This guy created a paradise near the Dead Sea in the Middle East right smack in the middle of the desert. It was not only beautiful but functional and self-sustaining.

Behind the Green Desert

"You can solve all the worlds problems in a garden."

Impressive.

It's a pretty cool concept, and pretty basic. In a wealthy country like ours people should be able to reclaim a lot of the west cheaply. But they won't.

This is not terribly related but Gia might appreciate it.

First link I could find.

Anyway Toronto offers "allotment gardens" to people who live in the city and want to garden but haven't got the space/yard. Perfect for apartment dwellers.

If I were to apply for one I would have to pay around 50 bucks a year and I would have my own space in a city park to grow vegetables or flowers.

It's a pretty neat system and some people really take advantage of it, I have seen 10'x10' corn fields in some of the parks. Or someone will use their space for a blue berry thicket or whatever.

As a landscaper I've been involoved in the construction of several large parks in the GTA, as well as a couple of rooftop gardens. They are rewarding, but very formulaic: stick to varied combinations of plant material from within your climate zone; add forced irrigation then let nature and nursery warranties do the rest. In other words, there is very little risk.

Having just watched Greening the Desert for a second time I am amazed at what they accomplished. Truly inspiring and significant.

people weren't meant to live in the desert..it makes them CRAZY!!!

Well, Sam Kinison summed it up best regarding the african famines: "YOU LIVE IN THE FUCKING DESERT....MOOOVE!!!"

(I paraphrase).

There are many reasons to want to reclaim the appropriate land. I saw the video Gia posted a little while back. Places with marginal rainfall can be made fertile again using practices like they espouse. Some places are beyond taming- a true desert as well as the antarctic. But teaching people to feed themselves is Gods work.

Im all for self sufficentcy, I think we may see more of it with the economy being the way it is, but choosing a region is a big factor in it being successful.

When I first read the header I thought it said Green DESSERT ! This looks self sustaining too !