This thesis aims to explore how participants of community gardening understand and give meaning to gardening and everyday practices in the context of sustainability. It uses a theoretical framework of political discourse theory to examine how discourses of sustainability are created, negotiated and spread through everyday and gardening practices. The study concludes that community gardening provides an opportunity for participants to materialize discourses of ecological as well as social and economic sustainability. Ecological sustainability discourse is being materialized in gardening practices, while the community aspect provides opportunities for building local social and economic relationships with the potential to spread ideas of sustainability. While some real and potential problems are accounted for by participants, community gardening is mainly presented as positive and an essential part of a development towards a sustainable future.

The Joys of Gardening is a virtual experience in which the viewers are invited to roam and explore a garden maze scattered with features including a greenhouse, a fountain, a gazebo, and a variety of personal gardening videos. One of the main attractions includes an opportunity to interact with a tomato plant and observe different stages of its growth. These elements combined are essential to the piece's purpose: to spread the passion and joys of gardening. There are many therapeutic effects to gardening such as: the sun helps people be happy, working with the soil allows a sense of giving life, and watching a plant grow can inspire the joy of gardening and the joy of discovery. As the viewer inhabits the space, they are engulfed into a world of butterflies, birds chirping, and serene lighting. This experience has a set aesthetic, narrative, and user interaction. By utilizing these elements, they are able to enjoy a relaxing stroll through the maze. This paper will discuss the influence behind the experience, stylistic choices, and user interactions. This experience continues to explore the potentials of blending the physical landscape and the digital landscape. / Master of Fine Arts / The Joys of Gardening is a virtual experience that provides the viewer an opportunity to explore a garden maze. The maze is filled with different elements with which they can interact. These include videos of my personal garden, a greenhouse with an interactive tomato plant, and a gazebo and a pond filled with koi fish. The project offers a digital space for viewers to escape into a world filled with butterflies, flowers, and the sounds of birds chirping. The purpose of this piece is to inspire and spread the joys of gardening to anyone and everyone. This paper will discuss the style, audio, and interaction choices to create the full project.

The overall objective of this study was to determine the influence of intermittent water application via overhead irrigation on water and N leaching, substrate water distribution, and plant growth in a pine bark substrate. Intermittent irrigation was defined as the application of a plants' daily water allotment in multiple applications with prescribed intervals between applications. Specifically, experiments were conducted to determine: 1) the influence of water application rate and pre-irrigation substrate moisture content on water application efficiency, 2) the influence of the number of intermittent applications and interval duration between applications on application efficiency, 3) substrate water distribution after intermittent irrigation, 4) efficiency of intermittent irrigation in unamended and sand-amended pine bark, and 5) influence of intermittent irrigation on plant growth. In all experiments, Marigold (<u>Tagetes erecta</u> L. 'Apollo') was grown in unamended or sand-amended pine bark in 3.8-liter containers. After saturation, bark was allowed to dry via evapotranspiration to targeted moisture deficits after which irrigation treatments were applied via a simulated overhead irrigation system. In experiments evaluating intermittent irrigation, water was applied intermittently (multiple applications with intervals between applications) or continuously (single application). After 1 h drainage, collected leachate was measured and analyzed (in two experiments) for electrical conductivity, N0₃-N and NH₄-N and water application efficiency (percentage of applied water that is retained in the substrate) determined. There was an inverse linear relationship between water application rate and efficiency. Leachate N (total) increased linearly as application rate increased. Efficiency increased curvilinearly and leachate N (total and concentration) increased linearly as pre-irrigation substrate moisture content decreased. Efficiency of intermittent irrigation was greater than continuous irrigation over a range of pre-irrigation substrate moisture contents, and in both unamended and sand-amended pine bark. Intermittent efficiency increased linearly as interval duration between applications increased. Efficiency of five 60 ml applications was greater than three 100 ml applications. Gravimetric moisture content of the bottom third of the substrate was greater with intermittent than continuous irrigation. Intermittent efficiency was greater in pine bark than in sand-amended pine bark when the water deficit from container capacity was the same for both substrates. Repeated intermittent irrigations resulted in less water and N leaching compared to continuous irrigation. Intermittent irrigation did not result in substrate nutrient accumulation and had no adverse effect on plant growth. Fresh and dry root weights and shoot and root N concentrations were greater with intermittent irrigation than continuous irrigation. / Ph. D.

The purpose of this dissertation was to document, analyze, understand, and describe how the environmental virtue ethics of undergraduate students were impacted after participating in a service-learning project designed to establish a new university garden. This service-learning project occurred during the fall semester of 2011, on the campus of Lighthouse University, a mid-size Catholic college campus that is located in an urban area of Southern California. The service-learning component was embedded within one environmental ethics course. Over the course of one sixteen-week academic semester, thirty undergraduates, between the ages of 18-23, each volunteered ten hours in this new on-campus garden. In addition to the student volunteer work, one of the complimentary course components required students to attend a speaking engagement hosted by Dr. Vandana Shiva, a world-renowned environmentalist. The action researcher, served as the catalyst, recorder, and facilitator of this service-learning project. In these roles, the action researcher mobilized members of the university, volunteers from the broader community, and local master gardeners to work side by side with the undergraduate students in the garden. After a qualitative analysis was conducted through the procedures of action research, local recommendations were generated in order to assist future garden-based curricular and co-curricular activities.

no abstract provided by author / Master of Science

Preferences for four types of hand pruners were solicited from an active elderly population and these preferences were analysed in relation to anthropometric and demographic characteristics of sample members. Participants at senior multipurpose centers included thirty-four females and sixteen males ranging from fifty-two to eighty-three years of age. The subjects were surveyed individually in a single session in which the investigator asked selected demographic questions, measured their grip strength and hand length and recorded their ranking and evaluation of four pruners. The independent variables included, age, sex, hand length, grip strength, dwelling, problems with hands, and experiences with hand pruners. Relationships between sex and hand size, and sex and grip strength were assessed with t-testing. The four pruners were chosen to reflect the following combinations: hook and blade with simple lever, anvil and blade with simple lever, hook and blade with compound lever, and anvil and blade with ratchet mechanism. Other characteristics included handle design and weight. The Friedman ranking test was used to determine the factors which significantly affected pruner preferences. Of the variables measured, sex, hand size, grip strength, and type of residence were associated with pruner preference. Of those groups displaying significant results from the Friedman ranking tests, only the group containing the top third strongest grip strengths showed a rank order with the compound lever pruner higher than the simple lever hook and blade pruner. T-tests showed relationships between sex and hand length, and sex and grip strength. The simple levered anvil and blade pruner placed highest in all significant rankings while the compound and ratchet were placed low in the rankings. The compound pruner did not appeal to many of the participants because of by its heaviness and the design of its handles while the ratchet pruner was resisted because of the multiple squeezes needed for proper use. Recommendations for choosing pruners and other hand tools were made along with suggestions for further investigations of factors affecting preferences for hand tools. / Master of Science

<p dir="ltr">New cultivars of compact tomato (<i>Solanum lycopersicum</i>) and pepper (<i>Capsicum annuum</i>) plants are available to consumers, creating niche market opportunities for greenhouse growers who produce vegetable bedding plants for spring sale. However, production guidelines for these crops are limited. We conducted two experiments to evaluate non-chemical means of height control for these plants. In the first experiment, we treated ‘Siam’ tomato and ‘Basket of Fire’ pepper plants with 0, 50, 100, 150, or 200 mg·L^–1 nitrogen (N) during the “production” phase and used a similar or higher N concentration during the “fruiting” phase. Our results show that although height of these plants can be controlled with lower fertilizer concentration, their yield will likely be affected by limiting fertilizer availability. In addition, our findings suggest that these plants can be grown without the addition of fertilizer during production, provided that the substrate has a starter fertilizer charge, and that sufficient fertilizer is applied during the fruiting phase. In the second experiment, we characterized the effects of fertilizer use and substrate volumetric water content (VWC) during production using the same compact plants, and evaluated post-production carryover effects on growth and yield. Plants either received water-soluble fertilizer (100 mg·L^–1 N) once a week, or were irrigated with tap water only, relying on the starter fertilizer charge in the substrate. In addition, plants were irrigated when the substrate VWC reached 0.15, 0.30, 0.45, or 0.60 m³·m^–3. Overall, our results show that substrate VWC had minimal effects on growth and yield, but plants that were not fertilized were shorter, had less biomass, and produced less fruit than those treated with fertilizer. These findings suggest that growth and yield of these compact tomato and pepper plants are affected to a larger extent by fertilizer use than by substrate VWC.</p><p dir="ltr">In effort to better understand consumer preferences for these new compact plants, we used a citizen-science approach in another experiment. Approx. 300 participants from three states in the USA (IN, IA, and TN) compared three compact tomato cultivars (Red Robin, Cocoa, and Micro Tom) started from seed or as transplants. In addition, we compared pre- and post-experiment survey responses to assess potential changes in behaviors, beliefs, and attitudes towards gardening as a result of the experiment. Cocoa was the preferred cultivar, closely followed by Red Robin. Our results indicate participants valued plant appearance, fruit yield, and fruit taste when making these preference choices. Approximately 70% of participants preferred plants started as transplants compared to those from seed, regardless of cultivar. Most participants reported they would be willing to pay between $1.00 to $7.49 more for a transplant of their favorite cultivar compared to tomato plants available at local nurseries. Results for dietary behaviors show that participants increased their consumption frequency of fruit, lettuce salad, vegetables, and food mixed with vegetables at the end of the experiment, but few differences were measured for beliefs and attitudes towards gardening, likely due to previous positive biases towards gardening among project participants. In conclusion, results from our experiments show that growth and yield of compact tomato and pepper plants can be controlled by adjusting fertilizer management practices. In addition, citizen science was shown to be an effective research method to assess plant-performance and consumer-preference data, and to measure potential changes in behavior of project participants.</p>

Today cities are consuming 75% of the world’s resources, which puts significant pressure on areas far from the cities themselves (Stockholm Resilience Center 2022). Food is among the largest drivers of global environmental change contributing to climate change, biodiversity loss, freshwater use, interference with the global nitrogen and phosphorus cycles and land-system change (C40 2024). This thesis describes a proposal for collecting and distributing rain- and stormwater within the context of urban farming and gardening. It explores how design can be a part of creating and promoting self-sufficient cities that are less resource intensive than they are today. Through the lens of Transition Design the proposal are aiming for a positive, system level change and a transition toward desirable long term futures. It can be divided in three sections, The Urban Farmer, The Vessel and The Wooden Aqueducts. The Urban Farmers would live in apartments throughout the city, forming a network of colleagues. The people in the neighborhood would get more understanding of the work that their local farmers do, and they would get more aware of where their food comes from. The vessel collects rain and stormwater and then distributes it when needed. It could act as an object not only for the use of water, but also as a way of sparking discussion, and just as it directs water to the trees, it just as well directs our minds and our attention towards them. The Wooden Aqueducts, inspired by the old craft, could potentially be created as a community practice to engage residents in the surrounding area. When the aqueducts are no longer needed they can remain at the site and be allowed to molder to make the cycles of organic matter visible and to challenge what is considered to be a well managed area. The Urban Farmer, The Vessel and The Wooden Aqueducts are all means to a future vision through a combination of short term, long term, small and big solutions and suggestions.

In the midst of the youth mental health crisis in the United States, Latinx adolescent females are at particular risk of having a mood disorder while being simultaneously disproportionately less likely to access mental health care due to a multitude of structural barriers. Nature-based social prescribing, increasingly popular in primary care settings, refers to recommending participation in community programs to provide a multitude of beneficial effects, including improved mental health. Gardening is an example of one of these programs that has been well studied in adults with evidence of positive impacts on mental health. However, it is unclear whether gardening has similar positive impacts on high-risk groups such as adolescent Latinx females with mood disorders. Using mixed-methods, this pilot study explored the experiences of adolescent Latinx females with mood disorders as they participated in an 8-week-long gardening club intervention. Quantitative findings demonstrated statistically significant reductions in participant Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) impact scores and conduct scores after participation in the intervention. Qualitative feedback from participants supported these results and identified additional positive impacts of participation including relational connection, knowledge acquisition, and appreciation of having a safe space to engage with others. / Urban Bioethics

Studies were conducted to evaluate the effect of pre-irrigation media moisture deficit, irrigation application rate, and intermittent irrigation on irrigation efficiency [(amount applied - amount leached) amount applied' 100] of spray stake-irrigated, container-grown plants. In the first experiment, pine bark-filled containers were irrigated to replace moisture deficits of 600, 1200, or 1800 ml. Deficits were returned in single, continuous applications at application rates of 148, 220, and 270 ml/min. Application rate did not affect irrigation efficiency. Efficiency decreased with increased medium moisture deficit. In the second experiment, containers, at 600 ml media moisture deficits, were irrigated with 400 or 600 ml (65% and 100% water replacement, respectively). Irrigation volumes were returned in a single, continuous application or in 100ml applications with 30 min intervals between irrigations (intermittent). Irrigation efficiency was greater with intermittent irrigation, 95 % and 84 % for 400 and 600 ml replacement, respectively, than with continuous irrigation, 84% and 67% for 400 and 600 ml replacement, respectively. When applied intermittently, most water loss from containers occurred after 400 ml were applied. In the third experiment, containers were irrigated with 600 ml (100% water replacement) in 50, 100, or 150 ml applications with 20, 40, or 60 min intelVals between applications. A control was included in which 600 ml was applied in a single, continuous application. Irrigation efficiency increased with decreasing application volume and increasing length of interval between applications. The greatest efficiency (86%) was produced with an irrigation regimen of 50 ml applications with at least 40 min between applications. The control treatment (continuous) produced an irrigation efficiency of 62%. When applied intermittently, most water loss from containers occurred after a total of 300 ml were applied. / Master of Science