Few things in life are as rewarding as a Do-It-Yourself
project. Except, possibly, a DIY project
with just the right amount of help.
After years of effort but not enough satisfaction with their
sustainable landscaping (think: scrawny, bitter vegetables, dirty, dry soil,
and a general lack of aesthetic appeal), this homeowner decided to call in an
expert, Deni Freise of Custom Scapes.
Three months later….
The 3 raised beds are all producing edibles such as lettuce,
kale, dill. The weather has been
helpful, but the big bonus came from adding several inches of mulch. Some of mulch was bark, purchased at the
local hardware store. Some additional
leaf mulch has ZERO NO CARBON FOOTPRINT.
The homeowner spied a neighbor raking leaves and together they
transferred several big tubs full of dried leaves to the veggie plots. If you haven’t stomped on crunchy, crackly
leaves, you’re missing out.
Foodies take note! In the herb garden, just three short steps from the front door you will find Spanish and Italian Oregano, parsley, sage and thyme. Deni also helped to select low maintenance California natives, which were deeply mulched, watered a few times, and then left to their own devices. The front of the yard now offers a cheery display of purple, yellow and orange flowers (monkey flower, California poppy, statice, Santa Barbara Daisy, gazania and more!) Pre-existing succulents were re-located to form more artful arrangements.
In addition to the support of local birds and pollinators
provided by the native plantings, this homeowner is providing “affordable
housing” to Western bluebird and other small avian feathered
locals.
Come by and listen to our guest presenter, Roy Van de Hoek, as he
explains how we can restore these tiny friends to our area by hanging Blue Bird
houses in our trees. Van de Hoek will be
taking sign-ups for those interested in obtaining their own Blue Bird house. Check out this video of Roy teaching kids about bluebirds!
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| Roy with faux bluebirds |
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| A blue bird house and pole to install |
Constant Solar will be on hand to answer questions about their solar panels.
Last but not least, there are dozens of tiny oranges on the Blood Orange tree. A few should be ready to sample by April 21. Hope to see you then!
Last but not least, there are dozens of tiny oranges on the Blood Orange tree. A few should be ready to sample by April 21. Hope to see you then!
