Prince Charles, who once admitted to talking to his plants, is now encouraging everyone to grow an organic garden; even a tiny garden can yield fruits and vegetables, reduce carbon and feed local birds and insects.

In 1980, Prince Charles purchased his country home, Highgrove House in Gloucestershire, England, with the intention of turning it into an organic farm and garden. Today, its acres grow fruits and vegetables, such as strawberries, leeks, carrots and Brussels sprouts. Also grown are native and endangered plants like jasmine, crane's bill, yellow rattle, lilies and honeysuckle.

Jamba Juice has partnered with the National Gardening Association (NGA) to provide grants to local schools so students can plant fruit trees that help promote nutrition education.

Schools can submit applications for one of 20 It’s All About the Fruit grants of $500. The application deadline is Nov. 29. Winners will be announced in January.

Recipients will be selected based on plans to promote nutrition education, ideas for incorporating fruit-tree activities in curricula and the ability to sustain the program over multiple years.

Honey nettles and wild flowers for dinner? Exotic, but it doesn't sound very filling.

The BBC has the scoop on a hot British restaurant where the star chef Sat Bains ordered an employee to use her foraging skills to expand the kitchen's repertoire. Rosy garlic and kitchen honey nettles grow just a few feet away from the restaurant, so picking them seemed natural to Nanna Vestergard, a kitchen worker. Talk about local!

Vestergard learned how to forage in her native country of Denmark. Don't try this at home! You shouldn't try your luck at foraging without doing serious research. Vestergard warns that unless you're 100% sure, "you shouldn't be picking anything at all." Another basic rule is "if it tastes really horrible, usually it isn't good for you."

If foraging isn't  your thing, you might want to try gardening, instead. Learn how to create a kitchen garden for free. You'll know what all the plants are (and that's it's safe to eat them) and you won't have to worry about big wig British chefs taking the fruit you had your eye on.

Image Credit: Minds Eye

The White House chefs just got done with their spring harvest. Over the winter, the White House's garden grew close to 50 lbs of its own turnips, spinach, lettuce, arugula, and carrots by using small, temporary "hoop houses," which acted like greenhouses by trapping sunlight and protecting the plants from the elements. Remember snowmageddon?

But that's not all. Michelle plans to expand the garden to plant even more for the summer season. Can't wait to see what they can grow by fall! Check out the new White House video featuring the garden:

And if you want to get an organic garden going in your own yard, check out our gardening section.

Related Articles:

• Maureen Farmer's DOs and DON'Ts of Fertilizing Your Organic Garden
• Creating a Water Garden in a Tub
• Know Your Enemy: The Slug
• A Simple Organic Compost Recipe

Growing your own organic groceries will be one of the hottest gardening trends this year.

In fact, a National Gardening Association survey reveals a 19% increase in new hobby country farms and urban edible gardens over the last year.

“It’s time to reclaim our land for our greater good,” says Margie Grace, the 2009 International Landscape Designer of the Year, as awarded by the Association of Professional Landscape Designers.

Americans can “take that food-­producing garden from the back 40 and put it wherever we want,” she says. “Reunite the ornamental with the edible—roses beside tomatoes, beds edged with herbs and veggies used as annuals.”

Grace and many of her colleagues are encouraging gardeners to “de­lawn” America by substituting vegetable and rain gardens. They want to eradicate “hell strips”—the wasted plots of grass between sidewalks and streets—and replace them with sustainable plants.

Ready to take the plunge?

For Your Organic Bookshelf 

• Organic Gardening for Dummies
• The Complete Vegetable & Herb Gardener: A Guide to Growing Your Garden Organically
• The Kitchen Garden Grower’s Guide: A Practical Vegetable and Herb Garden Encyclopedia

By Kathie Bond-Borie, Guest Columnist

If you're looking for a plant with year-round appeal, holly belongs near the top. 

No matter where you live, hollies offer shiny red, orange or yellow berries, and many varieties have characteristic waxy leaves that clothe the plant in all seasons.

There are thousands of different varieties, the main distinctions being either evergreen or deciduous. They all prefer similar growing conditions. 

Here are some tips to keeping hollies healthy and full of fruit:

• Hollies need a neutral to slightly acidic soil that's well drained and loamy to sandy.
• If you have clay soil, amend it with compost or composted organic matter.
• Full sun will promote the best fruiting, but hollies will grow reasonably well in partial shade.
• All hollies are tolerant of air pollution and road salts.

There's still time to plant hollies this fall. In northern areas, the best time is after the plant has gone dormant but before the soil freezes. In southern areas, you can plant anytime. 

Dig a hole that's deep enough to allow the root ball to sit slightly above the soil line. Make the hole twice as wide as it is deep. After planting, spread mulch to keep the roots cool and moist, but keep it about 6 inches away from the trunk to prevent nibbling by mice during the winter.

If you want to cut some branches of berries this fall for holiday decorating (they last about two weeks indoors), make cuts with an eye to the plant's shape. Most shrubby hollies grow naturally into an attractive shape. The taller, tree-like hollies, such as English and American hollies, look best if trained when young into a pyramidal shape with a dominant central stem. 

Hollies with small leaves tolerate shearing. Selective hand-pruning will give your plants the best overall shape and the best crop of berries. Save this type of extensive pruning for the spring, just before new growth begins.

Spring is also the best time to fertilize. Spread a balanced fertilizer, such as 10-10-10, on the soil surface. The roots are shallow and can be damaged if you try to dig it in. Apply one-third of the fertilizer inside the branch canopy and the rest outside the drip line.

A former floral designer and interior plantscaper, Kathie Bond-Borie has spent 20 years as a garden writer/editor, including her current role as horticultural editor for the National Gardening Association. She loves designing with plants, and spends more time playing in the garden—planting and trying new combinations—than sitting and appreciating it.

Photo courtesy of the National Gardening Association

It was a good week for my tomato—better than last week. I picked 8 big ripe tomatoes, like the one in the bottom left, and there are plenty of little greens one ready to take their place. Luckily, it didn’t rain like cats and dogs this week. We got a break, just cats.

And no slumping branches either. I have a stroke when I see that. I’m always afraid they’re going to snap—which means I’ll snap too! As for the acorn squash, it stopped growing. I think you’re supposed to wait and pick it in the fall, right?

5.13.09

For two months, in trash bags, buckets and boxes, I saved my garbage, my stinking, foul garbage. You may be asking why. No, I don’t have some sort of bizarre fetish. Instead, I was preparing for this year’s tomato grown in a heaping pile of smelly garbage.

I did it last year. Except last year, I only stored garbage for a month. So, needless to say, this year’s first bag of crap smelled vile. The maggots were fun too. But I did it for good reason. When you plant a tomato on a pile of rotting fruits and vegetables it grows huge!

But the idea is not my own. I got it from L.A. Rotheraine. He’s the master gardener at McKean County Biodynamics and he’s a wiz at growing tomatoes in trash. Now, I’m not a master gardener, actually I’m kind of dopey, but I did manage to grow my own tomato.

And that picture is the rundown of the planting I did last Saturday. That plant is the offspring of last year’s tomato and hopefully it grows bigger and better. Right now it’s looking a little floppy. So if it doesn’t make it. I have its sibling waiting in the wings. Fingers crossed!

5.20.09

After a limp start, this year’s garbage tomato is turning the corner. It’s starting to grow up big and strong, but I had to monkey with the setup a little bit. We’ve been having some unseasonably cool nights. So I’ve been putting a black garbage bag over the plant to keep chilly dew off the leaves.

Now, the blog has a lot of new readers, so if you don’t know what a garbage tomato is. I did it last year. I dug a hole and filled it with fruit and vegetable scraps. Then I planted a tomato on the pile and it got huge! So keep checking every Wednesday for more updates on this year’s tomato.

5.27.09

Despite my best efforts—and what would prompt a world class hissy fit—my first garbage tomato of the year bit the dust. I suspect the unusually cool May and nippy nights did it in, even though I was mindful to cover it when it got chilly. I’ll just chalk it up to natural selection.

But luckily I started with a bunch of sprouts. So this weekend I planted its shorter, stubbier sibling. As a member of the short and stubby club myself, I have my confidence up. I think this one will be fine. My biggest problem now is the ornery cardinal nesting by my garden hose.

6.3.09

Looks like my evil plan is finally coming together! After a rough start, with my first garbage tomato of the year succumbing to the unusually chilly weather, this one is kicking butt. Compared to last week my short, stocky little plant really flourished and is developing a very study trunk.

Last year, I grew my very first garbage tomato and it was pretty big, but this year I’m shooting for a real giant and I’ve got a good feeling now. When I replaced the dead one with this guy, I made sure to position its roots right on top of all the rotten fruits and veggies. So, fingers crossed!

6.10.09

My garbage tomato is hitting its stride! It’s getting taller and filling out nicely. I already had to tie it to one of the posts. And I have high hopes—no pun intended—those green poles I stuck in the ground are 8-feet tall. I want this plant to be huge!

And here’s a cool side note. I planted this tomato on a pile of rotten fruits and vegetables that I saved up for two months. Well, something buried deep in the mound of muck is also sprouting. I’m not sure what it is yet. So I’ll leave you in suspense.

6.17.09

One more week in the books and my tomato is looking awesome. Despite the gloomy weather, it continues to fill out. It’s getting taller and taller and the trunk is really stout. It’s only June, and the base is already wider and stronger than last year’s tomato. I’m really excited!

Now, I mentioned last week that something strange is growing next to my tomato. I have no idea what the heck it is. I dug up two sprouts and gave them to the my mom, but I left the big one where its at—see if you can spot it—again, I have no idea what it is. Stay tuned.

6.24.09

Check that out! My garbage tomato is getting huge. Go on, take a look at last week, then flip back to this week and you’ll see a big difference—big being the operative word—and here’s the cool part. It actually sprouted some flowers. So tomatoes are on their way!

As for the subplot, the mysterious freeloader plant is growing too. You can see for yourself, it’s in the lower-right of the photo. I’m still not sure what it is. I threw out a lot of random fruits and vegetables, but I’m guessing it’s a squash or some sort of melon—or demon spawn.

6.31.09

See how big my tomato is getting! Look at last week then jump back to this week. You’ll see its REALLY filling out. It looks shorter, but that’s because the tall branches flopped over and I had to tie them to those green posts. Actually, I want it to get fat, instead of tall, like last year’s.

Now, you’ll also notice I had to expand the fencing. The plant needs a lot of room to grow and I still have this pesky rabbit hanging around. Oh, and check out the thing with the big leaves growing off to the right. That’s the mystery sprout and I’m pretty sure it’s a cantaloupe. Nice!

7.8.09

Yes, this year’s garbage tomato is becoming a masterpiece! Clearly, it’s a lot bigger than last week. And it’s starting to bear fruit. That little close-up is just a couple of the tomatoes starting to take shape. At last count, I think there are eight of them. Plus a whole bunch of flowers!

Now here’s the deal. The stowaway cantaloupe is still growing too. I’m tempted to dig it up. I know it’ll compete with my tomato, but I like the idea of growing a bounty of goodies on just one pile of rotten garbage. So, we’ll see what happens. Call it survival of the fittest.

7.15.09

The tomato train rattles on. Check out my garbage tomato. See, a steady diet of rotten fruits and vegetables works wonders! It’s really filling out. It’s much bushier than last week. I may have to expand the fencing, again! Plus, more and more little tomatoes keep popping up, and look at all the flowers.

This plant is a powerhouse. It’s very robust. So is the pesky stowaway cantaloupe—which I think might actually be a zucchini—it continues to thrive too. It’s got a whole bunch of big yellow flowers. They kind of look like zucchini flowers, but I’m not sure. If there are any botanists out there, help a brother out!

7.21.09

My tomato is becoming a mini-rainforest. It’s very dense in the center, like a canopy. Compared to last week it’s a little bit bigger, but there are a ton of green tomatoes now. I suspect, just like last year, they won’t start turning red until they get much bigger. Lots of nutrients from all the garbage to soak up!

Now, as for the freeloader plant, it is growing a lot. I originally thought it was a cantaloupe, but now I’m pretty sure it’s a zucchini. It’s starting to bud tiny little zucchini-looking things. So we’ll see! Oh, and in case you missed it. My coworker is growing one of my sprouts and his plant looks great too.

7.29.09

My garbage tomato kicking butt! It’s loaded with green tomatoes of all different sizes. Many of them are already bigger than the stuff in the stores and most haven’t even started turning red yet! It’s tough too. Despite all the green tomatoes, I’ve only had to tie to a few times. Strong like bull!

Now, as for the rogue plant, last week I said it must be a zucchini, after originally thinking it was a cantaloupe, but today I’m sure. It’s a cantaloupe and that little picture pretty much proves. It looks like a cantaloupe. Its much too round to be a zucchini. So we’ll see what happens!

8.5.09

This was an odd week for my garbage tomato. First off, I noticed one tomato rapidly turning red, but it was oddly shaped, very flat, not round. When I eventually picked it, I spotted the problem—it was gross—somehow the underside was rotten. Not sure how it happened, maybe all the rainy weather.

Then over the weekend I noticed one branch had toppled over due to all the heavy tomatoes. I freaked out at first, but there was no damage. I tied the limb back in place and its doing fine and one of its tomatoes is turning red. Awesome! Oh, and the stowaway cantaloupe. It’s getting bigger too.

8.12.09

My garbage tomato is a warrior! The weather has sucked this summer. It’s been so wet and gross and my little guy developed a nasty case of bottom end rot. The first couple of tomatoes I picked were half disgusting. So I stopped watering it for a few days and now it’s rebounding nicely.

In fact, just yesterday I picked the best tomato so far. I’d show you, but I ate it. It was perfect. And as for my cantaloupe, it’s impervious to the crappy weather. It’s growing strong. I’ll probably only get one cantaloupe out of it, but that’s cool. Considering I don’t really have a green thumb.

When it comes to choosing plants, Mark Micek urges gardeners to go native.

“Short-lived annuals tend to require large quantities of water to survive our often dry summers in the Midwest,” says the project ecologist with Tallgrass Restoration in Schaumburg, IL. “This can lead to large water consumption bills, as well as put unnecessary strain on local aquifers.”

In contrast, “native plants historically found in this region are adapted to our unique climate, so they can survive the range of moisture conditions that typically stress ornamental plantings,” he explains. “Additionally, most native plants are perennials and do not need to be replanted each season."

According to Appleton, WI-based Wild Ones:

Native plants have evolved and adapted to local conditions over thousands of years. They are vigorous and hardy, so can survive winter cold and summer heat. Once established, they require no irrigation or fertilization. They are resistant to most pests and diseases. Thus, native plants suit today's interest in "low-maintenance" gardening and landscaping.

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center  in Southwest Austin, TX, offers a searchable database of more than 7,000 native plants—a great source of inspiration for our green-thumbed readers.

For Your Organic Gardening Bookshelf

• Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants
• Native Trees, Shrubs, and Vines: A Guide to Using, Growing, and Propagating North American Woody Plants
• Native Ferns, Moss, and Grasses: From Emerald Carpet to Amber Wave, Serene and Sensuous Plants for the Garden

I really like this! Although, I was more surprised to see people still read newspapers. Now, as a city urchin and if I had room for a garden, I would totally make one of these, but I’d ditch the flowers for tomatoes.

Via Green Inc.