Fruit Walls: Urban Farming in the 1600s


The fruit wall appears around the start of the so-called Little Ice Age, a period of exceptional cold in Europe that lasted from about 1550 to 1850.

The design of the modern greenhouse is strikingly different from its origins in the middle ages [*]. Initially, the quest to produce warm-loving crops in temperate regions (and to extend the growing season of local crops) didn't involve any glass at all. In 1561, Swiss botanist Conrad Gessner described the effect of sun-heated walls on the ripening of figs and currants, which mature faster than when they are planted further from the wall.
Gessner's observation led to the emergence of the "fruit wall" in Northwestern Europe. By planting fruit trees close to a specially built wall with high thermal mass and southern exposure, a microclimate is created that allows the cultivation of Mediterranean fruits in temperate climates, such as those of Northern France, England, Belgium and the Netherlands.


Fruit Walls Article

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End of Winter ❄️… beginning of Spring 🌸
. 🌿Happy Spring equinox🌿
Happy and Glorious Spring 🌸🌺🌷☘️🌿

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Biological diversity evokes happiness: More bird species in their vicinity increase life satisfaction of Europeans as much as higher income


"A high biological diversity in our immediate vicinity is as important for life satisfaction as our income. An additional 10% of bird species increases the life satisfaction of Europeans at least as much as a comparable increase in income."


“Europeans are particularly satisfied with their lives if their immediate surroundings host a high species diversity,” explains the study’s lead author,at the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Research Centre and the Goethe University in Frankfurt, “According to our findings, the happiest Europeans are those who can experience numerous different bird species in their daily life, or who live in near-natural surroundings that are home to many species.”

Article

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