Irrigation Bonanza

Our second workday was on March 27th and took place because of the generosity of Rainbird. They supplied our irrigation components and have been an incredible sponsor of this project.



The majority of the day was spent pulling up the existing irrigation lines. I should mention that this workday was rather informal and we had not invited volunteers. But sure enough as we we working the neighbors came over. With the help of their strong backs we were able to cut through roots and pull up a lot of old pipe. This was a lot of work but it's nice to be nearing the end of our demolition activities.



The photo above shows the old valve assembly and various irrigation laterals running out to the existing irrigation system. We will be replacing all the valves and lateral lines as part of this project. We have chosen a mix of overhead and drip irrigation components that will water the yard with great efficiency mimicking nature as much as possible. We will also be installing a smart controller with real time weather based programming.



In the photo above you can see Janice installing nozzles on the spray bodies. You might be surprised at the size of these sprinklers. The largest spray bodies we are using house a 12 inch riser. The reason for this is that we want the risers to get up above the surrounding plant material in order to water effectively to their full range of 13-18 feet.

Stay tuned for further updates!

Step Up For Sustainability - Workday 1

On March 6th Urban Green and the Swaisgood family teamed up with about 10 volunteers to continue implementing our sustainable front yard design. The day was overshadowed with the chance for rain and eventually we did get wet but not before we accomplished all we had set out to do.



The plan was to clear the yard to pave the way for the rest of our work to be done on future work days. This meant removing existing hardscape elements and debris including removing brick headers laid in concrete, removing the existing lighting components, and removing the large mound of mulch remaining from their removed trees. We also broke up and removed a paver walkway at the side yard and we removed all of the existing turf with a sod cutter. It was hard work but everyone had a great time learning.



With sustainability at the forefront of our efforts we tried to minimize sending anything to the dump. The bricks and pavers will all be re-used either on site, sold/given away or or otherwise recycled. The mulch was given to one of our faithful volunteers (it pays to help out on our projects, you never know what you might come away with for free). The old lighting elements will unfortunately need to be thrown away and the sod was not in a condition to be sold or given away either.



We finished up the day with a nostril burning trip to the dump to unload our sod cuttings and Janice was given the homework assignment of rototilling the yard. As I understand she tilled the front yard will gusto the very next day and the stage has been set for our next steps. In the coming days and weeks we will be removing the existing irrigation system, grading the yard and bio-swale, installing drainage components and new irrigation system. Our goal is to have everything ready to plant the garden in April or May with a big volunteer and education event teamed up with our partner Sustainable Scripps Ranch and all of our sponsors.

Special thanks to all of our volunteers, big thanks to Navid Mostatabi of Mostatabi & Associates for your expertise and BJs Rentals for helping us out with equipment rental.

Sponsor update: So far we have our irrigation system and smart controller donated by Rainbird, bio-swale plantings donated by Green Meadow Growers, and various native plantings donated by Miramar Nursery. Stay tuned for further sponsor updates and work day opportunities!

The Latest Sustainable Front Yard Design

Another opportunity to design a sustainably focused front yard has come up in the Scripps Ranch community. This project has the interest of the Sustainable Scripps Ranch group. As such they have shown a desire to provide volunteers and community support for the project which will be another example of how to live sustainably in the neighborhood.

Here is the design:



The idea here was to encompass several elements of sustainability while enhancing the overall aesthetics of the front yard. The more sustainable elements include the bio-swale, the native and adapted plant selection, increased permeable surface and some additional shade over the driveway. Some other sustainable elements will come with the installation such as purchasing local materials, using recycled materials and having a smart irrigation controller and drip system.

Some of the more aesthetic and tactile elements include the use of bold plant material (Agaves), building a narrow trellis along the garage, and incorporating a small bench, pots and flagstone pathway to a seating stone. Digging out the bio-swale will generate some excess soil which will be perfect for creating a small earthen mound with boulders and some medium sized shrubs. These different topographical elements of the front yard design will create interesting bio-diversity for year round enjoyment.

As of now the front yard has been cleared of existing plants and we are ready to move forward. Stay tuned for updates on the installation as it progresses!

The Sustainable Front Yard: A Design in Progress

Early this past summer the opportunity came along to give away a sustainable front yard design to a homeowner in Scripps Ranch. The idea was to cross promote my design services at Urban Green and the community group Sustainable Scripps Ranch through a showcase project. This project is to be featured on the community website and in the community newsletter. Through this partnership we now have a deserving winner and a design process that is well under way. Here is what their home looks like now. It is a 70's era single family home with a generous sized front yard. At this point it is almost a blank slate with some lawn area, a Eucalyptus tree and some cobble/boulders.



This is what the design looks like on paper so far.



These are a few of the highlighted design elements that will bring this front yard to life:

A bio-swale is proposed as a strong element flowing through the yard which will include the use of lots of cobble and boulders along with some native grasses. The swale is intended to take runoff from the roof, back yard and some of the front yard and filter out sediments before sending it out to the curb. It will also enable much of the stormwater runoff from smaller rain events to recharge back into the water table.

An intimate lawn area will be maintained as the centerpiece of the front yard and it will be planted with a drought tolerant hybrid grass. Flagstone pavers will encircle the lawn and feature small plants growing between the steppers.

The plant palette will generally be native and adapted species of trees, shrubs, grasses and vines. Together they will provide a variety of drought tolerant color and texture throughout the year. A combination of cobble and bark mulch will cover the ground plane instead of typically thirsty groundcover plants. A healthy layer of bark mulch will limit weed growth year round and help the soil maintain moisture levels through the dry season.

A narrow trellis on the front of the garage has also been proposed. A small planting pocket at either side of the garage will be created to allow vines to grow up and across the trellis. Vines might also be trained to grow up the columns that support the entry overhang. This will soften the look of the garage and add some color.

Also up for consideration are a couple driveway cut out strips that would be filled with cobble and some small plant material. This would liven up the look of the drive and also create more permeable and potentially green area.

As the design becomes solidified we will be looking for donations of landscape materials, irrigation equipment and volunteers to help bring this project to completion. All contributors will be featured in the community newsletter and on the community website. Please contact me if you are interested and stay tuned to see how the design evolves. I'm looking forward to getting some shovels in the ground!

Parking Lot Vegetable Garden

Given this is my first post I thought I would start with something close to home. That is exactly where we begin, right across the street at 54th and Collwood Boulevard in San Diego, CA.

Last fall I noticed a small patch of vegetables growing by the sidewalk on my way to the bus stop. It was an unlikely spot given its location on a sliver of land between the sidewalk on 54th Street and the adjacent church parking lot. This piece of land was about 10 feet wide and was somewhat of an eyesore with overgrown and untended plants. Over the past several months it has undergone major transition as several people have been removing the overgrown weeds and expanding the vegetable beds. With the land cleared and soil amendments added this actually has turned out to be a fantastic place for vegetables to grow and flourish. It is situated on a gentle west facing slope which is great for solar exposure and also protects if from would be intruders. Given that its surrounded by pavement I doubt that gophers or other predators will be a significant issue.

I haven't spoken to any of the gardeners but I think several families from the church have adopted their own garden patch here. This is a wonderful opportunity for people who live in apartments or on small lots to have a place to grow some of their own food. They may have little or no arable land at home or perhaps poor soil conditions or an unfavorable solar aspect. With this transformed parking lot families now have a chance to re-connect with nature even within a completely urban environment. It also provides them with wholesome food that only cost them their time and patience. Kudos to the bright-eyed stewards who began this garden, it is truly beautiful!