I would like to begin my reflection by first saying that overall Botany this year for me has a great and knowledgeable experience. That experience is what lead me to have the ability to create an interview as such. What is a garden? A piece of ground used to grow plants What is sustainability? The ability to maintain a certain level or rate How does one manage a garden in different locations: outdoor, school, indoor, community gardens? Depending on the location and plants being grown you may need to provide different amounts of sunlight, different amount of space, and amounts of attention. What are the needs of the garden and how are they maintained? A garden needs to be watered, placed in sunlight. It also needs to be trimmed cut of weeds, making sure that it has everything that it needs and is no other species are affecting it negatively. To maintain it you must make sure all of the things stated before remain at a good state and level. What type of soil / or water pH levels do you need for different edible plants? Why does pH matter? How can we maintain the pH of our water and soil? The pH levels are important because it shows people the balance of water when it comes to the water being too acidic or too alkaline. According to eskawater.com, a good way to keep a human’s pH level at the balance is to drink alkaline water, and to stay away from sodas and other things that can ruin the balance. In most cases, 7 pH is the ideal pH level for plants and water. You can find that type of water underground as long as it’s not modified. How does air quality affect gardens? How can we prepare our gardens to withstand the air quality? It really depends on what kind of air. For example, if it were air pollution, the ozone would enter the plant and oxidize its tissues, leading to discolored leaves and speckled leaves that often look like they are burned or have been bleached. We can prepare our gardens by setting up a garden in an area where there is no pollution in the air, or make a greenhouse to isolate the plants from the air. What nutrients do gardens and specific edible plants need? How can the garden get the nutrients? (hint: describe composting and other nutrients that you have learned about in this class or Biochem). Garden plants need carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen as well as other nutrients that can be found in moist soil which they need. There are a few ways to get those nutrients, but first you want to make sure that the garden is exposed to air and sunlight since they are essential. The next step is to either pick up some soil from a store, or make your own soil by composting which can save you money. Then you want to plant the plants in the soil and give it plenty of water. What factors affect urban farming? Things like climate and weather can be affecting to urban farming. While not only affecting the growth of a plant along with the good or bad.While also affecting the timely manner in which the crops are distribute and affecting the shelf time of the plants. How can schools get involved in urban farming/community gardening? Within in my personal experiences i feel like there has to be more advertising for kids to be involved in gardening, but especially in the urban settings .Within advertising to the students try to give them some type of incentive to garden like being able to take a crop of their choice. Advertising a green thumb and making it seem like a popular thing could also convince students in the sense of a bandwagon effect. What factors affect urban farming/community gardening in schools? How have schools with urban farms/community gardens managed their gardens? Schools can get involved with urban farms by finding organizations to help them. If they don’t want to cooperate with an organization, they can find areas they can plant fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Find organizations/programs that support urban farming. What is their purpose and role in the community and in urban farming? Provide a brief history of the program and their contact information. (Hint: You will be interviewing someone from the organization or institution for Checkpoint 2 AND another student or school. http://www.fao.org/home/en/ -> Food and Agricultural organization of the United Nations. They define Urban farming as: the growing of plants and the raising of animals within and around cities Links; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainability

Our video is composed of various topics related to Urban Gardening. We interviewed members of the Greensgrow Farm and asked them about urban gardening, and different components of it. Some include; How do you define a garden? What is your role in the garden? What inspires you to garden and farm? & What is the best way to sustainably manage the garden? We also delve into topics such as GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) and pH levels in urban gardens. We chose these topics to talk about in our interview because we believe that they are important for both producers AND consumers to know about what pertains to the food they are growing or eating. I played a role in writing our interview for the Greensgrow Farm members, and in the preliminary research we did. I think I did well in working with my group and getting our checkpoints and materials ready on time. I would have liked to be more involved in the interview process, and it helping put together our final product. The most meaningful part of creating this PSA, to me, was learning more about urban gardening - what it is, how it works, who can do it, and how it plays a role in our society. We could tie this into our essential questions this year, like "what is a garden?" Urban gardening is just one type of garden that is very meaningful and beneficial to those who participate and the ones this positivity reaches out to. Many factors can affect urban gardening, such as location, healthiness/nutrients provided in the soil, pH, and air quality. In schools, factors such as these apply, and things like management planning of the garden during breaks from school, when no one is around. This is why community gardening is so important - it brings together a community to help a common cause amongst them, for the better. Thanks to Greensgrow Farm on Cumberland Avenue for the amazing opportunity!

Botany benchmark