used by people as an unofficial trash landfill? Clear it out and make it into a park. On Monday, Councilwoman and Controller-Elect Wendy Greuel and others will make the first ceremonial dig on the Bellaire Pocket Park Project, located at the corner of Bellaire Ave and Strathern St. more ›

Waiting lists for popular community gardens can be years long, but many have grown weary of waiting. As 21st Century "Victory Gardens" have come into vogue in our yards, in our neighborhoods, at our schools, at our state capitol, and on the White House lawn, many would-be green thumbs want to get their hands dirty and their veggies and flowers growing. more ›

LAist's own Green Thumb is here to help you get into gardening...So, as he says: "Get down on your knees and start planting." more ›

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has his eye on a big prize: Governor of California. With the 2010 election in the seedling stage, Newsom is aiming to raise his profile in Southern California, and has set his sights on the youth vote and the liberal leanings of Los Angeles for his local visit this week, explains the LA Times. more ›