I first started sprouting seeds—all kinds of grains, legumes, and vegetables—when I lived in the city. Even with a non-existent or small garden, indoor sprouting requires very little space, and is an easy way to introduce some interesting new greens to salads.

Now I live in rural Virginia (with ample garden space), but I still find myself starting jars and trays of seeds on the kitchen counter. Sprouting seeds is near-immediate in its gratification, as the harvest comes just a few days after you “plant” your seeds:

Photographs by Sarah Catherine Searle.

Above: Lentil sprouts have been a favorite lately. They’re a bit peppery and snappy, and go well in a summer salad. The process is simple: you’ll need a wide mouth glass jar, some cheesecloth, a rubber band, and some well-sourced lentils. Try to find organic or naturally grown varieties. Sprout People has a huge array of seeds for leafier sprouts, bean sprouts, brassica sprouts, grain sprouts, and of course, lentil sprouts.

Above: Put the lentils—or other seeds—into a jar, leaving quite a bit of head space, as they will expand and grow. Here you can see split peas, sunflower seeds, and lentils on my kitchen counter. I usually fill a jar about one-quarter full with whatever I’m sprouting.

Above: Now, through the cheese cloth, add water, and allow your seeds to soak for from two to three hours. Drain them through the cheesecloth, and set them on a kitchen counter or windowsill that receives light, but not direct light, and is not too cold. Every day, you will need to rinse the lentils. This keeps them damp, and prevents mold from growing among the seeds. Unlike the initial soak, on subsequent days simply fill the jar with water, swirl around to make sure that the water penetrates all the spaces in between the lentils, and then drain through the cheesecloth.

After 24 hours, you should see tiny white sprouts begin to poke up. Continue to rinse the lentils daily until they reach desired maturity. I prefer lentil sprouts very young—I harvest three or four days after the initial soak. They can, however, be allowed to grow a bit more substantially before you enjoy them.

Above: Before eating or cooking with the sprouts, remove them from the jar. You may need to use a wooden spoon, as they become pretty packed in as they grow. Place the sprouts in a colander and rinse them well in cold water. Your sprouts are now ready to use in salads and stir-fries.

N.B.: This is an update of a post published Aug. 28, 2012.

Here at Gardenista, we like to believe in miracles. Enter moringa.

Dubbed the new miracle food, Moringa oleifera has farmers and international aid groups excited that it could help eliminate widespread malnutrition in developing countries. Moringa leaves are indeed chock full of vitamins A, C, and B, as well as being a mineral-rich source of iron and calcium. But wait, there's more. Moringa is unfussy about growing in arid, dry soil.

Hector Tejada, a farmer from New Paltz, New York, first encountered the tropical plant in the Dominican Republic where he grew up. He's been growing an annual variety of the plant and selling the goods at his stand at the Fort Greene Farmers' Market in Brooklyn. I needed to give it a try.

This is how the world's healthiest spaghetti was invented (read on for ingredients and step-by-step instructions):

Above: The moringa plant growing on Hector Tejada's farm in New Paltz. Photograph courtesy of Grow NYC.

Above: Hector Tejada sells moringa at the Fort Greene Farmers' Market for $2.75 per bag.

Above: Stripped from their stems, moringa leaves make the perfect confetti-size addition to just about anything. I've been sprinkling the earthy tasting leaves on my meals all week and feeling virtuous.

Above: Sungold tomatoes in my house usually don't make it into recipes because I've eaten them all first. Last week, we had surplus, so I slow roasted a batch to add to a spaghetti dinner.

Above: Drizzled in olive oil and tossed with salt and pepper, these tomatoes roasted at 250 degrees for a little less than two hours. 

Spaghetti with Roasted Sungold Tomatoes and Moringa

When it comes to spaghetti, I like my flour white. I know I should embrace the healthier whole wheat options, but with moringa around, I've decided that a healthy sprinkle is all I need to round out the meal. Here's a simple recipe for celebrating the last few weeks of summer.

• 1 pound pasta
• 20-30 sungold tomatoes, halved
• olive oil
• sea salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup moringa leaves, washed and patted dry
• Garlic cloves (optional)
• Parmesan cheese

Slice sun-gold tomatoes in half, sprinkle with salt, pepper and olive oil and roast at 250 degrees for two hours or until the skin appears shriveled (for added kick, roast a few cloves of garlic, too).  When the tomatoes are nearly ready, boil water and cook pasta until al dente. Reserve a cup of cooking water before straining the spaghetti. Return spaghetti to the cooking pot and mix with roasted tomatoes and a 1/2 cup of moringa leaves. Allow the hot spaghetti to wilt the moringa and add reserved pasta water as needed. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm with a shave or two of Parmesan cheese.

Would you like us to send you a new recipe every Friday? Subscribe to our Gardenista Daily email.

For more of our favorite dinners, see our complete list of Garden-to-Table Recipes.

Some people shop impulsively for shoes. I shop impulsively for vegetables. I wander through the Union Square Greenmarket at lunchtime and find myself stuffing jewel-toned beets and carrots into my tote bag with the frenzied fervor of a crazy woman. Before I realize it, I've purchased enough fresh veg for a family of five.

But my vegetable crisper is where my good intentions go to die. Over the course of the summer, I've guiltily transferred at least one wilted bundle of lacinato kale, the withered remains of perfectly delightful carrots, and a bag or two of slimy arugula directly from crisper to compost bucket. I'll blame my vegetable crimes on a busy summer and make a public resolution to change my ways. In the meantime, I'll try my best to avoid the mental calculation of misspent farmers' market dollars—not to mention wasted food—and turn yesterday's mistakes into tomorrow's dinner.

Happily, Ecology Center in Berkeley has put together a cheat sheet for vegetable criminals like me. In this season of plenty at the farmers' market, it's helpful to know how one might stretch the longevity of vegetable purchases. Because unlike shoes, vegetables don't last forever. 

Photographs by Erin Boyle.

Above: A fresh haul of vegetables from the Union Square Greenmarket. Below are guidelines for a few basic vegetables; here's the full list.

Carrots: Cut off the tops, store in the refrigerator in a closed container with plenty of moisture. 

Celery: Place in a shallow cup or bowl of water on the counter or in the refrigerator.

Summer squash and zucchini: Leave on the counter; wrap in a cloth and refrigerate for longer storage.

Eggplant: Leave on the counter; don't wash until ready to use.

Beets: Cut off the tops, then store in an open container covered with a damp cloth.

Onions, garlic, shallots: Store in a cool dark, place.

Tomatoes: Store on the counter.

Peppers: Keep free of moisture until ready to use; store on the counter or in the crisper for longer storage.

Above: Root vegetables like carrots and beets send energy into their leaves even after they've been harvested. Keep all the nutrition in the root itself by storing them without leaves. Save the beet greens and use them as you would chard. Some vegetable nuts eat carrot tops, but most folks agree that they're toxic. I toss mine in the compost.

Above: Carrots like to be kept moist and cool. I've been storing mine in a ceramic crock from Canvas Home. Designed to hold coffee; I think the Handmade White Covered Coffee Jar, $23 from Canvas, makes the perfect sealable container for a refrigerator. 

Above: Wash and store beets in an open container, covered with a moist dish towel.

Above: Greens like chard, beet tops, and kale can be kept in a glass of water on the counter or in the refrigerator.

Above: Alliums like garlic, onions, and shallots should be kept out of the refrigerator in a cool, dark place. For me, that's my kitchen counter. I use a Small Bisque Handmade Bowl; $9 from Canvas. 

Above: Tomatoes belong on your counter, not in your refrigerator. I keep my Sungold and other cherry tomatoes in a Tourne Berry Bowl; $32 from Brook Farm General Store. For larger tomatoes, store them in a single layer, upside down on a plate to keep them from rotting too quickly. Eggplant and summer squash are happiest on the counter, too.

Above: Celery does well in a small cup of water in the refrigerator.

Above: The inside of my refrigerator. Ends of cheese and half used lemons get wrapped up in Bees' Wrap.

Find yourself with too many zucchini? You're not alone.

Claire Basler lives and works in a former schoolhouse in Les Ormes, on the outskirts of Paris, where she creates enormous floral arrangements on a daily basis as the subject of her large-scale paintings.

Basler, who studied at the Ecole des Beaux Arts, spent hours in the Louvre, observing classic masterpieces, and was inspired by French 18th century painting, Watteau in particular. "In her garden, she witnesses nature's fight for life against the wind, the rain, and the sun," according to the Telegraph. "This is what Claire Basler portrays in her paintings: the strength and frailty of a flower, the reassuring nature of a tree, the metamorphosis of a simple poppy." To read more, go to Roseland Art & Decoration. Photos via Claire Basler. 

Above: Basler's home is a former schoolhouse.

Above: Basler at work in her studio.

Above: Basler creates her daily floral arrangements from her own gardens.

Above: Basler at work.

Above: Tools of the trade.

Above: Basler's library, with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.

Above: A work by Basler hangs in the library.

Above: In the dining room, a mantel is painted an unexpected shade of green.

Above: A row of Ikea Maskros pendants. 

Above: Green dining chairs echo the room's palette.

Above: Basler's kitchen is painted a sunny yellow.

Above: A pair of Artemide Tolomeo lights illuminates the study.

Above: Basler's bedroom is pared down and simple.

Above: Flowers everywhere.

For more inspiration, visit House Call: Artist's House in France.

Take our advice, open the latest issue of Wilder Quarterly and let yourself get lost for awhile. Lessons in growing prickly pear cacti, nude gardening, and cooking with chili peppers await—and that's just the beginning.

As is only fitting, Wilder Quarterly coincides with the seasons, offering readers long-form essays and interviews along with shorter bits of advice, projects, and product reviews that complement what's happening in the world outside. 

The magazine's seventh issue was released last week and we were lucky to get a sneak preview. As predicted, it's ripe with stories to delight both the practiced gardener and the novice who only dreams of plunging her hands in the dirt. More than being just a garden magazine, Wilder Quarterly embraces all of the natural world.  Among the features in the current issue is a story on the future of our national parks, expert advice on building a communal homestead, and an exploration of white lightening. Fancy yourself more practical? The magazine profiles garden plants and pests and offers step-by-step instructions for building your own underground oven and jam bonnets. My favorite part of the latest issue? A special pullout guide to astrology and flowers by astrologist Susan Miller. The best rainy day read I've enjoyed in a long time.

See sneak peeks from some of this issue's stories below:

Above: Los Angeles in bloom. From Maxwell William's story on artist Fritz Haeg's partnership with the Los Angeles Nomadic Division (LAND) and his mission to sow wildflower seeds throughout The City of Angels. Photograph by Ye Rin Mok.

Above: Jay Babcock and Stephanie Smith draw on their experience living in the middle of the Mojave Desert to give advice for making a communal homestead work. Among the tips on offer? Edenize. The couple planted trees to provide "shade, cooling, aroma, oxygen, and habitat for animals and beauty." On their list of greenery still to add: a fruit orchard and blue agave cacti and medicinal plants. Photograph by Elizabeth Weinberg.

Above: In "Lend Me A Hand," Molly Marquand, Wilder's horticulture editor, pulls together her favorite hand tools. We were glad to see our favorite Red Pig Tools Crevice Weeder made the cut. Photograph by Weston Wells.

Above: This issue's plant profile by Will Clausen demystifies the prickly pear cactus (Optunia humifusa); the only member of the Optunia family to grow east of the Mississippi and north of the Mason-Dixon line. Yes, you can find prickly pears growing in Brooklyn. Photograph by Nico Krijno.

Above: In "Vactionland USA," writer Zahra Sethna asks whether America's national parks will survive another 100 years. Photograph courtesy of the National Parks Service.

Above: Meg Taylor's story "Clothes Optional" explores the liberating world of nude gardening. Photograph by Cameron Wittig.

Above: "All in the Family" is an illustrated guide to identifying wildflower plant families. Illustration by Tracey Ma.

These and many more in the Fall Issue. Use the discount code GARDENGOODNESS to receive a 20 percent discount in the Wilder Quarterly Store. 

See more Gardenista Required Reads.

If you're already doing your eco-duty by shopping at the local farmers' market and eating your weight in vitamins, it's time to go whole hog and ditch the plastic in your life, too. Ambatalia's linen bento bags make eschewing plastic totes easier than ever. The bento shape makes them easy to tie together, so you don't have to worry about spilling your apples down the sidewalk. 

Above: Tote fresh fruits, greens, nuts and grains and tie up the contents for a safe haul home.

Above: The Natural Linen Bento bags come in two sizes, starting at $16. Bags are also available in brown ticking stripe, grey ticking stripe and blue.

Unsure how to keep your veggies fresh once you cart them home? See How To Store Vegetables to Increase Their Shelf Life. 

It was Fashion Week on Remodelista too, and I personally plan to be wearing every one of Julie and Alexa and Francesca and Christine's finds (can you wear a mirror?).

Above: Alexa is Packing Light for fall.

Above: Francesca dropped in on her Neighbor in Brooklyn.

Above: Julie has Gone Pink. On her it looks good.

Above: Christine discovered a Stylish Budget Hotel, where I will be staying next time I visit Barcelona.

Above: Damn you, Julie, you know I have a weakness for Cloudy Mirrors.

You've probably heard of McIntosh, Golden Delicious, and Pink Lady apples, but what about Cox's Orange Pippin or Esopus Spitzenberg? These are some of the rare heirloom apples grown at Fishkill Farms in Dutchess County, New York.

Owned by the Morgenthau family for just under 100 years, Fishkill Farms has transformed over the generations from a conventional American apple orchard to a diversified farm with environmental stewardship on the forefront of the agenda. Today the farm is run by third-generation farmer Josh Morgenthau, who has maintained Fishkill's identity as a "u-pick" apple orchard. Morgenthau and his farmers oversee 40 acres of apples, 15 acres of mixed vegetables, 15 acres of summer fruits, more than 400 pasture-raised chickens, and a flock of sheep. The farm uses such sustainable farming methods as seasonal crop rotation, alternating between annual and cover crops; growing pesticide-free vegetables and berries under NOFA's 'Farmer's Pledge" program, and managing five of the 15 acres of apples with organic methods.

Recently, photographer Nicole Franzen visited Fishkill for a selection of apple varieties and summer fruit sold at a nearby farmers' market.

Photographs by Nicole Franzen.

Above: A farmhouse nearby; In the spring of 2009 Fishkill's historic barn, packing shed, and cold storage were all lost to a fire, but the Morgenthau family was able to rebuild the pole barn a year later. The new barn will have an apple cold storage room, machinery workshop, vegetable and fruit packing facilities, and a cider room.

Above: McIntosh apples in an orchard full of 15 different varieties.

Above: The farm's resident flock of pasture-raised sheep.

Above: A pear tree dropping fruit in the harvest months.

Above: Golden Delicious apples.

Above: Franzen's picnic of sliced Golden Delicious apples, just picked from the tree above.

Above: Apples for sale at a local farmers' market; in addition to filling orders for a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, Fishkill Farms sells at markets in Dutchess County and in New York City.

Above: White peaches, plums and pears at a nearby farmers' market.

Above: Organic plums grown in the Hudson Valley.

N.B.: Looking for more farms like this one? See 239 other Garden Visits.

"My work is actually really messy, disguised by the overall look of controlled chaos," says florist Josephine Lau, co-owner of Daughters by Floral Magic in Singapore. She forgot to mention that it's also totally charming.

Spotted via Lilreddotfolks, Lau and partner Lucy Siah recently moved their  family-run business (with their sisters in law) to a light-filled shop in central Singapore, a major upgrade from their previous space "in a basement of a dingy mall with sweaty gaming shops and seedy karaoke bars." For the whole story, see Lilreddotfolks.

Photographs courtesy of Lilreddotfolks.

Above: Lucy Siah (L) and Josephine Lau of Daughters by Floral Magic.

Above: Chalkboard paint on the central workstation makes it easy to update the labels on drawers.

Above: Recycled bottles and jars are transformed into vases.

Above: Siah's favorite flowers? "Scented, so if I ever lose my sight I can smell still these."

Above: Floral arrangements are "casual, organic, and not overly decorative."

Above: A simple DIY idea: houseplants and vines hang against a metal grid panel to create a vertical garden.

Looking for inspiration for arranging cut flowers? See 55 photos of DIY Bouquets in our Gallery.

You can never have enough hanging planters. I prefer to hang mine close to a window, which keeps the plant happy and makes for good conversation among my neighbors. Here are 10 (well, actually 11) white options that I would hang from my own ceiling.

Above: LA-based TW Pottery offers several hanging planters. For a white-and-black look, we like the Oreo Hanging Mini Planter; $50.

Above: Plantorb by Brooklyn-based Perch is $120. The 8-inch diameter ceramic planter comes with a long woven sisal cord. 

Above: The Faceted Hanging Tray is $76 by Pigeon Toe. The tray has an unglazed finish and is suspended from a leather cord, which is available in seven different colors.

Above: A set of Three Porcelain and Leather Hanging Containers is $135 from Farrah Sit. The strap is available in a natural, amber, or chocolate tanned leather. The planters can be ordered as a set or individually. There is also a rope hanging version at offer. 

Above: A handmade Medium Hanging Planter with a finial by Ingleside Pottery is $80. The planter is made from earthenware clay and has a white matte glaze.

Above: The Hanging Test Tube Vase is $38 for a single vase from Pigeon Toe. Several cord colors are available. 

Above: A Small Beaded Hanging Planter with Cup and Natural Wood Beads is $43 by Hruskaa. Several beaded hanging planter versions are offered in their Etsy store. 

Above: The Scribble Hanging Planter is $70 from Branch Home. The planter is handmade and hangs from a leather strap. 

Above: The Egg Hanging Planter is $34 via Urban Outfitters. 

Above: Another Faceted Hanging Planter; $44 from Sprout Home. 

Above: A Snow White Bell Hanging Metal Succulent Planter by Plantworks PDX is $35. This planter was once a track light, repurposed into a hanging planter. Best of all, it comes with a succulent.  

Looking for something moody and darker? Check out our post 5 Favorites: Jet Black Planters. 

"Imagine a world in which blades of grass tower above you," writes Kate Bradbury in The Wildlife Gardener. "Where trees are giants and flowers big plates of food." Crawling through the undergrowth, Kate leads us through a fascinating place inhabited by small animals and minibeasts. Before we know it, we want to be growing everything on her "top ten weeds" list, forgetting to ask "Do we want to grow weeds?" This is one of our favorite books this year.

Photographs by Julie Watson, except where noted.

Above: The Wildlife Gardener by Kate Bradbury, published by Kyle Books, £14.99. Photograph by Kendra Wilson.

"Beetles are just as interesting (and even as beautiful) as bees and butterflies," writes Kate Bradbury. Despite forming the largest insect group, they lack glamor and are often overlooked. But see how useful they are, eating insects and even tackling slugs and snails. And yes, ladybugs are beetles too.

To encourage ladybugs into your garden Bradbury advises: avoid killing aphids. Adult ladybugs devour them, and ladybug larvae, which resemble tiny black crocodiles, vacuum them up.

"A bird table placed near a hedge will attract many more birds than one placed in the middle of the lawn with no nearby cover," suggests Kate Bradbury. This view is taken from within a hedge, showing how a bird might view a potential food source from relative safety.

To create bird habitats, cover walls and fences with climbing plants (if you do not have a hedge). Plant honeysuckle for berries, ivy for shelter and food in winter, wisteria for blackbirds and robins to nest in.

Large bumblebees zigzagging near the ground in spring are often queens looking for a new home. They live underground, often taking up residence in a place recently vacated by a mouse or vole. Early bumblebees feed on spring flowers such as crocus, hellebore and snake's head fritillary.

If you see a lethargic bumblebee, this may be a queen in need of energy after hibernation. The bee is unlikely to sting: pick it up and take it to a pollen-rich flower, or half-fill a bottle top with sugar and water and place next to the bee.

Hoverfly on chrysanthemum (above). Bearing a passing resemblance to wasps, hoverflies feed on pollen and their larvae eat greenflies. They add buzz to a happy garden.

To attract pollinators, grow the widest variety of flowers possible and plant each type in groups of at least three. "A large clump of flowers is much more likely to be noticed than one on its own," suggests Bradbury.

Hummingbird hawkmoth on verbena (above). Caterpillars in your garden are more likely to be the larvae of moths, which are less fussy about breeding sites than butterflies.

Our gardens do not cater for butterflies in the way that a hay meadow or patch of woodland might. Kate's weed list includes dandelion, spear thistle and bird's foot trefoil for feeding the caterpillars of butterflies. But nettles are best for laying eggs in. Could you put up with a large clump of any of the above?

Wild about shaggy gardens? See Could We Please Be Less Fanatically Tidy?

The picnic is ready. The weather has been kind and dietary requirements taken into consideration. The drinks are being poured. And then? A wasp looms into view, followed by another. "They're worse than ever this year," someone says, as a wasp (or yellow jacket) hovers between your drink and your mouth. Most of us at some point have asked: "What are wasps for?"

If Kate Bradbury, editor of Wild London was in your picnic party she might say: "If you can't love them, do try to tolerate them." Her book, The Wildlife Gardener, even has a section on "How to attract wasps." We pose some reasonable questions:

Photographs by Jim Powell.

Do wasps have a point besides being a complete nuisance? "Wasps evolved alongside the other creatures in our gardens and they belong there," says Kate, a wasp apologist. "They prey on caterpillars, grubs and other insects, and so help to keep pest populations down."

How do they find time to bother us as well? "We barely notice wasps in spring and early summer because they are so busy vacuuming up all our pests," explains Kate. They also feed from the flowers of fennel (Above) and angelica. "It's only in summer when they begin to irritate us."

Why do they have to do that? Because their nest is breaking down, says Kate. When the workers are feeding the young early in the season, the grubs secrete a sugary solution as a reward for the adults who feed them. After the queen stops laying eggs in late summer, there are fewer hungry grubs and less sugar for the workers. "This forces them to look for their sugary treat elsewhere, which is when they fixate on our fizzy drinks, fruit, and jam sandwiches," Kate explains.

I prefer wasps to go about their business unnoticed. How can I get them to leave me alone? "If you eat outside in summer," says Kate, "why not leave a blob of jam on a plate nearby? They are far less likely to bother you if they have an easier food source nearby."

I have discovered a large wasp nest under the eaves. How can I move it? "Moving a wasp nest would be very dangerous!" says Kate. The papery nest will contain about 10,000 wasps. "If you stay out of the flight path of a wasp nest, then you should be able to live with it in summer," says Kate. "Social wasps are annual so they won't return next year."

Any other tips? Fermenting fruit is attractive to wasps but it can also make them drunk, so they are more clumsy and more aggressive. Hook your hammock elsewhere in late summer.

For more insect tips from Kate Bradbury, see Required Reading: The Wildlife Gardener.

Do you find it easier to love pollinators? See The Bees of Buckingham Palace.

The chill that creeps into the air signals the arrival of apple and pear season. Bushel baskets of pink, green, and red apples will appear at farmers' markets. But to get your hands on the freshest fruits of the fall harvest, consider a field trip to a U-pick orchard. Pack a picnic and make a day of it. Here's a collection of pick-your-own orchards in the East, the West and the in-between. 

Most U-pick orchards are open on weekends from late August through October or early November. Always call (or check an orchard's website) to verify crop availability in advance as nature's timetable varies and different varieties of tree fruits mature at different times. Bags, buckets, and picking poles are often supplied. And, each orchard will have its own set of rules. Resist the urge to climb trees and ignore the advice from your city-slicker friends to shake the tree to get the ripest fruit. 

Want to know what is available to pick in your area? PickYourOwn.org offers state-by-state listings of what's open and growing.

Above: July and August mean peach picking at Fishkill Farms in Dutchess County, New York, an 1.5-hour's drive north of New York City (put that on next year's calendar). Come September the attention turns to many varieties of apples. Photograph by Nicole Franzen.

Take Alexa's Tour of Fishkill Apple Orchards.

Above: Another day trip destination from New York City is Cedar Heights Orchards in Rhinebeck. Pick apples while taking in views of the Catskills. 

Above: Late summer peach picking rolls into apple picking season at Silverman's Farm in Easton, Southern Connecticut. Photograph via Fishkill Farms.

Above: Choose among an abundance of apple farms in Maine on a dedicated website: MaineApples.org. Photograph via Fishkill Farms.

Above: The family owned and operated Larriland Farm in Western Howard County, Maryland, has more than 30 acres of U-pick crops ranging from late summer peaches and apples, to berries and flowers.

Above: Photograph via the Great Lakes Gazette.

Michigan is third in line behind Washington State and New York in US apple production. Located outside of Ann Arbor, Wasem Fruit Farm offers U-pick apples, plums, and raspberries (and pumpkins). 

County Line Orchard's 40 acres of U-pick apples are located an hour outside of Chicago.  

Above: Washington State is the largest producer of apples in the US. Stutzman Ranch in Wenatchee sits in the heart of the state's apple growing region. Crops on offer for U-pick include peaches, nectarines, apples (including Fuji as pictured), pears, and grapes. North of Seattle in Ferndale, Apple Creek Orchard opens in October and provides wagons for easy strolling through the apple rows. Photograph via the Good Fruit Guide.

Above: Fuyu Persimmons (shown) and several Asian pear and apple varieties are among the fall harvest offerings at Gabriel Farm in Sebastopol, just north of San Francisco. This small family farm operates its U-pick on a CSA model. Photograph via Jim and Alice's Garden.

Above: Sitting on the Central California coast, the Swanton Pacific Ranch is owned and operated by Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, whose students live, learn, and work this ranch. They offer a huge variety of U-pick apples. Photograph by Nicole Franzen.

Above: While Southern California is often associated with lush orange groves, there are several options for the traditional fall tree fruit harvest. The organic Apple Starr Orchard in Julian, California is about an hour from San Diego. Their orchards are planted with several apple and pear varieties, including Bosc pears (as shown). 

There are several U-pick orchards in Oak Glen, about 80 miles east of Los Angeles at the base of the San Bernardino mountains. These include the Willow Brook Apple Farm and Riley's at Los Rios Rancho. Palmdale and Leona Valley are also dotted with orchards, the latter being the place to go for summer cherry picking. 

Before you head out, read Erin's great Pick Your Own Tips.  And, consider some help to Pick Fruit the Easy Way. Photograph via Apple Creek Orchard.

In 2002, landscape architect Astrid Hölzer and her husband bought a two-story apartment in a typical Dutch "herenhuis" (circa 1909) in Rotterdam. The apartment, on the top two floors of the townhouse, had a balcony, but not other outdoor spaces. Says Hölzer,  "My husband and I are both landscape architects and wanted to make a statement by design there's no need to leave the city for a house with a garden. It can be done on the rooftop."

So they started designing.

The result? A year-round rooftop garden with a a wildflower meadow, a vegetable and fruit patch, and a glassed-in sunroom where they can watch the sun set even in windy, wet, or cold weather. Total cost: 20,000€.

Photographs courtesy of Astrid Hölzer.

Above: To create access to the rooftop's 39-by-39-foot sunroom, Hölzer extended the house's interior staircase up an additional flight. The sunroom's roof is made of reinforced glass panels, opening the view to the sky.

Above: Plantings on the 100-square-foot roof make the summer temperature perceptibly cooler than on the neighbors' adjacent flat roofs.

Above: "In Rotterdam, it can be extremely rainy and windy, so a nice place to sit and watch the environment was definitely on the wish list," says Hölzer. "Because I love citrus trees and other Mediterranean plants, some of which need to be inside in winter even in a mild climate as in the Netherlands, the choice was made to have a winter garden or 'sunroom' on the rooftop."

Above: "It's just amazing what a garden feeling can be created in a soil layer of 12 centimeters on average," says Hölzer. The soil depth is 8 centimeters on the perimeter of the roof and about 15 centimeters in the center.

"The flowers attract lots of bees, and the smell of hyssop and thyme and other herbs is just wonderful in summer," says Hölzer.

Above: From the street, the rooftop garden is "a small, more shadowy habitat, with a sun-exposed section facing southwest," says Hölzer. Plantings include drought-resistant perennials, grasses, and low shrubs. Herbs such as thyme, oregano, and lavender are among the plants.

Above: The first step in the construction of the rooftop garden was to retrofit the decades-old roof so it could bear the weight of the deck, soil, and plants. The roof got a new waterproofing layer and a root barrier. The green-roof system came from ZinCo Green Roof Technology. 

Above: "We had a structural engineer help us with the calculations, which needless to say is most crucial," says Hölzer. "It turned out that the old timber construction of our house was able to carry enough weight to support the structure, the terrace, and the green-roof system building."

Above: The deck floor is European larch.

Above: "The plants migrating according to their love of sun or shade even in a small scale garden like this one," says Hölzer. "All but one of the sedum species we planted have migrated to the drier edges; they don't grow well between the herbs."

The edible garden produces a harvest that prompted Hölzer to make batches of Myrtus jam, pumpkin soup, and candied citrus peel "from my Rotterdam citron."

Above: The rooftop plantings were installed in 2005 and the sunroom was completed the following year. In the mature garden, "there is still some space left for to sit, totally immersed in green," says Hölzer.

Above: Craving a garden on top of the world (or, at least, on top of the house)? See 191 more photos of Roof Gardens in our Image Gallery.

Leave it to the Swiss to develop a waste bin that's as functional as it is nice to look at. If I had a potting shed to speak of, I'd be tempted to outfit it with the whole catalog of lidded receptacles from Patent Ochsner's line of hard-working bins. The cans are so stately that it seems a shame to relegate them to refuse duty, only. The designers understand the impulse to have the cans multitask; they've designed a beech wood seat and cushion that turns a trash can into a throne. Cleanup is tiring work, after all. I'd fill my cans with potting soil, compost, and fertilizer.

Above: The Classic bin is made from rust-free stainless steel; 258 SFR .

No need to wrestle the lid while scooping potting soil, because the beechwood and steel handle can be lifted to function as a prop for the lid. 

Above: Classic Cushion options come in écru, brown, charcoal, and red, 98 SFR. A beechwood seat adapter (54 SFR) and cushions (44 SFR) can also be purchased separately.

Above: The Compact with Sweep Set boasts FSC-certified beechwood and horsehair. It's available for 278 SFR.

For international orders, shoppers can complete this contact form.

Planning to outfit your potting shed before winter? See our list of Pleasant Potting Shed Essentials and let this Perfect Potting Shed be your muse.

Love at first sight is a daily occurrence around here. Pinterest doles out plenty houseplant inspiration (and envy). Every time we refresh our stream, there are new houseplants to ogle.

We spot a photo with a carefully placed Fiddle Leaf Fig or Lacy-leafed Philodendron selloum—and everything else in the room falls away. But sometimes we find ourselves stumped when it comes to identifying the specific plants. If we knew the varieties, we'd probably rush out and buy them for ourselves.

Maybe you're facing a similar conundrum. If so, here's help. We tracked down the IDs for the houseplants we spotted in Last Week's Hot Houseplant Pin. 

Above: Clockwise from the bottom, we've identified five of the most eye-catching plants in this very green tableau: 

Above: A Staghorn Fern (Platycerium bifurcatum): The curator of this tropical vignette placed a mounted staghorn fern below decks. Terrain sells similar pre-mounted ferns for $105.

Above: A Lacy Leaf Philodendron (Philodendron selloum or Philodendron bipinnatifidum): In the large white pot to the left, a lacy leaf philodendron stands sentinel; a similar two- to three-year-old plant is $39.95 from Palm Trees Online. For a non-vining hybrid known for straight upward growth, try the Philodendron Hope; $24.95 from Logee's. Photograph via Exotic Rain Forest. 

Above: A Umbrella Tree (Schefflera aboricola): Potted in a large cream-colored vessel on the table is a single-stem umbrella tree. A variegated option is available for $79.99 from 1-800 Flowers. Photograph by Javado Plant.

Above: A Swiss Cheese Plant (Monstera deliciosa): At the top, the large-leafed swiss cheese plant steals the show. A similar option is $89.99 from 1-800 Flowers. Photograph of Monstera deliciosa leaves via Trendenser. 

By the way: We've fallen into the familiar Pinterest trap of not being able to properly ID the source for this photo; if you can help us track down the image source, please tell us in the comments section.

See our Houseplant Gallery for more ideas to green your living space. 

Ready to create menus from food you grow yourself? Our randomly selected winner of a copy of the cookbook 66 Square Feet: A Delicious Life by Marie Viljoen is our reader Adriana, a new subscriber to the Gardenista Daily Newsletter whose favorite garden-to-table recipe is "cucumber gazpacho with a spicy pepper kick."

Congratulations, Adriana—and thank you to everyone who submitted Favorite Garden-to-Table Recipes. Some readers' favorites are destined to become ours too, including Lou Ann Brown's apple matchsticks, Nicole's radishes with sea salt and butter, and Melinda's autumn harvest stew. Cookbook author Marie Viljoen also picked out some favorites from among our readers' garden-to-table recipes:

Photographs by Michelle Slatalla.

Above: A copy of 66 Square Feet: A Delicious Life is $17.97 from Amazon.

After seeing our Readers' Favorite garden-to-table recipes, author Marie Viljoen writes: "So many appetite stimulating ideas I love them all and am very hungry after reading the comments!

"Adriana's cucumber gazpacho and emw12's gazpacho are perfect ways to use super-fresh produce, with little adornment—healthy too, since they're reprocessed without cooking," says Viljoen. (For her gazpacho recipe, see p. 147 in her cookbook.)

Above: One woman, one terrace, 992 recipes. It's the year-long story of how an urban garden grows, produces food, and changes every month. Illustrated by Viljoen's lush photographs, the book offers seasonal recipes the author developed to take advantage of her own harvest from a fourth-floor balcony garden in Brooklyn.

Wondering what to make for dinner tonight? Browse through 63 more of our favorite Garden-to-Table Recipes.

Here at Gardenista we relish garden garb that's both rugged enough to stand up to our active lifestyles, yet sophisticated enough to tote down town. Hence the artisanal goods of Artifact Bag Co. recently captured our attention.

Hand tooled by Chris Hughes in his studio in Omaha, Nebraska, Artifact bags and aprons are made using only American-sourced waxed canvas, leather, thread, and binding. Like any good garden tool, these beautifully crafted products are engineered for heavy use, developing a rich patina over time that only adds to their character.

Above: Chris Hughes' personal choice, the artisan totes this ruggedly stylish Tool and Garden Bag everywhere: to the grocery store or apple orchards, on business travel, and on trips to the local flea. Made from olive twill waxed canvas with saddle leather handles and bottom, it's roomy enough for his laptop and sturdy enough for his tools; $375.

Above: Originally designed for a carpenter, this leather and waxed canvas tote in rust features a durable double ply botton and extra deep pockets; $175.

Above: Chris begins each work day by donning his apron which contains his awl, a measuring tape, a metal ruler, a folded rag for leaky machines, a tailor crayon, a pencil, and his favorite wood-handled screwdriver. Featuring 14 oz. waxed cotton canvas, Horween Leather straps, and hand-aged brass hardware, this Artisan's Apron is designed in honor of all who make and maintain things; $145.

Above: The Artisan's Apron is also available in selvage denim ($145) or in rust waxed canvas with cotton straps; $98. For a complete catalog of all Artifact bags and aprons, visit their website.

Above: A detail of the Horween leather straps with brass hardware on the back of one of Artifact's aprons shows the quality of workmanship.

Above: Ruggedly stylish lunch totes are available in rust and olive; $65.

Above: For smaller jobs, the Barkeeper Apron might just do the trick; $65.

Above: Sans leather bottom, Artifact's Tool and Garden Tote in slate is another sturdy and stylish option; $175.

N.B. Want more rugged garden style? Explore more of our picks for clever canvas tool storage.

In Manhattan's Greenwich Village where space is tight and gardens rare, the First Presbyterian Church Nursery School recently transformed a "baking hot" rooftop playground into an edible garden. And yes, the kids are eating the green vegetables.

"We used to have a baking hot rooftop with a play structure and climbing blocks, and the presence of plants has transformed the play area," says Cordelia Lawton, a mother at the school who took on the job of head gardener in the spring.

Photographs by Nicole Franzen for Gardenista.

Above:  The age of the school's students ranges from 2 to 5 1/2. To make the garden easy for small gardeners to tend, the school invested in Woolly Pocket Planters that hang from the chain link fence and four planter boxes at ground level. "The Woolly Pockets are great for kids, because the 2 year olds can reach the lowest ones and the 5 year olds can pull up a block to get to the highest ones," says Lawton.

Above: Students Hugo Appen and Alma Lawton-Mull water the strawberries.

Above: "It's quite amazing how the kids are constantly grazing in the garden. As soon as a strawberry turns red, it's gone," says Lawton. Even the vegetables get gobbled: "These are the same things that children would say no to if their parents presented to them. They'd say, 'No, it's green,' but here they're constantly testing things out, things that surprise me. They really like chives."

Above: The next phase for the garden will be to install an irrigation system. In the meantime, the students are happy to help.

The idea behind the garden, dubbed Project APPLE (an acronym for A Place for Planting, Learning, and Eating), was to introduce the preschoolers to the idea that food comes from plants. The edible garden has tomatoes and herbs, in addition to strawberries.

Above: The garden has a four-tier compost box, and the students treat the worms like pets. "They feel like caretakers," says Lawton. "We wanted to teach them about reducing and recycling and to give them a sense that what happens underground is as important as what happens above ground."

Above: Student Camille Davis helps water the herbs.

Above: "Just after we planted sugar snap peas, I looked around one day to see a child snapping off the stems and eating them," says Lawton. "He said, 'Why not, they're sprouts,' and I thought: we've succeeded."

Above: Lawton, whose daughter graduated from nursery school this year, has passed her head gardener duties on to another parent and is now working full time on her design business and furnishings shop Lawton Mull.

"This was my last hurrah, but for the garden, it's just the beginning," says Lawton.

For more innovative school gardens, see Alice Waters' Edible Schoolyard.

In 2005, when Craig Olson and Sean Igo opened Canoe in Portland, OR, their interiors and design shop proved well ahead of the curve and helped put Portland on the design map. The pair recently added another retail outpost to their empire: Spruce Apothecary, which takes the same idea of well-made, enduring goods and applies it to grooming products.

As Olson says, "The concept for the shop was to combine some of the best contemporary brands like Malin+Goetz and REN with classic European heritage products. We also have some oddball discovery items in the Canoe vein." Bonus points: the store interior is just as good as the products they feature. For more, go to Spruce Apothecary. 

Photography by Josh Partee.

Above: The wood-clad exterior of Spruce Apothecary, located in Portland's newly developed Union Way. 

Above: According to Olson, "The interior of the shop was intended to be simple and calm with an exposed block wall painted a green/black color and contrasting bright white steel shelving, with some bits of tarnished brass."

Above: Olson, who once lived in Germany, says the apothecary shops there were a source of inspiration.

Above: Men's grooming products on display next to a fiddle leaf fig tree.

Above: "We’re working on a fragrance line with a local perfumer and will be developing a bath product line as well," Olson says.

Above: The black brick wall is partially covered in oiled cedar slats, adding texture to the space.

Above: Bright white steel shelving flanks a mother-in-law's tongue in a white planter.

Above: Conveniently sandwiched between two Portland mainstays: Powell's Books and the Ace Hotel.  Union Way is a skylit covered passage between two adjoining buildings, and Spruce Apothecary is one of several local stores to recently open there.

For more on Craig Olson and Sean Igo, see Steal This Look: Canoe in Portland, and check out their renovation of a home in Scottsdale, Arizona: Northwest Heads Southwest.