A Leafy Tower

by Amy Henderson

We spoke with Sugar Beet member and urban gardener, Marcia Schattauer. Marcia's garden will be featured on the Edible Garden Tour on July 27th.  Buy tickets here or on the day of the tour at Green Home Experts, Buzz Cafe, or Greenline Wheels. 

SB: When did you start your garden? Can you tell me about it?

MS: We've been gardeners since we moved to Oak Park 11 years ago. We've always grown one thing or another - we have cucumbers on the side of our house on trellises. One of the things that makes our garden unique is we have two aeroponic gardens on our deck. We got our first one last year, and I put all my lettuce in it to protect it from the rabbits. The rabbits would get to my lettuce in the garden before I did! Now, I have an abundance of lettuce, kale, spinach, basil, and swiss chard.  My husband and I have a green smoothie almost every morning for breakfast. This year, we experimented with cucumbers in our second aeroponic garden, and now they're growing down the deck!

SB: Can you tell me more about the aeroponic garden? How does it work?

MS: Aeroponic means the water rains down on the roots. Hydroponic means the roots sit in water. It's a tower with a 20 gallon reservoir of water. There's all these little holes and the water goes up and down, and waters the plants. It's on for 15 minutes and then off for 15 minutes. It does use electricity to run the pump, but it only uses 5 gallons of water per week, and reuses that water all week. It's special for me because it's on my deck, and I can grab some kale in my jammies. 

MS:  The biggest misconception is that it's hard. You just have to put some seeds in the ground, and then you get fruit. Anybody can do it.

SB: Any advice to new gardeners?

MS: Start with tomatoes or peppers, things that are easy to grow. Just start simply and then move on from there. The aeroponic garden is great because you can grow on a patio. It only needs 3x3 feet of space, and it's even easier than a regular garden.  

SB: Do you think Oak Park could do anything better for urban gardeners?

MS: I'd like to see people get credit for not using chemical fertilizer. It's a health risk to us all, and it's easy to avoid using chemicals. I'd like Oak Park to inspire people to think more organically. Dandelions are actually good for your lawn.

SB: What are you excited to share with the Edible Garden Tour attendees?

MS: I'd like to show people the aeroponic gardens. I'd also like to share that it's fun to be a gardener. I was able to get a preview of the other gardens on the tour, and there are so many good ideas. It is so fun to go from one garden to another. Some of the gardens are elaborate and people are very scientific about them, and then others make it seem simple, and that's fun, too.