Sunday, June 19, 2011
Unplanned Hiatus
Due to a finger-eating fence, we've taken a bit of an unplanned Hiatus this past week, and will probably be extending it into sometime the next week.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Water, Water, everywhere but not a....
We've had plenty of rain over the last month, climaxing in a fine thunderstorm on Sunday. Yet, Chicago summer being what it is, we're now basking in sticky 80+ temperatures. The parking lot and gardens went from swampy muck, to grimy standing water, to cracked and dry earth in no time. What's an urban gardener to do?
Quite a lot to, actually. Like most things, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Failing that, we can still make the best of our situation. Some tips:
Topsoil: Nothing beats good well-mulched topsoil with plenty of humus. Good humus can retain 80% of its weight in water. Don't think mulch is just leaves or wood-chips, many plants can be used similarly. Squash, with nice broad leaves, can create cool damp micro-climates around their base, slowing evaporation from the soil. (Added benefit, mulch keeps the weeds out!)
Water well! The U of I extension office has some great tips. Among them: 1 inch of water a week is sufficient. (It encourages deep rooting). Water early in the morning to avoid water loss from evaporation and damp leaves at night (Watch out fungal diseases!).
But what about all that gravel, and those mosquito breeding grounds, the pools of standing water? Use that rainstorm as a chance to do some practical observation. Where is water pooling? Can we put some hardy pioneer species there? If not, can we catch that water in a rain barrel, or divert it a bit?
Or...
A classic permaculture solution is a bio-swale. An undulating mound slows water run-off, allowing it to collect and soak into organic matter rather than spill onto pavement. We've been incorporating this into the design of our herb spirals. The interlinked paisley-spirals sit at the top of a gradient across the parking lot. This way, water won't rush down and flood our low-lying beds. This has the added benefit of creating lots of surface area for planting, and room for lots of intersecting edges; potential zones of maximum species diversity and potentially symbiotic plant interaction. This also keeps our bio-swale from looking like a wall and keeping friendly neighbors out. Of course, we have to watch out so that rain-water doesn't cut deep rivulets between the mounds; another reason for the interlocking pattern we've chosen.
Storm-water runoff is one of the biggest pollution problems cities face. The world-over, freshwater is a precious resource. With a little ingenuity, we can turn that waste into a much needed resource. (Next up- how to re-reverse the Chicago river!)
Quite a lot to, actually. Like most things, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Failing that, we can still make the best of our situation. Some tips:
Topsoil: Nothing beats good well-mulched topsoil with plenty of humus. Good humus can retain 80% of its weight in water. Don't think mulch is just leaves or wood-chips, many plants can be used similarly. Squash, with nice broad leaves, can create cool damp micro-climates around their base, slowing evaporation from the soil. (Added benefit, mulch keeps the weeds out!)
Water well! The U of I extension office has some great tips. Among them: 1 inch of water a week is sufficient. (It encourages deep rooting). Water early in the morning to avoid water loss from evaporation and damp leaves at night (Watch out fungal diseases!).
But what about all that gravel, and those mosquito breeding grounds, the pools of standing water? Use that rainstorm as a chance to do some practical observation. Where is water pooling? Can we put some hardy pioneer species there? If not, can we catch that water in a rain barrel, or divert it a bit?
Or...
A classic permaculture solution is a bio-swale. An undulating mound slows water run-off, allowing it to collect and soak into organic matter rather than spill onto pavement. We've been incorporating this into the design of our herb spirals. The interlinked paisley-spirals sit at the top of a gradient across the parking lot. This way, water won't rush down and flood our low-lying beds. This has the added benefit of creating lots of surface area for planting, and room for lots of intersecting edges; potential zones of maximum species diversity and potentially symbiotic plant interaction. This also keeps our bio-swale from looking like a wall and keeping friendly neighbors out. Of course, we have to watch out so that rain-water doesn't cut deep rivulets between the mounds; another reason for the interlocking pattern we've chosen.
Storm-water runoff is one of the biggest pollution problems cities face. The world-over, freshwater is a precious resource. With a little ingenuity, we can turn that waste into a much needed resource. (Next up- how to re-reverse the Chicago river!)
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Monday, June 6, 2011
Expanding Gardens
Really good progress with the gardens this week!
We started building herb spirals with all of the rubble still being generated in the plant. We've built up 3 foot high mounds in the shape of paisleys on which we will plant a variety of different herbs. The mounds provide us with a great surface area for both planting and water retention. Once the plants grow and their roots take hold, the structure, made of fragments of bricks, concrete and terra cotta, will only be made stronger with the roots of the herbs winding their way down through the soil, mulch and into the foundation structure. And the paisleys? They just look cool. Never underestimate the power of design and symbols to capture the minds of people just as much as concepts and ideas.
We have also finished planting the 3 Sisters bed. The corn is approximately 4 inches tall, which meant it was time to put the beans and squash in the ground. We planted 320 bean plants and about 100 squash plants. If the health and abundance of the corn is any sign, we should be in for heaps of beans and squash this summer. Check out a time lapse of the process here: Completing the 3 Sisters.
We also had some more herbs, flowers and squash go in the North and East Front Gardens thanks to our friends Nick and Alex who are working on their own endeavors inside the plant. Thanks guys!
We also discovered more growing efforts taking place right around the corner from us and just an hour and half away in Woodstock, IL.
At 1809 W. 51st St., the Nto-Otong Association - United Human Services Center, who have been running a food shelf since 2003, giving food to over 150 families and 1,000 people on Chicago's Southside every Tuesday, have started the first of a series of community gardens. They hope to grow lots of fruits and veggies to be able to give even more back to the community they inhabit. They're always looking for help with their wonderful efforts in the community.
In Woodstock, IL this past weekend, the beginnings of a community garden on an old Superfund site was started by the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County. They have big plans for the site including lots of produce, wetland revitalization, an on-site well and solar powered irrigation, all while incorporating the principles of permaculture, molding them for their specific location to get the most out of their land. Check out some of their ground break photos on flickr here.
Also check out the McHenry County Transition.
We'll leave you this time with some good words from the Environmental Defenders:
"One way to open your eyes is to ask yourself, 'What if I had never seen this before? What if I knew I would never see it again?'" ~Rachel Carson
More On Permaculture: Gaia's Garden
We started building herb spirals with all of the rubble still being generated in the plant. We've built up 3 foot high mounds in the shape of paisleys on which we will plant a variety of different herbs. The mounds provide us with a great surface area for both planting and water retention. Once the plants grow and their roots take hold, the structure, made of fragments of bricks, concrete and terra cotta, will only be made stronger with the roots of the herbs winding their way down through the soil, mulch and into the foundation structure. And the paisleys? They just look cool. Never underestimate the power of design and symbols to capture the minds of people just as much as concepts and ideas.
We have also finished planting the 3 Sisters bed. The corn is approximately 4 inches tall, which meant it was time to put the beans and squash in the ground. We planted 320 bean plants and about 100 squash plants. If the health and abundance of the corn is any sign, we should be in for heaps of beans and squash this summer. Check out a time lapse of the process here: Completing the 3 Sisters.
We also had some more herbs, flowers and squash go in the North and East Front Gardens thanks to our friends Nick and Alex who are working on their own endeavors inside the plant. Thanks guys!
We also discovered more growing efforts taking place right around the corner from us and just an hour and half away in Woodstock, IL.
At 1809 W. 51st St., the Nto-Otong Association - United Human Services Center, who have been running a food shelf since 2003, giving food to over 150 families and 1,000 people on Chicago's Southside every Tuesday, have started the first of a series of community gardens. They hope to grow lots of fruits and veggies to be able to give even more back to the community they inhabit. They're always looking for help with their wonderful efforts in the community.
In Woodstock, IL this past weekend, the beginnings of a community garden on an old Superfund site was started by the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County. They have big plans for the site including lots of produce, wetland revitalization, an on-site well and solar powered irrigation, all while incorporating the principles of permaculture, molding them for their specific location to get the most out of their land. Check out some of their ground break photos on flickr here.
Also check out the McHenry County Transition.
We'll leave you this time with some good words from the Environmental Defenders:
"One way to open your eyes is to ask yourself, 'What if I had never seen this before? What if I knew I would never see it again?'" ~Rachel Carson
More On Permaculture: Gaia's Garden
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Onions and Carrots and Sprouts, Oh My!
The weather's finally gotten nicer. From Saturday afternoon to Sunday evening we went from raincoats and heavy jackets to shorts and t-shirts. (The clever, gear carrying ends we put those jackets to on the 8 mile bike ride home will be the subject of another post, so stay tuned).
With the nicer weather we've had plenty of planting to catch up on, as the rain delayed the delivery of soil, and what few sprouts were outside in the cold didn't do so hot. Nonetheless a hearty Basil Plant stood like a sentry over our Northeast bed on Saturday, and out we went to marshall her friends in orderly rows.
We'd learned our lessons from planting carrots about a week prior; hard soil and the hardware store seed grab-bag had combined to produce an anarchic array of carrots, despite our best efforts to clean up the rows. (Ok, maybe not our best, eventually we gave into the second law of thermodynamics and let the seeds fall randomly).
Saturday, however, was different. We inter-planted carrots, lettuce and onions together. The three are complementary in leaves and root structure: The tall, narrow onion stalks don't obstruct the sun too much, while the carrot tops shade the letuce a touch (hopefully keeping it from getting too hot and bolting). The root structures are similarly complementary; onions are bulbs, carrots tap-root like, and lettuce has diffuse roots. This little system, with the lettuce in between the carrots, allows us to plant more densely than sowing each plant in a separate bed.
It will be fun to compare the bed of scattered carrots to the ordered inter-planting. Maybe it will turn out the random method was good after all. Perhaps the random carrots will better shade, and therefore out-compete, the weeds. Only time will tell. (Read that ominously if you like, either Alan Rickman or little-house-on the prairi-drought-approaching style).
With the nicer weather we've had plenty of planting to catch up on, as the rain delayed the delivery of soil, and what few sprouts were outside in the cold didn't do so hot. Nonetheless a hearty Basil Plant stood like a sentry over our Northeast bed on Saturday, and out we went to marshall her friends in orderly rows.
We'd learned our lessons from planting carrots about a week prior; hard soil and the hardware store seed grab-bag had combined to produce an anarchic array of carrots, despite our best efforts to clean up the rows. (Ok, maybe not our best, eventually we gave into the second law of thermodynamics and let the seeds fall randomly).
Saturday, however, was different. We inter-planted carrots, lettuce and onions together. The three are complementary in leaves and root structure: The tall, narrow onion stalks don't obstruct the sun too much, while the carrot tops shade the letuce a touch (hopefully keeping it from getting too hot and bolting). The root structures are similarly complementary; onions are bulbs, carrots tap-root like, and lettuce has diffuse roots. This little system, with the lettuce in between the carrots, allows us to plant more densely than sowing each plant in a separate bed.
It will be fun to compare the bed of scattered carrots to the ordered inter-planting. Maybe it will turn out the random method was good after all. Perhaps the random carrots will better shade, and therefore out-compete, the weeds. Only time will tell. (Read that ominously if you like, either Alan Rickman or little-house-on the prairi-drought-approaching style).
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