by admin | Mar 2, 2009 | Boone's Blog Contributors, Rain Gardens, sustainability, Uncategorized, Wildlife Habitat
On my Sunday run through Cherokee Park I spotted a pair of brilliant Wood Ducks swimming in the Beargrass Creek along Cherokee Park Road (north of Big Rock). The male Wood Duck has an iridescent green and purple head that make for quick identification. Not only did the Beargrass shape the rolling hills of the park, but it also serves as a refuge to diverse wildlife in the city.
Unfortunately, Louisville is still serviced by an out-dated combined sewer system. This means that during heavy rain events raw sewage along with storm water is released directly into creek. The sewage compromises water quality and safety for everything that comes into contact with the water. An important step homeowners can take to reduce storm water from their residence is to construct a rain garden. A rain garden captures the rain from our roofs, driveways and lawns then slowly filters and returns the water into the ground. This prevents excess water from entering the storm water system and eventually Beargrass Creek.
A rain garden not only serves as an attractive feature to your lawn, but also helps to enhance the quality, diversity and character of Louisville’s urban wildlife. Put a rain garden in this spring; we all need to do our part to protect and restore Kentucky’s waterways and wildlife!
Nate
by admin | Feb 28, 2009 | Boone's Blog Contributors, Design Team, General Info, Green Team, Matt Gardiner, Native Plants, Rain Barrels, sustainability, Uncategorized, Wildlife Habitat
I just spent all day Friday in my Board Training for the Kentucky Chapter of United States Green Building Council. (USGBC) Wow, what a day. I am so excited to be part of a group that is creating such major changes for the better not only in the built world but in all of humanity. This is the organization which has developed the LEED rating system, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, along with much more, and is truly a leading organization in the world of sustainability. Our Kentucky Chapter is only a few years old, but is growing by leaps and bounds, and we have much work to do. The time to change is now and we have to move quickly. Please visit these links for more info.
www.usgbc.org
http://chapters.usgbc.org/kentucky/
This chapter site discusses the new LEED Silver project, the Oldham County Library in LaGrange. Which Boone Gardiner did landscaping and site development in all sustainable ways.
Matt
by admin | Feb 27, 2009 | companion planting, Uncategorized
Companion planting allows for plants to benefit from their neighboring plants. For example taller plants can offer shade to neighbors who require less sun. Other companions may attract beneficial insects or lure destructive ones away. Still, others fix enough nitrogen into the soil that they have extra to share.
For more information on companion planting check out: National Sustainable Agriculture
by admin | Feb 26, 2009 | Rain Garden Overview, Uncategorized
What is a Rain Garden?
A rain garden is a small area in a residential yard or neighborhood designed to temporarily hold and soak in rain water that comes from a house roof, driveway or patio. A rain garden is not a pond or wetland. It is dry most of the time and holds and filters water after a rain. Rain water is routed to the garden and filtered naturally by the plants and soils of the garden. Rain gardens typically are planted with a mixture of perennial flowers, ornamental grasses and woody shrubs that are adapted to wet and dry conditions. Water collected in the rain garden slowly infiltrates into the soil to support plant growth. In a properly sited and designed rain garden standing water disappears in less than 48 hours.
Benefits of Rain Gardens
Roof tops, sidewalks, driveways and patios do not allow rainfall to infiltrate into the soil. These impervious areas increase the amount of runoff from urban areas which can cause flooding and carry pollutants to surface water. Polluted runoff, including excess lawn and garden fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides, yard wastes, sediment, and animal wastes, drains daily into our storm sewers and endangers these water resources. Rain gardens can capture runoff from these areas and reduce the effect of flooding and runoff pollution. In addition, rain gardens provide many visual benefits, including diverse plantings of native flowers, grasses and ornamental plants. The raised berms in the rain garden also add height, contrast, and texture to level areas to create an attractive garden view.
Quick Facts
-Nearly 70% of the pollution in our streams and lakes comes from storm water.
-Properly designed rain gardens can trap and retain up to 99% of common pollutants in runoff.
-Rain gardens deter mosquitoes because the rain water drains quickly and leaves the mosquito eggs to dry out.
-Rain gardens provide a desirable habitat that attracts birds and butterflies.
Contact the Boone Gardiner Green Team at 502.243.3832 to learn more about how to create a Rain Garden
by admin | Feb 26, 2009 | Composting Overview, Uncategorized
Benefits of Composting
Composting is the most practical and convenient way to handle your yard wastes. It can be easier and cheaper than bagging these wastes or taking them to the recycling center. Most importantly compost improves your soil and the plants growing in it. If you have a garden, a lawn, trees, shrubs, or even planter boxes, you have a use for compost. By using compost you return organic matter to the soil in a usable form. This organic matter returned to the soil improves plant growth by helping to break up heavy clay soils and improving their structure, by adding water and nutrient-holding capacity to sandy soils, and by adding essential nutrients to any soil. Improving your soil is the first step toward improving the health of your plants. Additionally, healthy plants help clean our air and conserve our soil, making our communities healthier places in which to live.
Quick Facts
–Improves soil structure and nutrient holding capacity
-Reduces soil compaction and crusting and fertilizer requirements
-Increases ease of cultivation and protects plants from disease
-Improves root growth and yields and water infiltration and drought tolerance
-Increases microbial and earthworm populations
-Prevents erosion of embankments, roadsides, and hillsides.
-Diverts organics from landfills into compost, reducing waste burden and methane production.
Composting Options at Boone Gardiner
Single bin units are low maintenance, and are good choice for those with limited space, such as apartment dwellers. These units are considered to be passive and do not require turning; however the lack of aeration causes the composting process to take 6 months to 2 years. This is also an appropriate option to create leafmould from trees in your lawn. Please speak with a Boone Gardiner Green Team Representative about how we can construct one for your home.
Vermicomposting is unique because it uses food scraps only, and no yard waste. It is ideal for people with very small yards, or no yard. Worm composting bins can be made in any size or can be purchased. A successful worm bin will not smell, can be harvested every few months and can be kept indoors or outdoors.
Multi-bin system is a series of three or more bins that allows wastes to be turned on a regular schedule. Turning units are most appropriate for gardeners with a large volume of yard waste and the desire to make a high-quality compost. Turning units produce compost faster because they supply oxygen to the bacteria in the pile. These units may also have less odor problems, which are associated with poor aeration. These units can also be constructed by the Boone Gardiner Garden Green Team.
Tumbler units are self-contained barrels that rotate for easy mixing and fast decomposition. They are more convenient because they are easier to turn. These bins are fine for small spaces and are usually animal resistant. These can be purchased at the Boone Gardiner Garden Center.
Sheet composting can be done in the fall. With this method, a thin layer of materials such as leaves (that have not been composted) are worked into the garden. By spring, the material will be broken down. The decomposition process ties up soil nitrogen, making it unavailable to other plants. Because of this, sheet composting should only be done in the fall when the garden is fallow.
Trench composting is useful if time isn’t a consideration. Organic material are buried in holes 8-15 inches deep, and then covered with soil dug from the hole. Decomposition takes about a year, as limited oxygen slows the process. It is recommended to avoid planting that area for a year, as the nitrogen available to plants may be limited by the decomposition process.
Contact the Boone Gardiner Green Team at 502.243.3832 to learn more about how to begin composting in your home
Recent Comments