Is it really possible to grow an edible yard? It sure is! A new episode of Zero Waste titled “Eat Your Yard” is teaching viewers about urban foodscaping, also known as edible urban landscaping.
Host Natalie Hodge spends the day with Phaedra Hise in Richmond, Va. to learn more about herbs, vegetables and edible flowers that can help provide fresh and nutritious food, even for those that live in a city. Phaedra doesn’t believe in lawns, so check out what she uses for ground cover as she invites Natalie to eat her yard!
“I've never encountered a yard that smelled so delicious,” said Hodges. How exciting to step out your front door and enter your very own food source!”
Phaedra also introduces audiences to a Little Free Seed Library that serves the community of gardeners in her neighborhood. Natalie learns more about the benefits of collecting rainwater and how to create a container herb garden for her porch.
The pilot episode of Zero Waste focused on wasting less space by implementing a landscaping and gardening method called foodscaping. This is a way to grow your own food and beautify your environment by planting edibles such as vegetables, herbs, fruit, berries and nuts between more decorative elements such as flowers and shrubs. Foodscaping can be done in any outdoor space you have, including balconies and patios. Some of the benefits include lower food costs, decreased exposure to harmful chemicals, plastic use reduction and smaller carbon footprints.
As climate change continues to affect our daily lives, many people are looking for ways to mitigate waste and use fewer resources while spending less money. Zero Waste explores sustainable practices that benefit both individuals and the planet. The series looks at climate change through a lens of hope and tells stories of passionate people in Virginia who are taking action to benefit their health, their finances and the environment. Hosted by Martinsville native Natalie Hodge of Rudy's Girl Media, the series aims to empower audiences to make sustainable choices.
Zero Waste is available on VPM’s Science Matters YouTube channel. Clips from the episode will also be shared on the VPM Instagram and TikTok pages, as well as the Science Matters Facebook page and website.
