Keyhole Gardens Save Space in Small Gardens March 28, 2009

Straight vegetable beds can be space suckers and in urban areas can give the impression of a farm more than an inviting home garden. There are some really good reasons we grow food in rows. It’s efficient and easy to manage for one, but we waste a lot of valuable space on paths between each bed. By bending our veggie beds we can still grow produce efficiently, have a much more interesting garden in the mean time, and really cut down on the amount of space dedicated to paths. The result of bending a bed into a near circle is a keyhole shape like you can see in the photo above. Compared with beds they can save as much as 4 times more path space than conventional straight beds by consolidating the growing area allowing you the gardener to pivot instead of constantly move. Keyhole bed width should be a time and half the length of your comfortable reach. For most people that is about 2.5 to 3 feet in width. This will keep you from over extending and hurting your back or worse stepping on your vegetables! Keyhole beds can be connected one the other so that they share a common bed (see picture right). When combined together to make their own circle they form what is called in the Permaculture movement a “Mandala” garden, because of its pattern kinship to mandalas. As you can see in the middle you can place another keyhole bed or maybe an herb bed, or a birdbath, or a piece of garden art like a busted upright bass planted with flowers. Whatever! It’s your garden! And now that you have more room to garden you have more room to get garden whacky.

Earth Hour 2009: Switch off your lights and VOTE EARTH! March 23, 2009

Here’s your opportunity to make a difference—with just the flip of a light switch—by joining millions of people around the world for Earth Hour 2009 on March 28. All you have to do is take the pledge to turn off your lights for one hour, beginning at 8:30 pm, to raise awareness of and take action against global climate change. Last year, some of the most famous landmarks in the world—including the Golden Gate Bridge, the Empire State Building, and the Sydney Opera House—along with more than 50 million people, turned off their lights for Earth Hour 2008. This year, the goal is to get 1 billion people to “Vote Earth” by switching off their lights for one hour. Just don’t forget to actually switch them off like I did last year (I finally remembered at 9 pm)! Add a reminder to your Google calendar, put Post-its by your light switches, and set the alarm on your cell phone. And remind your neighbors and friends by downloading lawn signs, mailbox stickers, and online badges from the website. On your mark, get set…flip!

Coir: For Peat’s Sake March 21, 2009

Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss (CSPM)

Dried Sphagnum peat moss is the slightly decomposed / slightly preserved remnants of its living counter part, Sphagnum moss and is the most widely used growing medium in the horticulture industry. In the US, 50% of our domestic peat usage (1.7 million metric tons)comes from deposits eastern Canada. Even in light of The Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association (CSPMA) claims, the one-man-jury of me is still out as to whether Sphagnum peat extraction is truly sustainable.

Peat is a wetland product that accumulates at a rate of about 1mm per year. (Someone get me a triple shot!!) No matter how you cut it, the typical extraction rate of 2-3 inches of peat per-site per-year far exceeds the rate of natural accumulation. The CSPMA touts restoration of a peat bog to a “balanced ecosystem” in 5 – 6 years. Now I ain’t judgin’, I’m just sayin’, that seems pretty extraordinary, so I’ll believe it…when I see it.

There are other CSPMA claims too. Some wording mixes Sphagnum moss numbers with sphagnum peat further confusing the issue and leaving too many unanswered questions. But, hey, no answers, no bother. I’m already 3 weeks into experimenting with a more sustainable growing medium, coconut coir, the waste material from the coconut fiber industry.

Bricks of condensed coco coir used as an alternative to peat

Coir has pros and cons when compared to Sphagnum peat. Among the pros is that it is more sustainable than peat, the only strike against it being the ecological cost of jet fuel to fly it here-and-there from distant tropical locales like Sri Lanka. Coir’s more neutral pH (6-6.7), theoretically speaking, should equate to better plant growth than peat (pH 3.5-4.5). It has an anti-fungal agent that keeps soil borne pathogens to a minimum, holds water well, and has a nice amount of porosity to allow air to flow to young roots.

But I’ve noticed that my coir dries out very fast. I got into the habit of watering my seedlings every 36 hours last season, which I felt toughened my annual starts. That works with Sphagnum peat which holds 20 times it’s weight in water but coir holds half that and dries out too quickly. Compared to my peat based seed starting mix coir hasn’t quite given my starts the vigorous jump I’ve noticed in the past. Then again, the coir I purchased is pure coir and could stand to be mixed at a 5:1 ratio with earthworm castings.

Though there are some compelling reasons to switch from peat to coir there is just one intsy-weentsy-miniscule-little problem with a total industry switch-over. World production of coco coir is at most half that of the total Canadian production of Sphagnum peat moss. Oops. Short of creating less-than-sustainable coconut monocultures all over the tropical world, Sphagnum peat will probably always be a part, large or small, of our growing horticulture industry. So, as long as it’s going to be harvested we should be glad that the folks at the CSPMA are at least trying to do what they can to make the process as sustainable as possible.

Not ROI but ROS! March 20, 2009

We’ve all heard the phrase “return on investment” – a popular buzz term that refers, essentially, to financial returns for your business efforts. With the increased interest among businesses in “triple-bottom-line” (environmental, social and financial) operations, a new financial model is necessary. A new book called “Return on Sustainability,” by sustainable business consultant Kevin Wilhelm, provides a compelling demonstration of the financial return on sustainable business practices. It presents a new financial model (ROS) which builds off triple-bottom-line performance concepts to provide a more tangible framework for business leaders to address climate change and realize increased financial returns and brand value. It makes a great case for “green” as smart business thinking that focuses on efficiencies in energy waste and processes. The book has received an endorsement from several luminaries, including Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. It includes real world examples from over 40 companies as well as excellent step-by-step guidance on using the ROS process. The Parsons Public Relations team highly recommends this valuable resource. For more information, visit www.returnonsustainability.com.

 

Seven Million Pounds of Trash March 17, 2009

Here’s a recap of an astonishing article from the AP last week:

Nearly seven million pounds of debris was collected from waterways and shorelines around the world during a SINGLE day last year.  Seven million pounds!  That’s roughly the weight of 16 school busses full of high schoolers.  Look it up – I did.  Nearly 400,000 volunteers scoured about 17,000 miles of coastline, river bottoms and ocean floors durng the Ocean Conservancy’s 23rd International Coastal Cleanup back in September.  That seven million pounds is the total weight of about 11.4 million items picked up and fished out worldwide.  You want to know what really grosses me out?  Volunteers picked up more than 11,000 diapers in the Philippines.  Really?!

According to OC (and a previous post of ours), thousands of marine mammals, sea turtles and birds are injured or killed by ocean trash every year.  The majority of this trash comes from land-based activities, like tossing fast-food wrappers during beach picnics.

For those like me who are curious about what goes into seven million pounds of trash, check out the Top 10 List  printed in the Seattle Times.

Don’t just toss that Brita filter, recycle it March 15, 2009

We all love the convenience of grabbing a plastic bottle of water before we run out the door for work, sports, or play. I did it often myself—until I discovered the truth about the bottles and the water inside. Plastic bottles are a true blight on the environment. They’re piling up in our landfills, floating in our oceans, and littering our waterways and roads. And it turns out that the water inside is sometimes tainted and unhealthy. Often, it’s just city water that’s been filtered. Advertisers and big corporations have been leading us astray. So many of us are trying to do the right thing when we leave the house by filling reusable bottles. Even though most municipal water is safe, many people still prefer to filter it to ensure its purity. One option is a filter pitcher made by Brita. That’s fine, since it uses city water and avoids plastic bottles, but there’s one hitch: what do you do with the plastic filter when it’s time to change it? Until now, the only thing you could do with the filter was toss it in the trash. Now Brita is partnering with Preserve, a leading maker of 100 percent recycled household consumer goods, to collect and recycle them. Preserve says it will recycle 100 percent of each plastic casing, as well as the filter ingredients. The polypropylene plastic from the casing will be used by in their line of personal care, tableware and kitchen products. The filter ingredients—activated carbon and an ion-exchange resin that reduces the lead, mercury, copper, cadmium and zinc that might be found in tap water—will be regenerated for alternative use or converted into energy. Consumers can either drop off the filters at participating Whole Foods Markets or mail them to Preserve Gimme 5, 823 NYS Rte 13, Cortland, NY 13045. To find a Whole Foods drop off site or for instructions on how to package the filters for shipping, visit the website. Unfortunately, Whole Foods Markets in the states of Washington and Oregon don’t participate in the program right now. But if enough of us request it, they might join up!

save water March 13, 2009

Last Wednesday I attended a great talk at the Northwest Horticultural Society on Mediterranean Gardening in the PNW by Portlander and former Pacific Horticulture Magazine Editor, Tom Fischer. Now, Tom is a very knowledgeable, experienced, and accessible speaker who knows this subject well. Since I am no Tom Fischer I thought I would just simply relay the valuable and common sense information he shared with us to you the reading audience. But to avoid total and unabashed plagiarism I have grafted on a few of my own in-sights in hopes that they bear fruit.

Though our native soils are high in organic matter many of our urban soils have been compacted and scraped free of organic matter for development. This offers us gardeners a clean slate for composing any soil type that we want, but rebuilding a soil high in organic matter can be extremely expensive, back breaking, and time consuming. Instead of completely renovating our soil we can plant our denuded soils with the Mediterranean plants that love them for what they are.

Mediterranean species bring a garden to life with their bold form, strong character, multitude of textures, contrasting colors and olfactory teasers. They are native to an area that has consistently wet winters and dry-as-bone summers. Sound familiar? They require good drainage, full sun, some pruning, and maybe mounding. While full sun can sometimes be an issue with neighboring conifers shading valuable summer sun, all the other requirements for a Mediterranean garden are well with in our control.

Here in the Pacific Northwest we can plant many varieties that are fond of Mediterranean conditions. Families such as of Olive (European Olive), Buckthorns, Myrtles, Heaths, Oaks, Rock Roses, Proteas, Peas, Figworts, Irids (Iris family), and many aromatic herbs (lavendars, rosemarys, mints, sages, etc.) have cultivars that were hardy this year. Most need little irrigation if any at all, surviving mainly on annual rainfall. This minimizes your water footprint and frees you of the hose-and-nozzle shackle in the summer. Many are also evergreen, giving your garden life in the glum grey of winter and requiring little else than pruning and dead heading to keep them looking gorgeous throughout the year.

Now here’s a thought of my own. Some very common characteristics of Mediterranean species are that their foliage reflects light; they dance the life botanic with rock mulch, which also reflects light and retains heat; like fruit trees they need little water; their flowers are great attractants for pollinators; and their aroma is known for repelling garden pests. Putting all this together I’m guessing that Mediterranean species may provide the needed synergy to help marginal fruit bearing trees in this area ripen their fruit faster. I’m just guessing, so feel free to leave a comment if you have or haven’t noticed a similar relationship in your garden, or someone else’s for that matter.

If you want more certain claims about Mediterranean gardening check out the Tom Fischer recommended Pacific Horticulture Magazine’s Book of Western Gardening.

Share your Garden March 9, 2009

Here at Parsons, we have been raving about the concept of garden sharing – an idea that excites this condo dweller still waiting for a p-patch plot to grow some herbs and greens.  As more and more people hunker down in these tough economic times, there is more buzz about people turning to growing their own produce at home.  But what about those of us with nothing more than a patio “garden” – or those with green space to spare, but no gardening know-how?

As if she read our minds, Amy Pennington, the creator and owner of GoGo Green Garden, has launched Urban Garden Share here in Seattle.  UGS is a listing and matching website for all neighborhoods in Seattle that pairs together eager gardeneners with eager gardens.  Check out the website to create a garden or gardener profile, or scope out the current listings.

And better yet: Attend Sustainable Ballard’s upcoming monthly gathering on March 23rd from 6:30-9 pm at the Sunset Hill Community Club.  The evening program will be all about growing your own food, and will include a presentation by Gannon Curran of UGS.

Step right up! Get your energy tax credit! March 7, 2009

Great things are happening in Washington DC! Thanks to the stimulus bill (a.k.a. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009) signed by President Obama on February 17, we now have some major new tax credits for energy efficient home improvements. So if you need a new furnace or water heater, or want to install some insulation in your home, that former 10% tax credit has been raised to 30%, with a cap of $1500. Alternative energy was a big winner. If you install a solar water heating or photovoltaic system to power your home, you now get a 30% tax credit with no cap. That’s a huge incentive! Prior to 2009, the tax credit capped out at $2000. It almost makes me wish we had waited to install our PV system until now. But hey, we’ve actually been producing our own electricity for the past couple of years. It makes me go all goose-bumpy when I think about it! To learn more about the available federal tax credits, check out the Energy Star page. Then go to Recovery.Gov where you can track the Recovery Act’s progress. And don’t forget to download and read all 407 pages of the stimulus bill. It makes for good nighttime reading if you’re an insomniac—there’s a good chance it might just stimulate you right to sleep. ZZZZZzzzzz

Growing Soil: Vermicomposting in the Urban Landscape March 6, 2009

There is no doubt that composting in urban areas is tricky. Smells, rodents, “finished” compost that is unusable for food production and potentially toxic to your aesthetic garden, all make it far too easy to just throw the “compostables” in the trash.  Effective destruction of pathogens, decomposition of organic material, and the balancing of nutrients to levels that are healthy for your plants doesn’t necessarily require a heat generating pile, a watchful eye, and patience. Red worms can take care of most all of your kitchen waste and generate a perfectly useable fertilizer and garden inoculant…in this case waste truly equals food!

You’ll love to know that red worms are relatively easy to care for. You don’t have to walk them or dispose of litter. As a matter of fact you’ll want them to breed so that they will collectively produce a tidal wave of worm eliminations tactfully called “castings”.

Castings closely resemble humus (not hummus), the nutrient concoction of organic matter and mineral compounds that make up the kind of soil that is most readily available to plants as food. Think of it as the breakfast smoothie or energy bar of the plant world. Two pounds of worms is the commonly suggested population for a typical vegetarian American household of four. That’ll run you about thirty some-odd dollars not including shipping and handling from Yelm Worm Farm. If you’re not of the vegetarian persuasion you can get by with a little less. Add one hundred well spent dollars for a user-friendly worm bin (with instructions) from Seattle Tilth and you can consider yourself in business. Like chickens, worms have a gizzard, so they do well with a little soil to effectively digest food scraps.

Worms will eat just about anything your kitchen produces minus over abundance of meat and fish products, oil, and dairy. Keeping these three categories to less than 10% of your total kitchen scrap outputs per day should keep the worms happy. Worms also need to be in a room that is between 55-70 F. Much above or below and they will slow their production (and breeding) or pass on to wormy heaven.

This year I’ll be keeping my worms in the basement in a Worm Fac. I won’t feed them more than they can digest in a day so there is no chance of smell in the house. To further help the little buggers out, I’ll chop and mix up my food scraps in a blender that I have designated for the task. Starting production now, in the winter months will give me a head start on my fertilizer needs for the growing season.

Once the tomato starts go out in the garden on May Day it is totally possible to keep the worms outside with little to no worry about rodents getting into a locked worm bin. Just make sure to bring them in around October when the night temps regularly dip below 50. For more info check out Worms Eat My Garbage by Mary Applehof. Happy worming!