From the Ground Up by Shea Molloy

From the Ground Up explores the current landscape of plant data presently available to potential growers with the aim of fostering participation, curiosity, and confidence in applying plant data. The project explores data aggregated from Plants for a Future, USDA, and National Gardening Association to invite users to identify plant cultivation needs and practical uses that fit their needs. The visualizations focus on representing use cases most relevant to urban farming in New York City, prioritizing data for plants that grow successfully in temperate climate zones. Users can filter data for more than 7,000 plants based on plant needs, plant tolerances, and aggregated consumable uses. The visualizations further connect to other online resources and provide information to enable users’ self-education and encourage in-person connection and continued participation in sustainable food growing practices in their communities and at home. From the Ground Up aims to make plant research more exciting and accessible to larger communities and to implement modern data practices within collective horticultural knowledge.