RollingPlanter.com On average, one tree produces nearly 260 pounds of oxygen each year. Two mature trees can provide enough oxygen for a family of four.

Our cities are desert islands that need to be greened. Not only on the roof but the balconies and the internal confines of the buildings. Plants clean the air and provide much needed oxygen. They provide shade and lower the temperature.

Healthy people grow plants. Plants are not just planted for looks, but also provide food for sustainability and aid our mental wellness. Growing our foods locally, counter our use of carbon rich fuels to bring our foods from in many cases thousands of miles away. At the same time we need to have sustainable solutions to grow our plants.

Choosing the right growing mechanism can also cut down waste and the use of valuable resources. Start plants in recycled containers; afterwards, transplant them to larger well made containers that easy to move without breakage. Planters should be well designed and thought out. They should last not one or two growing seasons but many. If your planters last one or two growing seasons you are polluting and causing un-needed waste to valuable resources. A good planter should last your lifetime.

If you don’t know how to build one, buy one from people like myself that make them. My planters have liners that protect the wood, but do not leach harmful chemicals, so what you grow is healthy, unless you put something in the soil or on the plant that is unsafe. See our planters here on Houzz: http://www.houzz.com/pro/rollingplanter

Virtus Design Great article read! We are in the process of creating our own urban oasis for a New York City townhouse as shown in the renderings attached.

uberv There are products such as horticultural vinegar that will kill weeds without introducing nasty chemicals.

Michellina Zdraveski-van Loder Thanks Ruari and uberv, I'll have to google the horticultural vinegar as it's not something I've heard of but sounds very interesting. I use vinegar for everything around the house, so may as well try it in the garden. Our whole yard is going to be garden beds for vegetables, so we want the ground around them to be paths and gravel. I'd still be able to do the crazy paving with the gravel in between?

joleenwhite What is the thickness of the wood? I want to try this too, and want to make sure I buy the right thing.

joleenwhite Also, how did you cut the wood?