Backyard Transformations
Grist Interview ; Alternative Lawns
Learn about the evolution of the American lawn!
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Flashback Friday to this lovely rain garden in the Central District! Rain gardens are built with a layer of special soil that acts like a sponge, while filtering the water that will be released once the surrounding water in the soil has drained out. As it does this, it traps (among many other things), unwelcome trace metals such as zinc, lead, and copper (found in stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces; e.g. roadways and sidewalks). This process is called bioretention! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Another process that helps with reducing pollution is phytoremediation (from Ancient Greek φυτό (phyto), meaning 'plant', and Latin remedium, meaning 'restoring balance'). It refers to the technologies that use living plants to clean up soil, air, and water contaminated with hazardous materials. It is defined as "the use of green plants and the associated microorganisms, along with proper soil amendments and agronomic techniques to either contain, remove or render toxic environmental contaminants harmless". ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ So many beautiful ways to make our world a cleaner place, one yard at a time!⠀ 🌿💧✨ _____________ #flashbackfriday #raingarden #rainwise #greeninfrastructure #stormwaterfiltrationHappy World Soil Day!🌎 World Soil Day 2019 and its campaign, "Stop soil erosion, Save our future" is envisaged to raise awareness on the importance of sustaining healthy ecosystems and human well-being by addressing the increasing challenges in soil management and, raise the profile of healthy soil by encouraging governments, organizations, communities and individuals around the world to engage in proactively improving soil health. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ What is your favorite way of improving soil health? A few things you can try are... -Rotating your crops -Increase organic matter inputs -Use cover crops -Choose not to till your soil (it disrupts the delicate microbial ecosystem contributing to the soil health) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Stay tuned for our upcoming classes next year to learn to care for your garden in meaningful and regenerative ways! 📸 by spiralseed 🌱🌎🌿 _______________ #worldsoilday #soilhealth #savetheearth #asabovesobelow #permacultureAre you interested in hosting some bee friends in your garden this spring? We're happy to help! Like we did earlier this year, we'll be offering mason bee packages with garden care, through a great local program. They're a lovely, non-aggressive native bee species, and cute as a button. Feel free to reach out now (website in bio or dm) so we can get you signed up; what a wonderful and fun activity for 2020! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ "Visiting up to 2000 flowers each day, these highly efficient pollinators increase fruit production as well as improve the overall health of their ecosystems by aiding the health of native plants. As a solitary bee, they have no queen to protect therefore no reason to sting. They are fun to watch throughout the spring and are a important member of Pacific Northwest ecosystems."-Rent Mason Bees 🐝💚💮 _______________ #savethebees #livesustainably #organicpestcontrol #gardencare #savetheearthOne of the wonderful things about being in the glorious PNW is the massive variety of vegetation! We were treated to such a spectacular fall this year, with the changing leaves popping so stunningly against our beloved evergreens. One species that can be found in WA is the fragrant Blue Atlas Cedar! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This gorgeous majestic evergreen tree is often considered the most popular of all atlas cedars, with its limbs covered in patches of blue-green or green needles. It remains a more conical shape until it reaches closer to 20 years, when it widens into a more pyramidal form. The aromatic oil the tree produces is actually a natural insect deterrent! Many love this cedar for furniture and chests of drawers as well. They originate from the Atlas Mountains of Algeria and Morocco and can grow up to 120 feet high (and 40 feet wide)! Another particular feature of the Blue Atlas Cedar is that it's quite tolerant of heat and dryness (after being established) - something you don't find in many conifers. 📸 by @jhncoghlan 🌱❄️🌲 _______________ #hikeseason2019 #treesareamazing #landconservation #blueatlascedar #pnwtreesThis fantastic diagram of various elements of permaculture really demonstrates the positive impact it can have. We work hard to adhere to permaculture principles in our work, and are so excited when clients want to nerd out about organic and sustainable practices and possibilities! Have you wanted to go more green? There are so many options!🤓 🌱💚🌿 ___________ #permaculturelandscaping #hgo #energycycling #customizeyourspace #homegrownorganicsThank you to our team, our clients, our friends, vendors and neighbors. We are so grateful for you and wouldn't be here, or having such a good year, without this amazing community; you're all so incredible! We hope that you are spending today warm and happy, with hearts and plates full. May we all continue to grow and thrive into the new year!💚 🙏🌱✨ ___________________ #happyholidays #share #give #thankful #lovePast Rainwise Project: 34th Ave SW Block Cluster, Westwood
Check out this great RainWise Virtual Tour!
