Q&A with Natalie Carver, Horticulture Director at Love & Carrots
The woman-owned urban farm and garden installation team taking Washington, D.C. by storm!
Q: Describe the structure of your projects. Soup-to-nuts, how does an urban garden by Love & Carrots come to fruition?
A: Each new garden starts with a consultation and a design. We work with our clients to create the garden of their dreams that makes best use of their space, taking into consideration the amount of sunlight, their veggie preferences, and their aesthetic taste. We construct our distinctive, custom-made cedar raised beds off-site. On the day of the garden installation we level the beds, fill them with soil, add hardscape touches like pathways and trellises, and plant perennials. Once the client has their perfect garden installed, they have the option to garden themselves or to have Love & Carrots assist in the maintenance.
Q: What are some of the unique challenges of urban farming?
A: Pest and disease pressure is unique in the city. In addition to squirrels and birds, we also have to deal with rats and racoons. The smaller space is also an issue for managing insect pests. We do rotate crops between beds, but this isn’t nearly as effective as moving crops across a whole field. Another unique factor is actually the heat! Growing in urban areas, where buildings and sidewalks hold solar heat and keep night-time temperatures warmer, is great for winter. But I’ve witnessed summer crops, especially okra and peppers, drop their flowers from stress of the urban heat bubble. Being proactive about these challenges is especially important because there’s no room for crop failure. When growing in small spaces, each plant is very important for production!
Q: What is your favorite tool for installing and/or maintaining urban gardens?
A: My favorite tool is definitely my seed case! As Horticulture Director, I have the fun responsibility of choosing our crop varieties, and I buy most of our seed from High Mowing through the CSS program. About 20% of the seeds I order are for propagating transplants (mostly starts of brassicas and nightshades) in the Love & Carrots greenhouse, while 80% get divided into the seed cases for direct sowing. I love opening my seed case in early March, and having a complete palette of colors, flavors, and textures at my fingertips. This season I am most excited about our custom rainbow carrot mix with Yellowstone, Cosmic Purple, Atomic Red, and plenty of Napoli F1 carrots!
Q: Can you describe one of your most successful projects?
A: Last year we installed a 5,200 sq. ft. urban farm for an apartment building called The Pearl in Silver Spring, MD. The challenge was starting a farm where there was no topsoil, just a solid hardpan. Our installation team moved 55 yards of compost - that’s 5 dump trucks full - to create good soil depth for growing vegetables. It is producing beautifully and the produce goes into CSA-style baskets for residents of the building. This season we have 30 residents signed up for baskets. It’s a true urban farm, and a model that we are also replicating at other apartments.
Q: What is some advice you would give to new urban growers?
A: If you’re dealing with a small space, be decisive when it’s time to remove old crops. This is especially hard for home-growers, who get really attached to their plants! What you'll realize is that by pulling up crops that are nearing the end of productivity or severely stressed from pests and disease, you're opening space for the next thing -- and a greater quantity of vegetables. This transition is especially important from summer to fall, when planting dates are more critical because of diminishing daylight.
Love & Carrots is a small, woman-owned urban garden design and installation company based in Washington, D.C. Visit their website, loveandcarrots.com to learn more.
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