Frugal Friday

I know, I know, there is a foot of snow on the ground and they are calling for more in the coming week and here I am posting gardening projects. I have faith that someday it will be spring and we will be able to get in our gardens. I just don't know when that day will be!

That being the case, I will make today's post short, but sweet. The above picture, which Jeanne from Suffolk in the UK, was kind enough to let me use, represents this weeks gardening tip. I especially liked this picture because up until now I had only seen old wheelbarrows filled with dirt and planted like a planter. This picture shows how you can use old galvanzied containers (actually any type of pots would work for this)and fill the wheelbarrow with pots instead of just planting it outright.

Not only does this look adorable, but it is the perfect solution for those who wish to grow some veggies in containers. You can then wheel them around to take advantage of the sun throughout the day. This might work really well for those with very shady gardens. Personally at my home, the driveway gets a lot of the sun that would be great for growing veggies. However, removing it doesn't seem like a very practical idea!

If you don't have any old galvanized containers, they are easily obtainable. You can check yard sale, Craigslist, eBay and thrift shops. If worse comes to worse you can usually pick them up new at feed stores and they ocassionally have used ones as well. It isn't hard to get this "look" and it would definately fit in with our rustic backdrop of the forest here in Pine Cove.

Snow again?

Well folks, just when you thought it was safe to get out your gardening tools, guess what? Yep, that's right. Last night brought us a foot of fresh powder. While this little surprise that Mother Nature sent to us seems like cruel and unusual punishment, try to look on the bright side. It is more moisture for our beloved hill! This is a very good thing. As you look out your window and your poor plants and trees bent over from the snow load just think about all that wonderful moisture percolating down into the water table and hopefully that will help you to get through this latest bought with Old Man Winter.

I know, I know, I am anxious to get working out in the garden as well, but after living here for 15 years now, I have learned to control my urge to plant until at least Mother's Day. I try to console myself by looking at seed and plant catalogs and gardens online, all the while plotting and planning what I am going to do to mine once the weather breaks. On the bright side, this type of weather prevents me from going out to the nursery and spending a lot of money. So in some ways it is a good thing.

Keep up the good work conserving water and remember that we still have our rebate program going on. Remember to stop by for your free bluebird house as well. If your coming up the hill, the roads are pretty clear, but please check on chain requirements prior to leaving.

EARTH DAY!!!

Today is Earth Day! It is the 40th anniversary of Earth Day as well. For the first time, the Pine Cove Water District will be participating in the Idyllwild Earth Fair, which will be held on May 15, 2010 from 11 am until 5 pm. It will be held at the Idyllwild Town Hall and admission is free. Here is a link to their website if you would like more information.

http://www.earthfair.com

We hope to see you there and have a Happy Earth Day!

Frugal Fridays

Since spring has arrived we will all be spending more time in our yards and gardens. So I thought it would be fun to share things you can do in your garden that do not cost a lot of money. It is easy to have a beautiful garden when you have a large budget, however, when money is tight it takes a very creative person with a good eye to make an enticing garden with found or disgarded objects. And before you read any further, I am not talking about the basic old toilet as a planter kind of yard art. I want to share things with you that I think are clever, imaginative, attractive and most of all CHEAP or FREE. If I wouldn't put it in my own garden, I will not put it on this blog.

I think we have all seen articles on recycling items into our gardens. Here are a few of my favorites off the top of my head. I love old shovels painted up as signs and old rakes turned upside down in a planter and used as a stake or a trellis. Old ladders make a great place for a morning glory or a clematis to climb up. I also enjoy seeing old wheelbarrows made up as planters. Same with all sorts of containers turned planters. A pair of old boots filled with flowers by a garden gate, an old galvanized wash tub or bucket now containing plants, a bottomless chair turned planter, a dresser with the drawers pulled out and flowers spilling out from one drawer to the next. Old bed frames containing a flower or vegetable "bed" or a set of bunkbed headboards or footboards used as a trellis or a small fence. One can never have too many old watering cans sitting around a garden, planted or not. If you want to add some whimsy to your garden, then start looking around your house for items you can use as a planter. This is an especially great way to have a container veggie garden.

When considering an object to use as a planter, you have to think about drainage. All it takes for many items to be turned into planters is a few minutes with a cordless drill. Drilling a few holes in the bottom of an object is usually the easiest way to go. However, should you want to plant in an object that you are unable to drill drainage holes into, just put a layer of styrofoam peanuts inside the object before you add the dirt. The styrofoam peanuts will allow the water to drain out and keep your soil from becoming soggy.

In my mind, old items in a garden give it a sense of antiquity and age. When I think of gardens I admire, they are usually the ones that are very full and overgrown and look like they have been around for many, many years. Nothing is prim and proper and perfect. The garden bench has peeling paint, the clay pots are covered in moss and the ivy runs wild up the trees. It would also have many hidden areas that one has to discover as they walk through it. Using arbors, garden gates, evergreen plants, trellises and outdoor furniture can give your garden a sense of having rooms. The perfect garden to me is not one where you can see the whole garden from standing in one spot. It should have to be walked through, touched and discovered.

Another benefit to having a garden is that it will attract the local wildlife. Adding birdbaths, feeders, houses and plants that will protect or provide food for animals are all items that should be included in your garden plan. Nothing is more enjoyable or calming that sitting in your garden listening to and watching the antics of the birds and animals that have taken up residence in your yard.

So today let's talk about turning an old wooden chair into a planter or if you have young children or grandchildren, a fairy chair. First thing you need is an old chair of course. This can be an old wooden dining room chair, an old wooden rocker or a wicker chair. The most important thing is that it has no seat or if you are handy that you can cut a round hole in the seat. Prep your chair by sanding, priming and painting it if desired. Proper preparation will help your chair to last longer out in the elements. Once the chair is preped, you are ready to start on your planter.

There are a variety of methods to do this. The most common one is to use chicken wire or hardcloth. Form a basket out of your desired material that will fit into the missing seat area of your chair. The top edges of this wire basket will then be stapled or nailed down with U nails to the rim of your chair seat. This will create your planter. Be sure you attach your wire basket very securely to your chair as the soil will be heavy.

There are also a couple of other ways to do this if you don't prefer using the wire and staple method above. You could use a wire basket with a coconut liner to hold the soil. These baskets can be found a places like JoAnn's and most big box stores. Remove the chain hanger and then secure it to the underside of the chair.

The simpliest method is to find a basket that is the same size as the hole in your chair and push the basket down into the hole. No matter how you do it, you will accomplish the same basic look.

Next you need to line your planter. You can use a layer of newspaper or for a more natural look, go with sphagnum moss. Simply line your basket with the moss until it is about 2" thick and then add nice rich soil that is amended with compost. Your chair is now ready to plant whatever you wish in it. Some ideas are herbs, flowers or ivys. Trailing or climbling flowers like petunias and morning glories always look great. Just remember to plant according to the amount of sun your chair will get. When finished, water thoroughly and add mulch. Remember to water your chair regularly as it will dry out quickly. You will soon be rewarded with a beautiful new element in your garden.

Go ahead and try this project and let us know if it works out for you. We would love to post pictures of our customer's garden projects throughout the summer months. If you have any ideas for garden projects, we would love to hear about those as well. Feel free to leave a comment or drop us a line at info@pcwd.org.

What the heck is permaculture?

As a gardener, I am constantly doing research trying to find the best methods for growing things. Since it is a challenge to grow anything here on the hill, I am always hoping to find ways of growing things that are natural and will attract the local wildlife to my yard. Working in harmony with nature, rather than working against it. In my research I constantly see the word permaculture being thrown around. But what exactly is permaculture anyway? Is it the same as organic gardening? Sometimes I find all these terms to be confusing, and so I thought I would try to sort them out and shed some light on them so we all understand them better and can therefore put them to better use in our own gardens.

From the research I have been doing, I have found that permaculture is primarily about design, while organic gardening is a way of gardening. While an organic garden is a part of permaculture, it couldn't be called a permaculture unless it has been permaculture designed, in which case it would then be more than just an organic garden. Here is a wonderful description of permaculture from the IDEP Foundation's website:

Permaculture design seeks harmonious integration of landscape and people to provide food, shelter, energy and other material or non-material needs in a sustainable way.
This holistic ecological approach to the design and development of human settlements takes into account food production, structures, technologies, energy, natural resources, landscape, animal systems, plant systems, and social and economic structures.

Permaculture is applicable to both urban and rural contexts, and to any scale of design. It is about working with, rather than against, nature.

Permaculture draws upon traditional practices of earth stewardship and integrates this with appropriate modern technology. The term ‘permaculture’ was coined in the 1970s by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren. Work is now being carried out in over 100 countries by many thousands of permaculture design graduates.

Permaculture is about the whole picture, not just the how to's of composting or organic gardening. It is about designing a sustainable environment. It is about providing our needs in a way that works in harmony with nature. It is not only about food production, but about utilizing all our resources. It is about how and what we build and how we live. So just what would a permaculture look like?

Well, in addition to just growing food, it will have habitats for wildlife, birds and pest predators. It should consider the elements of fire, sun and wind in creating micro-climates for plants, animals and for the home. It will also address the cycles of water. It is about placing things in relationship to each other so that they work in harmony as a whole.

The following is a list of design principles from the IDEP Foundation's website:


Permaculture Design Principles

Diversity : Aims to integrate a variety of beneficial species of food, plants and animals into design. This builds a stable interactive polycultural system which provides for human needs and also for the needs of other species.

Edge Effect : In general, there is more energy and more diversity of life on the edge where two types of natural systems overlap. On these borders one can access the resources of both sides. Using the edge effect, and other natural patterns that you observe, creates the best effect.

Energy Planning : Placing the elements of your design in such a way as to minimize the use of energy (including fossil fuels and human labor). Utilizing the energy and resources that you have, first on-site and then from outside the system, as effectively as possible. Onsite energy resources include natural forces such as gravity, windpower and waterpower. This saves time, energy and money.

Energy Cycling : In a natural system there is no waste or pollution. The output from one natural process becomes the resource for another. Recycle and reuse all of resources as many times as possible.

Scale : Creating human-scale systems. Choose simple, appropriate technologies for use in designs. Only create systems that are manageable. Start small and take achievable steps towards an ideal goal.

Biological Resources : Use natural methods and processes to achieve tasks. Find things in nature (plants, animals, microbes) that are supportive of the system design and minimize outside energy input.

Multiple Elements : Support each vital need and essential function in more than one way, so that a temporary failure in one element will not stop the functioning of others. Also, recognize that there is almost always more than one way to achieve any task.

Multiple Functions : Most things can be used in a variety of ways and for a variety of functions. One rule of thumb in Permaculture is to try to design three uses for every element of the system. This can save space, time and complication in any particular project.

Natural Succession : Work with nature and the processes of natural systems. Anticipate future developments through research and observation when necessary.

Relative Location : Place every element of your design in relationship to others so that they benefit from each other. For example, store tools near where they will be used.

As I read more about permaculture, it is becoming very simple and clear. It is basically a method of living and working with nature instead of against it. It is using natural methods to accomplish what we need to do. Most of it is common sense and being organized. Things like putting your kitchen garden that needs tending the most, closest to your back door. Using trees to cool your house instead of air conditioners. Collecting rain water for use during dry periods. Having a compost pile near the garden.

An easy way to think of it is as zones. Zones are guidelines to help plan where things will be placed in a landscape. The key to efficient energy planning is the use of zone and sector planning. To plan what elements to put in various zones, consider how many times per year they will be visited. Put what you use most near to your house or the center of activity. Put those things which are visited least and need the least maintenance in areas farthest from the center of activity. Makes sense, right?

ZONE 0: This is your house zone and the center of activity. It should be an energy efficient, easy to maintain design that provides all your basic needs for your lifestyle.

ZONE 1: Contains your kitchen gardens. These are gardens which need continual observation, frequent visits, watering and work input. This zone would include garden areas for vegetables and herbs, small animals, a place for your garden tools, a compost system, rain water storage, clothes lines, greenhouses and so on.

ZONE 2: This is your Food Forest. A food forest is a dense planting of mixed orchard trees, shrubs, windbreaks, larger vegetables, terraces, possible grey water drainage, bees, bird and bee-attracting plants and so on. Plant and animal species which require care and observation would go in this zone. For example, milking goats or a flock of backyard chickens, fenced in from a pasture.

ZONE 3: This is a Farm zone. Most of us won't have this zone unless we have a large amount of land and live somewhere like Anza. It would include commercial crops, pastures for animals, green manure, aquaculture, low maintenance trees, large systems, big sheds, woodlot, windbreaks and so on.

ZONE 4: This is known as the Harvest Forest and again, most of us won't have this zone in our yards here on the hill and won't be chopping down trees for wood. Zone 4is a semi-managed/semi-wild area which borders forest and is managed for wild gathering, forest and fuel needs, hardy food, unpruned trees, grazing and so forth.

ZONE 5: This is a Wilderness Unmanaged area or a barely managed natural wild area. If you have a large property, you might have a zone like this. Again, many of us will not. This zone is a place for learning and observing. A place where we are "visitors", not "managers".

When you start looking at your house and your yard as zones, it soon becomes clear what the principles of permaculture are and with a little research, you will soon be making effective use of the property you have, not matter how large or small it is. From there you can move onto sustainable and organic practices both in your home and in your garden. Before long you will have your own permaculture happening right in your own backyard.

Sustainable Thursday

This week while searching for an interesting topic to discuss, I came across something I had never heard of before. Keyhole gardens. While they are used a lot in Africa, I had never heard of them before. Their design is very simple and uses permaculture methods and would be very beneficial to gardeners everywhere. Their unique design makes them a combination of a raised bed garden and a compost pile all in one structure. They are extremely efficient and can be custom built to an individuals specific needs. By building the garden about 3 feet high, they are easy for people who may be older, disabled or have back problems to care for. In fact, that is one of the reasons they use them in Africa. Since so many are chronically ill there, these gardens make it possible for them to grow food for themselves and their families.

After doing some research this week, I have found you can make them from a variety of materials and in any size you desire. As the name implies, they are shaped like a keyhole. They are round with a small, angled path on one end. The compost section is right in the middle and the path makes it easy to walk up to the compost pile and add to it. If you don't prefer to have a compost pile in the middle of your keyhole garden, you could have a tree, a water feature or a rain barrel there instead.

Keyhole gardens can be as simple or elaborate as you want. Some are made from stone and others just from wire fencing. You could use bricks, landscape stones, river rocks, fencing or whatever strikes your fancy. You can use recycled materials or have it made to match your home. Let you imagination run wild.

There are many benefits of these types of gardens. It is an excellent way to grow a lot of vegetables in a small space. There is a wonderful article on permaculture and keyhole gardens at www.gardeningknowhow. com/organic/the-essence-of-permaculture-gardening.htm. Also if you do a search on Google for keyhole gardens, you will be able to find a wealth of pictures of keyhole gardens which will give you many ideas on how you too can build one in your own yard. There are many other wonderful articles online as well. This is a topic well worth researching.

Since they retain water better than a traditional garden, this makes them ideal for here on the hill. If you are wanting to do some gardening this summer, I would suggest giving a keyhole garden a try. If you do, send us pictures and let us know how it turns out. We love to hear of everyone's gardening adventures.