urban garden
Why is it Called “Mezzacello”?
Rick and I had been searching for a house in Old Towne East (a downtown residential neighborhood in Columbus, OH) for a few years. We talked about what we wanted to do with a house, and what it would be…
Twenty-First Century Realities to Restoration
Ah the things you find while transforming a vacant urban lot into an urban farm and garden. Kevlar Gloves!
Sustainability and Renewal
The secret to sustainability is finding ways to reintegrate waste and produce more than you started with. Repeat and add diversity.
The Perfect Cover Crop for Unsightly Chain Link Fence
When we started building Mezzacello, we first needed to secure Mezzacello. The perimeter is 360 linear feet. The front elevation that fronts North 20th Street came pre-fenced with a wrought iron fence circa sometime in the 20th Century and still…
Pop Up Compost Piles
At Mezzacello, the various ecosystems always need tending. When we know that a garden bed will need to sit fallow for a season because we either don’t have time or money to get it done, I will intentionally plant nitrogen-fixing…
Greek Gyro Omelette
Rick made this up this morning with duck eggs from the coop and gathered veggies from the potager garden and herb parterres. Feta and milk came from #GiantEagle Straight to the recipe! 4 duck eggs (6 chicken) 1/4 cup milk…
Gone Gardens and the Other Mezzacello Origin Story
Mezzacello is a compound concept. A merging of two wills, missions, and visions. I’ve addressed this before. South Korea vs North Korea here and in Pretty and Plentiful here and again in Science and Symmetry here. But I have never…
Being a Renaissance Smurf
Y’all remember the Smurfs? When I was in middle school every Saturday morning I would watch “The Smurfs”. I loved the message of community and resourcefulness. The singular villain, Gargamel, was a stand in for the cruel world and later on…
