The owners of the first home we visited on our Wild Ones August garden tours are very dedicated to earth friendly practices. They have installed 18 solar panels on the roof of their house, making it a Zero energy use property. They constructed a small pond with a solar-powered pump to provide water for native wildlife in the front yard. Along the stone path to the backyard they have planted a rain graden collecting water that drains from their yard and the next-door neighbors. They had the area tilled several times removing existing lawn, covered the area with landscape fabric. With the help of a friend they laid out a planting design using clusters of native plants that tolerate periodic periods of wet soil. Small seedlings were planted in holes cut in the fabric. The native plants have filled in the garden, soaking up rain water draining from the roof of a house and hardscaped areas. The rain garden fills with a few inchesof water after a storm and the water slowly filters into the ground rather than running off
to a storm drain. Compared to a conventional patch of lawn, a rain garden allows about
30% more water to soak into the ground.
A good source of information on how to design and build a rain garden can be found at the Universtiy of Wisconsin Learning Store webstie:
to a storm drain. Compared to a conventional patch of lawn, a rain garden allows about
30% more water to soak into the ground.
A good source of information on how to design and build a rain garden can be found at the Universtiy of Wisconsin Learning Store webstie:
 | ||
| Path along rain garden to backyard.
Rain barrels have been installed at the end of downspouts to collect water for use in the garden during dryer periods.
The homeowners have employed many energy saving features. The power generated by the solar panels they had installed is sold to the utility company during peak hours at higher rates, while they attempt to utilize most of their high energy appliances during off-peak hours when they are charged lower rates, resulting in credits on their bills in most months.
|
 |
| Solar panels installed on roof several years ago |
One simple way to save power they utilize is the old fashioned clothesline which is still a common sight at many farms in Wisconsin.
For further information on renewable energy in Wisconsin, RENEW Wisconsin offers an informative website and blog.
By growing their own produce organically, without pesticides and herbicides, they reduce their environmental impact, sparing the earth the burden of unnecessary air and water pollution and reducing the use of fossil fuels and the resulting pollution resulting from the transport of fresh produce from all over the world in planes and refrigerated trucks to the local supermarket.
 |
| Squash are grown vetically to save space. |
 |
| Digging in the straw mounded in a bed in the lawn revealed fingerling potatoes ready to be harvested soon. |
Playful yard art is scatterd about the gardens-these frogs hinting at the wife's passion for yoga.
No comments:
Post a Comment