Posted by: The Team
on Oct 27, 2011
Posted by: The Team
on Oct 21, 2011
Everyone and everything is a biological resource. How we appropriately use our resourses is the key. Resources can be used to the detriment of your landscape or to encourage a healthy landscape.
"Bugs" are a biological resource and most of the time we see them as pests (especially if you have a vegetable garden). The key to proper management of a garden would be to attract the good guys! Everyone knows that lady bugs are important and so are earth worms. We want to attract them to the garden to help with the pests (lady bugs) as well as the proper breakdown of soil (worms).
Also attracting bees is very important! Bees are crucial to our environment and food supply and yet they are disappearing. You might not want to attract them to areas close to the house, but you can plant colorful and bee loving plants around your perimeter to encourage these vital garden workers.
Birds are another fantastic resource that can help keep your garden free and clear of pests. To attract a bird we need good understory (plants under trees) that ranges from 2-13 feet off the ground so that the birds can perch and see their prey.
To attract healthy, helpful biological resources and encourage the activity of important bugs and birds you need to provide them with the resources they need - food, shelter, and water. Also avoid chemcials as these natural garden workers are very sensitive to toxixc chemicals.
For more information look into the city of Austin's website about wildscapes.
Posted by: The Team
on Oct 12, 2011
Posted by: The Team
on Sep 30, 2011
Tagged in: Untagged
Finally, a break in the weather! While we are still a little warmer than normal, it seems that the super hot days are behind us.
That means its Fall Vegetable Garden time!! October is a fantastic time to start a veggie garden in Austin.
Remember that at most properties around town, you need a raised bed to properly "feed" your little veggies. Our soils are too shallow and on the alkaline side. Raised beds can be easily made from cedar planks, or get fancy and construct stone beds. I recommend to make the beds at least 1 foot high but if you make them 18"-24" high then they are seat height and make work much easier.
Also, don't forget your herbs. Most have potent fragrances that help deter pests.
As for me, this year I'm experiementing with herb based knot gardens using evergreen herbs as borders and mini hedges to create interesting layouts. The spaces inbetween will eventually be filled with veggies and a few bulbs for color.
What are your plans?
Posted by: The Team
on Sep 16, 2011
Is your lawn a nice toasty brown color these days? If so you might be looking at replacing your turf this fall. If you are in Austin you might be eligable for the City of Austin's Landscape Conversion Incentives. Check out the information on rebates for switching your water hungry lawn to a more drought tolerant option - Landscape Conversion Incentive: Lawn Remodel Option
If you are looking for my drought friendly options for your lawn, I'd suggest making some of the following changes as well:
1. Deliberate lawn - decide where you actually need lawn. For instance, areas for a dog run or for children to play. Avoid the desire to sod the entire property.
2. Expand planting beds and add native plants.
3. Explore the possibilities of gravel as a groundcover.
4. Create a native grass meadow (note - anything done with hydromulch or seed will need an initial installation of water - lots and lots of water - to get sprouted and rooted).
5. Most important - build up your soil!!! COMPOST COMPOST COMPOST!
If you are really serious about reducing the amount of water your landscape needs while maintaining a beautiful landscape, start looking at garden magazines and sustainability books for ideas. Also a consultation with a designer will help you flesh out your desires and a design will get you on your way to water savings.
Posted by: The Team
on Sep 08, 2011
A good way to cut down on large swaths of grass is to create a new outdoor room. It might be hot now, but in Austin we enjoy fairly mild weather for fall through spring giving us plenty of time to spend outside. A patio is a great way to create space to enjoy your backyard.
A patio will provide space to set up tables for entertaining, a bench and chairs, or even a hammock on a metal frame for relaxation. My personal favorite use for a patio is sipping coffee and reading a good book.
In this patio, which we recently installed, a naturalistic layout complements the use of grass as joints between the flagstone rather than mortar. Using grass ups the maintenance slightly but it also helps intergrate the patio into the lawn. Rather than creating a "hardscape" versus a "soft scape" the two are blurred.
Posted by: The Team
on Aug 29, 2011
Austin has been hot and dry. Lawns, plants, even people are suffering from this unusually bad drought. So what's working in the landscape despite the wacky weather?
In my yard the following plants are doing just fine with little water and record breaking heat:
1. Plumbago - it's getting a little droopy in the late afternoon but still blooming and chugging along.
2. Yellow bells - lots of blooms, not too droopy....actually quite lovely!
3. Salvias - my herbal sages as well as flowering sages are doing ok. The pineapple sage, not so much, but Salvia greggii and the heat loving culinary sage are just fine.
4. Dwarf yaupon holly
5. Retama aka Palo verde - bright green and upright in the heat
6. Agaves, yuccas - these are desert plants so of course they are doing just fine
7. Fig tree
Which plants are doing well at your house?
Posted by: The Team
on Aug 18, 2011
All this heat has kept me out of my garden and left me dreaming of future planting ventures. The reality is that February is the perfect time to plant trees in Central Texas, but I’m thinking about it right now! Is there a tree you’ve seen around town that you love? Let us know your favorites.
Here are a few of mine:
Posted by: The Team
on Aug 11, 2011
Elements should perform on multiple levels. When practicing permaculture design principles, you want to avoid things that have only one function. Ideally, elements should have at least three uses.
If you build an arbor think about the different purposes of the arbor - you can grow grapes on the arbor which will create shade and provide food for you as well as for a few animals. This creates a new entertainment space as well as provides aesthetic appeal. If you live in a dense city environment this greenery can also be seen as therapy and stress management (nature heals).
Posted by: The Team
on Aug 04, 2011
Diversity of species (both plant and animal) is gaining awareness. Many countries, fearful that they will lose native plants, are collecting heirloom seeds in massive seed vaults. Seed saving classes are popular for home gardeners who wish to not only save money by harvesting seeds, but also protect the species. Diversity of plants and animals, as well as age and purpose, is an important principle for permaculture.
We all know that doing the same thing over and over again gets boring, so does looking at a mass of only one plant (monoculture farming). Humans generally prefer to look at a garden filled with multiple types of plants rather than just one. Plants and animals are also nourished by diversity making it crucial. If you kill off one type of animal or insect this will effect it’s predators as they will no longer have food. Also if we only eat one type of vegetable then we will lack nutrients.
