Landscape & Garden -- Today » Landscape

Beat the Heat, Make Compost!

admin — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 03:18:34 +0000

Organically rich, compost is easy to make with things you currently just throw in the garbage can. Photo by Kessler Photography
It might be too hot to do much in the garden besides the basics, but it’s a good time to start making compost if you haven’t already.

Compost is decayed organic matter that has broken down to a soil like consistency and it is an excellent amendment to your soil. Some folks use it for mulch around shrubs and trees. Compost provides much needed nutrients, aeration and organic material to your landscape and garden. Compost lets you do away with so many chemical fertilizers and is naturally suited for the organic garden.

Besides the obvious benefits of compost to your own garden and landscape, there is a larger benefit. Compost saves valuable room in sanitary landfills, and reduces the methane produced by these landfills. Methane has been identified as a greenhouse gas.

By composting you are reducing your carbon footprint, and making the environment a better place. Pretty impressive results for just moving where you send your kitchen and landscape leftovers.

Compost is not that hard to make. You need a layer of ‘green’ followed by a layer of ‘brown’. It’s kind of like a Dagwood sandwich in that the amount and kinds of things you can compost are varied and amazing.

For green material you can use yard waste such as leaves & flower clippings. Don’t use wet grass or wet leaves. They will mat down and will not decompose properly. You can also include food scraps in the green layer. Fruit and vegetable peelings, old bread, coffee grinds, egg shells, and other such scraps that do not contain any fats.

Some people swear they compost chicken bones, dead squirrels and who knows what, but the prevailing opinion of the cooperative extension service reports are that animal products and fats produce harmful toxins in the compost. Who needs more toxins? Better to leave fats and animal products for the trash. Also, do not include any diseased plant material. The pathogens may not be killed off if your compost does not get hot enough.

Brown layer materials can include dry grass, dry leaves, shredded branches, dry twigs, shredded paper, ripped up corrugated cardboard (small pieces only because it’s slow to decompose), wood chips, sawdust (in small amounts, mix in well), cardboard egg cartons, nut shells, hay, straw, and dry garden debris.

Use about 12″ of brown material (Carbon) for every 4–6″ of green material (Nitrogen)

You will have compost more quickly if you turn the pile. You can use a pitchfork, or a specially designed compost crank. Turning will give you compost in two to four months. Tumblers will also give you a quick compost boost with a few turns of the barrel.

Check out some of the great compost bins and supplies at Gardener’s Supply Company I have found them to be one of the best, most reliable companies online for garden related products.

They have a complete line of composting products from biobags to use in the kitchen collection pail, to compost bins in almost every configuration.

I could go on about this. I just love composting, but I will let you check it out for yourself. To read more about composting, check out the article ‘All about Composting’ at Gardener’s Supply Company’s website.

You will also appreciate their Blog, Gardener’s Journal.

Let us know how your composting goes! Share your stories, or leave comments. We look forward to hearing from you

A Tumbler makes making compost easy.

I just bought this one and I couldn’t be happier.

This compost aerator makes it easy to turn the pile!

Stormwater, Your Yard & Low Impact Development Solutions

admin — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 02:35:27 +0000

Yuliya Libkina on Flickr
Earth Day Homage #2

Yes, we are very, very glad to see the rain these days. It seems the drought here on the east coast may have ended,or abated somewhat, at least until summer comes.

Seeing a rainy day is good when it means the lakes have a little water in them again. With all the climate changes there is no guarantee that it will stay this way, though.

Droughts have been just part of the new and seemingly ever changing weather lately. If not too dry, then too wet…flooding has been a problem in many areas lately, too.

Since this month we are thinking about Earth Day and what we are doing to impact the environment, today I want to talk specifically about the impact of how to handle the water falling in and on your landscape.

Stormwater management is a big issue in many jurisdictions these days. There are stormwater utilities being set up with the power to charge for stormwater management, just as you are charged for water and sewer services. Why charge people for stormwater management? Well, in places like my old stomping grounds of Fairfax County, VA, the bill for stream restoration caused by stormwater damage is over $1 billion.

Yes, that’s a big B…and that is a lot of money even for a relatively well-funded county such as Fairfax. It boggles my mind that stormwater could cause such enormous problems, but it drives home the seriousness of the issue. I have seen homes whose back yards have all but been eliminated by stormwater choked creeks. For a homeowner, you better believe watching your little piece of heaven being washed away during a storm event is no laughing matter.

People sometimes ask how can they be held responsible for water falling on and then leaving their property. The short answer is you are only held responsible for how much impervious surface you have on your property, not how much rain falls there. If you have to pave over paradise, you have to pay for the outcome.

Impervious surfaces such as roofs, patios, sidewalks and driveways contribute to the stormwater problems we face today. Water has no chance to infiltrate the ground or recharge the ground water when it hurries off the property. This runoff is hastened by impervious surfaces, because there is nothing to stop or slow down the water as it leaves.

Erosion occurs and water quality is impacted when this runoff carries with it soil, toxins and chemicals from your yard. In the end, we all pay, but the municipalities are the ones paying the biggest bills, so now they are beginning to charge for this public service. You can however, mitigate your own stormwater and eliminate the need to assess your property

There are several things you can do to improve water quality right in your own yard.

You do this by managing your stormwater. In the world of architecture and construction, this is called Low Impact Development, of which there are Best Management Practices (BMP) that you can implement.

One really great BMP is using permeable paving. Permeable paving lets the water percolate down into the ground instead of running off your property. There are all kinds of permeable paving materials out there and there is a good solution for every application that costs little more than traditional paving methods.

Another BMP is a residential rain garden. A rain garden is a depression where water tolerant plants are planted. This rain garden is designed to catch the “first flush” from the property, not contain all the stormwater. It collects and slows water leaving the property, filtering out toxins and chemicals before they reach the water sources. A rain garden is a lot of fun to plan and plant. It is a super sustainable way to impact drinking water supplies, natural resources and the local ecology.

A vegetated swale is a very easy BMP to implement. You basically make a small trench and grow grass there. Often in more rural areas vegetated swales, i.e. ditches, are used instead of storm drains and pipes. While some may think this less than attractive, in fact it is an excellent way to slow down the rain water as it leaves your property and it gives the water a chance to percolate down. Yours does not need to be 5 feet across. A 6″ vegetated swale located in the right place on slopes will do an amazing job with stormwater. You don’t have to limit yourself to turfgrasses for your vegetated swale, either. There are some fantastic native grasses, like switch grass or little bluestem, that would add habitat as well as superior storm water management.

Green roofs are another BMP, and have been used increasingly in commercial construction. As the technology becomes more mainstream, as it is now, the cost for green roofs is coming down to a price that homeowners can afford. It’s something to consider if you are building or replacing your roof.

One last item to examine is water harvesting. Saving rainwater for use outdoors saves drinking water supplies that are often running short. After a small initial investment you have free water for your landscape that will not be affected by any municipal water restrictions, or wells running low. Rain barrels have made a big comeback and with all the trendy designs you will be able to find one that meets your needs and your aesthetics.

A small word about collecting rainwater. In the Western states, this is becoming a hotly contested issue. For a taste of the controversy, check out the Water Law Blog. Lots of interesting thoughts there. I guess the rest of the country isn’t going to war over water…yet.

Implementing stormwater management, rainwater harvesting, and low impact development BMP’s will make a real difference in protecting water resources.

It’s one easy thing you can do in your own backyard this Earth Day that will save you money, have an immediate impact in the environment, and make you feel like a billion bucks.

For those of us in rainwater harvesting permissible places, here are just a few of the rain barrel styles available these days, courtesy of Plow and Hearth

Contoured Rain Barrels

Northland Water Tank

Water, Your Landscape & Earth Day

admin — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 03:35:00 +0000

Earth Day is Coming!

Sediment pollution in a muddy river _ USGS Photo

April 22nd, 2010 is Earth Day.

This has turned out to be a greater than one day event. Earth Day has takenon a global awareness month status with events and campaigns to highlight service to the environment.

As an homage to that I am going to be writing a series of articles highlighting opportunities to give back to Mother Earth for this Earth Day Month of April.

My personal volunteer efforts will be in the area of water resources. I’m joining a River Cleanup of the Neuse River, because water resources are near and dear to my heart.

Shortly after my 2^nd year at UGA’s School of the Environment and Design, water resources loomed large on my horizon and every project I did somehow included ways to conserve or preserve water resources.

Stormwater, runoff, constructed stormwater wetlands, constructed wastewater wetlands, soil and water conservation, low impact development, stream restoration, rain gardens, erosion control, non-point source pollution.

You name it and I wanted to tackle it with all the zeal of an awakened neophyte in the world of environmental design. All it took to get me started was seeing the devastation that suburban development was causing in local watersheds when I was trotting around doing site analysis.

Then, I had a couple internships and got an even closer look at what is going on to our drinking water supplies, and how the problems might be effectively mitigated. After that, everywhere I went, all I could see was bad landscape design contributing to water resource problems. It was enough to turn any sane person into a water activist, not saying I’m sane or anything.

No, sane is not defined by wanting to stand up and yell at someone for making such a mess and calling it design.

Water became my raison d’être. All I wanted to do was to work in the field of water resources. And I did, for a while, but all good things come to an end. Now I get to write about water in the landscape instead of design for it. Not a bad trade-off in my book.

So, I am going to kick off this great month of environmental awareness with water resources as my first theme.

You may be asking, “What does this have to do with my garden or landscape?” Everything, dear friends. If you have a home, and water falls on that property, that water eventually ends up in the water supply, no matter what.

What this water takes with it on its journey to the sea makes or breaks an ecosystem, and the safety and purity of your drinking water supply.

Rain from your roof and driveway flushes toxic waste into stormwater.
Water draining from your yard carries any fertilizer, insecticides and herbicides you have used directly to streams and wells.
Stormwater sends seeds and sprouts from invasive exotic plants floating away from your yard and deposits them in the stream and all along the way. Just take a look at the purple loosestrife infestation for a little case study on this kind of pollution.
New construction sites and improperly graded land loses soil to erosion and the sediment is deposited into streams and rivers. Yes, indeed, those “erosion control” measures are usually half measures that break down before the project is finished… but, “So what if the silt fence is down? No one’s looking, right?” Egad, what irresponsibility.
Pet waste left in the yard, or park, or street gutter contributes bacterial and nutrient waste to our water supplies.
Trash that breaks loose during storm events frequently gets washed along and ends up in the stream or river.

I could go on, but I think you get the idea.

My children used to come home on Earth Day all pumped up about environmentalism…that is until I said, “Okay, then you are in charge of recycling here at home.” Well that was the end of their enthusiasm, but not the end of their continuing education about doing, not talking.

Well after this discourse, I have to ask, “Are you doing, or just talking about going green this Earth Day?” We don’t have to tackle the world’s problems, just address a couple in our backyard.

I want to challenge you this Earth Day to do something for you, your family, your community and your earth by joining a river cleanup this year. Many watershed protection organizations are sponsoring cleanups in literally hundreds of areas around the country.

You can look on the website for American Rivers to see if there is already one organized for your local watershed. If you don’t see one for your area, get a bunch of friends together this month and organize one. American Rivers has all the information you need to successfully stage a cleanup for your local needy water source.

If you have never taken part in something like this, it will make a believer out of you. You will never forget how we affect our water supplies by what we do at home.

Every little bit helps, so just do something. It does not matter what we intend to do, just what we actually accomplish. Yep, just do it.

Volunteer your services to celebrate Earth Day this month and this year for a more sustainable and greener tomorrow.

Please let us know about your green up, cleanup efforts. You can send pictures, post events, tell your story. You’ll make us smile. We all want to know what’s happening on the green water resource scene.

Rodent Control, Barn Owls & Backyard Habitats

admin — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 00:32:15 +0000

Photo Credit: Stevie B. / Wikipedia

I don’t know about you, but I really, really don’t like rodents running loose, either in my house or on my property.

Pets aside, rodents are not much fun. Carrying diseases, digging up the landscape, eating electrical wires, biting children, destroying plantings and crops, and dropping mouse dirt all over the house are only a few of the nasty habits of these wildlife pests.

Unless there is a sanitation problem in your vicinity, an abundance of rodents is indicative of an imbalance in the local ecology. There has been plenty of press about the lifestyle that destroys the natural environment. What we want to talk about today is restoring a little bit of balance.

Enter the backyard habitat at your own home. By inviting helpful birds and insects, you can keep the pest population, including rodents to a minimum. It’s one of the basics of biointensive IPM (integrated pest management).

When it comes to rodents, few natural predators beat Barn Owls **(Tyto alba).**

Barn Owls are indigenous to every continent aside from Antarctica. They are a rodent integrated pest manager’s dream, eating 2–3 rodents a night. As a matter of fact, a nesting barn owl family can eat more than 1,000 rodents a year.

Barn owls have also been known to eat swarming termites, katydids and crickets. Raise your hand if you could stand a few less of them around.

Instead of the familiar owl hoot barn owls make a sound similar to shrreee, and it’s more like an ear-splitting scream at close range than anything else.

Unfortunately the barn owl population has been dwindling. As more land is developed and more trees are removed from the landscape, the available nesting spots have also declined. In some states the barn owl is listed as an endangered species. Your state or province will have information available from the Department of Natural Resources.

So how do you do the IPM fix for this problem? All you have to do is attract a barn owl family.

Attracting barn owls

You can make your yard a haven for an owl family by providing a safe, secluded nesting box. There are commercially available nesting boxes, but building you own is not difficult. There are many plans on the internet. I’ve included a couple free resources at the end.

The preferred habitat of a barn owl is large expanses of open grassland. Does this sound like most of suburbia to you? I thought so.

Since barn owls are cavity dwellers they prefer holes in trees. Where trees are prevalent, most barn owls will choose natural habitat over a nesting box, so don’t be insulted, and don’t spend a lot of energy on this kind of bird house if you are near forested land. Focus your habitat building in a different direction, say, songbirds or ladybugs.

Barn owls will naturally nest about one half acre apart. Depending on your neighborhood, the owls you attract will eat enough pests for you and several neighbors to see a significant reduction of rodents. Oh, yes, burrowers beware!

Global Barn Owl Distribution, Map by: Achim Raschka / Wikipedia

Get an Outdoor Nature Cameras: Audubon BirdCam, to watch your owls, or other birds nest and grow.

Please share your thoughts & comments. Spread that backyard habitat love around the world!

Resources:

Different Barn Owl Box Plans

Scott Spear’s PVC Pipe & Aluminum Sheet Metal Design

http://kaweahoaks.com/html/barn_owl_house.html

University of Maryland Extension: Barn Owl, Friend of Agriculture and Communities

http://extension.umd.edu/publications/pdfs/FS795.pdf

A cool book about Barn Owls, their habits ad conservation.

Fall Fun at Landscape and Garden Today

admin — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:40:00 +0000

We are working hard to prepare for an “official” launch of Landscape & Garden Today. Needless to say, there seems to be more work than time, but it’s fun to see LGT take shape. Here’s crossing fingers it will be picture perfect in the next few weeks, but Christmas is always coming, or so mother used to say. Check back frequently to see how we are coming along. We definitely would love comments, feedback, or any other sharing. As our community grows, you will have an opportunity to communicate with like minded folk who are committed to going green from around the world.

Garden Centers have great deals this time of year.

In the meantime Fall has been happening all around. It happens to be my personal favorite season, followed closely by spring. The leaves are near peak here and that means soon they will be on the ground. Instead of sending them to the landfill, or burning them (oh, no!) a great way to fertilize your lawn is to run over the leaves with a lawn mower. They will naturally compost, providing nutrients all winter long, and you don’t have to rake as many. Depending on the number of trees, you still may have to rake up leaves. Lucky you…save those leaves. If you wait until the leaves are almost dry, you can either shred them or just put the pile near the compost area to add as “brown matter” to sandwich between green material such as yard scraps and vegetable peelings. Your compost pile will love you. You will be amply rewarded when rich brown compost greets you at the bottom of the bin.

It’s also a great time to check your local nursery center for some great buys. Bulbs, shrubs and trees are all great fall plantings, and by now many are on sale. Look for native varieties to go green! Also, remember to keep them watered through the winter if it’s dry to prevent wind burn.

We look forward to blogging with you again soon. Enjoy your Autumn.