summer 2008 the ecological landscaper newsletter

8/6/2019 Summer 2008 The Ecological Landscaper Newsletter

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Because land doesnt come with a manual. . .Price $2.00

ISSN 1554-656X

The Newsletter o the Ecological Landscaping Association Vol. 15, No. 2 Summer 2008

1 Native Vegetation in Streamside Landscaping

2 Riparian Plantings Deter Canada Geese3 LandscapingattheWatersEdge

3 Annual Meeting Notes

4 Lush Yards with Less Water

5 Rain Gardens

6 Turf Tips

7 Paradise Found!

9 Rain Sensors

10 Rain Barrels

11 Green Roofs

11 WelcomeNewEditor

12 Gleanings

13 Events

14 Unclassifeds

c o n t e n t s

Fromthe editor Kat Good-Schi

Landscapers and other plantpeople have many opportunities

to both use and conserve water. In thisissue of e Ecological Landscaper,

you will nd ideas for minimiz-ing runo with a green roof or raingarden, and ways to save water with

xeriscaping and rain sensors. Mostimportantly, you will nd a variety ofideas for making the most of what wehave without overuse.

Whether you work on the microor the macro level, all living things

Water is lifes matter and matrix, mother and medium.Albert Szent-Gyorgyi, Nobel Prize winning psysiologist

Native vegetatioNiN

StreamSide LaNdScapiNg

Te ollowing is an excerpt rom

An Abbreviated Guide forSelecting Native Riparian Plantsin the Catskills, published by CornellCooperative Extension o Ulster County,

NY. Te entire guide is available as a

PDF rom http://www.esopuscreek.org/

Vegetated riparian zonesfacilitate stream bank stabilityby providing a rooted structure toprotect against stream bank erosionand ood damage. e stems, branchesand foliage of riparian plants serveto slow ood waters when pulledunder water, decreasing the erosivepotential. Landowners can oer nature

a helping hand by actively restoringriparian vegetation Native plantsare more naturally integrated intoa local ecosystem. e more naturalthe streamside vegetation, the morenatural it will look and the better it

will perform its job.

Four Reasons or using nativevegetation in streamside landscaping

Aesthetics: Native plants can beornamental and will more closely tthe [local landscape].

Horticulture: [Native plants] arewell adapted to the conditions theywill be planted in (i.e. acidic, clayeyand rocky soils as well as our uniqueclimate). ese plants will grow moresuccessfully for less experienced gar-deners and landscapers.

Ecology: Native plants ll ecologicalniches in the ecosystem providinghabitat and food for wildlife. Nativeplants, birds, butteries and wildlifeare well matched.

Conservation: Native Plant popula-tions are in decline and depend onother natives to survive and thrive.

NATIVE continued on pg. 2

show us waters value. As both theclimate and politics continue to dem-onstrate, water is more precious nowthan ever. May you bring more aware-ness to both your personal and profes-sional use of water while enjoying thebounty that summer oers.


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Te Ecological Landscaperis publishedby the Ecological Landscaping As-sociation (ELA). Subscriptions are abenet of membership in ELA. Forinformation about ELA, contact:

ELA Board of Directors

President: Dennis Collins

Vice President: Kathy Sargent-ONeill

Treasurer: Chris OBrien

Secretary: Andrea Knowles

EL A

1257 Worcester Rd., #262Framingham, MA 01701(617) 436-5838www.ecolandscaping.org

Write to us! We welcome comments,letters, articles, topic ideas, andopinions. Send to Newsletter Editorat the address above.

Also send all other ELA business,including address changes, to theaddress listed above.

e ELA board meets throughoutthe year in various locations in easternMassachusetts. All members are

welcome. Contact us for specic datesand locations.

Mention of products is not intended to con-stitute endorsement. Opinions expressed inthis newsletter do not necessarily representthose of ELAs directors, staff, or members.

Ecological Landscaping 2008

Each author appearing herein retainsoriginal copyright. Right to reproduce or

disseminate all material herein is otherwisereserved by ELA. Please contact the Editor

or permission to reprint.

Executive Administrator: Penny Lewis

Board MembersM.L. Altobelli

William Jewell

Robert Levite

Trevor Smith

Sue Storer

Maureen Sundberg

Sandy Vorce

Bruce Wenning

One example is the New YorkState Ironweed. Native plants areconstantly being out-competed byinvasive species, so replanting bare ordisturbed banks with natives beforeexotic plants are able to become

established is the most cost eectiveway of battling invasive plants. Ifinvasives are already in place, removethem and dispose of them properly.

Including a mix o dierent plantsprovides a more diverse habitat for

wildlife as well as a multi-functionriparian buer.

NATIVE continued from pg. 1 It is important when actively re-vegetating stream banks that nativeplant species are selected, and spacedproperly to be eective. Plant spac-ing should be: Shrubs 3-5 feet apart,small trees (25 feet at maturity) 15feet apart, large trees 25 feet apart andperennials 1-3 feet apart and should

result in a dense buer at maturity.Larger trees help to establish a canopyover the stream providing the water

with shade, improving the overallwater quality for aquatic insects, whichin turn enhances trout populations as

well as other stream critters. Smallerperennials help to slow rising watersallowing storm water to be ltered.

ripariaN pLaNtiNgS detercaNada geeSe Penny Lewis and Kat Good-Schi

Afrequent question of shorelinehomeowners is how to clear their

property of the ever present, unwantedCanada Geese. In addition to theproblems related to droppings (up toone pound per bird,per day), there are

problems related tothe noisy and ter-ritorial behavior ofthe geese, especiallyduring nesting. Byclearing the land-scape down to the

waters edge andinstalling large ex-panses of manicuredlawn, homeowners

have inadvertentlycreated very desirable habitat for geese.

A riparian buer of vegetation alongthe edge of a pond, lake, or stream willdeter geese from accessing adjacent land.

e buer makes moving from the waterto a food source much more dicult andmakes the geese uncomfortable by limit-ing their line of sight and escape path.

While deterring the geese, riparianbuers also provide a host of ecological

advantages. ey contribute to waterquality by ltering out nitrogen, phos-phorous, toxins, and heavy metals fromsurface runo. ey provide bank stabi-lization and erosion control, and providenatural ood control by slowing downstormwater runo. Equally important,riparian buers provide increased habitatfor amphibians, reptiles, and a variety

of aquatic andsemi-aquatic plant

species.When in-

stalling a riparianbuer, care mustbe taken to intro-duce non-invasive,native plant speciesappropriate to thesite. All plant layersshould be consid-ered: grasses, peren-

nials, shrubs, andtrees. Planting trees along the bank willhelp to stabilize soil, create additionalhabitat, and provide shade to lower the

water temperature.For more information, visit the

following websites: www.audobon.org, www.animalalliance.ca, www.ctriver.org


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Landscaping at the Waters Edge: An

Ecological Approach

A Manual for NH Landowners andLandscapers

Offering Natural Fertilizers, Soil

Amendments, and Environmentally

Compatible Pest ControlsDepot St. Bradford, VT 05033

802/222-4277 FAX 802/222-9661

Email: [email protected]

Visit our web site @

http://www.norganics.com or call

now for the location of our nearest

wholesale distributor

ELAs 2008 Annual Meeting

ELA recently held its Annual Meet-

ing at the Sudbury Valley Trustees,

Wolbach Farm. Dennis Collins, ELA

President, reported on ELAs many

accomplishments during the pastyear. Through the ongoing dedica-

tion o many volunteers, ELA has

continued to develop as a leader

in environmental education and

stewardship. Following the Annual

Meeting, an appreciation potluck

dinner provided the opportunity

to thank the many volunteers that

have contributed to the ELA eorts

throughout the year.

Thanks to Andrea Knowles, Penny

Lewis, and Kathy Sargent-ONeill

or helping to organize this years

Annual Meeting.

2008 Ballot Results

The slate o ELA ofcers or the

upcoming year is: Dennis Collins,

President; Kathy Sargent-ONeill,

Vice-President; Chris OBrien,

Treasurer; Andrea Knowles, Secre-tary. Incumbent Board members

elected to serve additional terms

are: Sandy Vorce and Bruce Wen-

ning. Newly elected to the Board

are: M.L. Altobelli and Trevor

Smith. Board members serving

existing terms are: Sue Storer,

Maureen Sundberg, William Jew-

ell, and Robert Levite.

No matter where you live, the actionsyou take in your landscape canhave far reaching eects on water qual-

ity. Why? Because we are all connectedto the water cycle and we all live in a

watershed, the land area that drains intoa surface water body such as a lake, river,or wetland.

Landscaping at the

Waters Edge: An Ecological

Approach is a new pub-lication for landownersand landscapers that willexplain how our land-scaping choices impactsurface and ground waters

and demonstrate how,with simple observations,ecologically-based designand low impact mainte-nance practices, you canprotect, and even improve, the quality ofour water resources.

Authors are UNH CooperativeExtension specialists and educators withexpertise in horticulture, water resources,turf grass, entomology, planting and

maintaining landscapes and home lawncare. ese educators partnered with asustainable and ecological designer andother experts to provide information andexpertise to help landscapers and proper-ty owners living along lakes, ponds, rivers

and streams make deci-sions about landscapedesign and maintenancethat will reduce pollu-tion and environmentaldegradation. Landscaping at

the Waters Edge: An

Ecological Approach isfully illustrated withphotos and sketches onalmost every page. eseillustrations provide

clear examples of the concepts presentede sections of the book specic toNH only are the appendices containinginformation pertinent to NH stateregulations.

To order, mail $20 to UNH Coop-

erative Extension: UNH CooperativeExtension Publications Center, NesmithHall, 131 Main St., Durham, NH 03824or visit the website at: http://extension.unh.edu.


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LuSh YardSwith LeSS waterReprinted rom Greentips: Environ-mental Ideas in Action, an e-newsletter

rom Union o Concerned Scientists.

About one-third of all residential

water use goes toward lawnsand gardens, according to the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency.Unfortunately, much of this water is

wasted through runo, evaporation,over watering, or inecient landscapedesign.

Reducing water use in your yarddoes not mean resorting to rock

gardensby adopting some simplelandscaping techniques known asxeriscaping (from the Greekxeros,meaning dry) you cancreate a beautiful lawnor garden that usesup to 60 percent less

water, requires lessfertilizer and pesticides,and saves you time andmoney.

Planning and Design:A single yard can oftenhave a variety of terrainand exposure to sun-light, which translatesinto dierent water

needs in dierent areas.Consult your local nurs-ery to nd plants that canthrive in each of these areas

with as little supplementalwatering (i.e., what you needto provide in addition torainfall) as possible. In most

cases, native,non-invasiveplants are bestbecause theyare natu-

rally adapted to regionaltemperature and rain-fall patterns. Groupingplants that have similar

water needs can also helpminimize the need for

supplemental watering.

Soil: Ideally the soil inyour yard should storewater yet drain quickly,reducing the need for supplemental

watering while promoting healthyplants with deep roots. Adding organicmaterial such as compost to your soilcan help improve its quality.

Grass: If there are areas of your lawnthat go unused, consider replacing thegrass with less water-intensive plants

such as trees, shrubs, owers, or low-growing ground covers. For the restof the lawn, spread drought-resistant

varieties of grass seed and allow thegrass to grow higher in the summer(so the grass blades provide shade forthe soil).

Mulch: Mulching around plants withcoarse compost, wood chips, shred-ded leaves, or straw further reducesthe need for supplemental wateringby keeping the soil cool and moist. Italso prevents erosion, blocks compet-

ing weeds, and provides the soil withnutrients. Mulch should be no morethan a few inches deep, and will needto be replenished periodically as theold mulch breaks down.

Supplemental Watering: When youdo need to supplement the water your

yard already receives in the form ofrain, infrequent but deep watering isbest because it promotes deeper roots,

making plants more drought-resistant.Soaker hoses and drip-irrigationsystems are ideal for delivering waterslowly and directly to the roots of theplantunlike typical oscillating sprin-klers that waste water through bothevaporation and runo.

All photos courtesy Dennis Collins

Water is the true wealth in a dry land. Wallace Stegner, Beyond the Hundredth Meridian

Microbiota decussata and Liriope spicata

Paxistima canbeyi

Liriope spicata


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LocatioN, LocatioN, LocatioNPick a naturally low spot in your yard at least 10 feet f rom your house and direct water from your downspoutor sump pump into it. Full sun is best,but make sure the site gets at least ahalf-day of sunlight.

During heavy rains, your rain

garden may ll up and overow. Makesure this overow drainage follows thedrainage pattern originally designedfor your lot. Test this by lling yourdepression with a garden hose and

watching the overow. If needed, dig ashallow swale to direct overow watertoward the street, road or other down-hill areas away from buildings.

diggiNg iN

A depression of two to six inches willsuce. Slope the sides gradually fromthe edge to the level bottom. Deeperrain gardens in heavy clay soils will hold

water longer. Test this with a gardenhose. French drains can be installed toaid inltration.

more tipS Hand weed biweekly until native

plants are established.

Avoid using lawn fertilizers nearthe Rain Garden. Fertilizers willstimulate weed competition withoutbeneting your native plants.

Dont worry about mosquitoes.Most rain gardens will not hold

water long enough for mosquitoesto reproduce. Even so, dragonies,swallows and other natural controlprocesses will keep them in check.

Come spring, mow and remove dead

vegetation. Or simply burn it oif your re department regulationsallow it. Native plants thrive underre management.

Place natural rocks, birdhouses, abench or garden ornaments in andaround your Rain Garden becreative! Youll learn and have funin designing your own backyardlandscape.

Add plenty of native sedges and

Rain Garden Design GuideAvailableA new University of Connecticutpublication about rain gardens isavailable free upon request. e 12-

page, full color brochure addresses thefollowing topics:

what is a rain gardencommon concerns

placement of the rain gardensoil suitability

sizing your gardeninstallation

plantingRain Gardens in Connecticut: A Design

Guide or Homeowners is available bycontacting the Resource Center Store

at (860) 486-3336 or [email protected]. You can also download a PDF ver-sion at http://sustainability.uconn.edu/

BuiLd Your owN raiN

gardeNTe ollowing article is reprinted courtesy o

Applied Ecological Services, Inc.

whatiSa raiN gardeN?

ARain Garden is simply a shal-low depression in your yard that

is planted with native wetland or wetprairie wildowers and grasses. It isdesigned to naturally collect water thatruns o from your roof or is dis-charged from your sump pump. RainGardens are gaining popularity forthree reasons:

1. Rain Gardens make good use ofstormwater runo, conserving pre-cious water supplies and helping

protect water quality in downstreamlakes and streams.

2. Rain Gardens are planted withbeautiful, hardy, low-maintenancenative perennial plants.

3. Rain Gardens provide food andshelter for birds, butteries andbenecial insects, such as mosquito-devouring dragonies.

SimpLe, StraightForwardcoNStructioNIts not complicated. Just follow these

easy steps:

1. Dig a shallow depression with alevel bottom, as large in circumfer-ence as youd like.

2. Direct your downspout or sumppump outlet to your Rain Garden,either by digging a shallow swale alinear depression designed to chan-nel water or by routing it througha buried 4" PVC pipe.

3. Plant the native plants recom-mended.

4. Water your planting every other dayfor the rst few weeks, until plantsare growing and well-established.Once your native Rain Gardenplants are established, theyll thrive

well without additional watering.Fertilizers are not necessary.

Moss steps

Photo courtesy Tom Smar

grasses to physically supporttaller species and provide a visuallytextured background that ties thegarden together.

2008 Applied Ecological Services,Inc. For more informa-tion, visit www.applie-

deco.com.


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ManagementPractice

Positive results Negative results

Mow High: adjustcutting height ofmower to be 2.5 to3 inches.Mow grass when itis dry.

Promotes deeper roots with larger car-bohydrate reserves. Taller grass bladescapture more of the suns energy to makefood for the roots in the form of carbohy-drates and other cell building compounds.The taller the grass, the deeper the roots.Taller grass helps shade out weeds.

Mowing too short (


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Paradise Found!An ecological paradise is a landscape

where natural systems are at work and

there is little to no waste or pollution.

It is also a place o beauty where plants,

insects, animals, and humans coexist.

Paradise comes in many orms: a color-

ul wetland o native fowers, a peaceulshade garden, or an edible yard in place

o a lawnjust to name a ew examples.

Tis issues eatured garden is a haven or

butterfies. Read on to discover how to

create a lepidopterist s paradise

ButterFLYgardeNS Nanette Masi

T

he gentle futtering o a colorul

butterfyas you immerse your-self in a bed of wildowers can totallymake your day. Getting up close and

watching her long tongue reach intothe nectaries of a coneower is rathera thrillfor me anyway. Yet butteries

are not only beautiful to observe; they

also play a special role within the com-plex web of plant and animal interac-tions. As caterpillars and as wingedadults, they provide an important foodsource for many birds.

Providing backyard habitats forbutteries is becoming more impor-tant than ever. Migrating butteriessuch as the monarchs are losing habi-tat at both ends of their travels, whichputs a squeeze on their populations.

As global warming causes someplant species to die out andhabitats to change, butteriesdependent on these species willalso falter. Butterfies know absolute-ly what they like and do notlike.ey have co-evolved with

native plants over thousandsof years. Butteries dierentlife cycle stages often requiredierent plants as well as dier-ent feeding opportunities throughoutseveral seasons. For example, a chew-ing Spicebush caterpillar eats onlyspicebush leaves, molts into a chrysalis,and then undergoes metamorphosisto transform into a winged being witha long sipping tongue that dips into

a number of native nectar-producingwildowers.

Many of us studied in school therelationship between milkweed, withits toxic chemical makeup, and mon-arch butteries. Only Monarch but-

tery caterpillarshave developedimmunity tothe milkweedtoxins, which

stay in theirsystem whenthey becomebeautiful adults.

ese toxinsare distastefulor sickening tobirds, which inturn protects themonarch from

predation.

A buttery-friendly habitatincludes nectar-rich owers, caterpil-lar-feeding foliage (much of whichgardeners consider weeds), shallow

water (they love mud puddles), wildareas of so-called weeds, warm baskingspots, shelter, and minerals. Oer a buet o native plants

within various ecosystems (as much aspossible) and you are bound to at-tract a buttery that is partial to one

or a few of your plants. If they canget breakfast, dinner, and dessert at

your place, they will stick around inyour garden. My garden is a mass ofwildowers, and visitors are alwaysamazed at the diversity and number ofbutteries they see oating about overthe summer. Caterpillars may do some

damage to some of my plants leaves,but I love taking their pictures. eycan be very strange-looking, colorful,and even beautiful.

Wildowers such as coneowerand turtlehead are always inviting tomany adult butteries. Carrot familyspecies such as dill, parsley, and QueenAnnes lace are what Black Swallow-tail caterpillars prefer. Violets are thefavorite food of the great Spangled

Fritillarys spiny caterpillar. MourningCloak caterpillars seek out nettles, wil-low, and birch. e Tiger Swallowtailcaterpillar feeds on cherries, poplar,birch, and basswood and then shel-ters in their leaves.

Some other plants that are fun to

Buttery on Coneower

Black swallowtail on parsley

Backyard wild area landscape

PARADISE continued on pg. 8


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paradise (pr -ds, -dz) n.

within your garden. Learn to toler-

ate some insect damage or caterpillarschewing on your leaves. Cluster plantsso the butteries will notice them with

their compoundeyes, which do nothave clear focusfrom a distance.Create a sheltered,sunny basking

spot away from the wind (a warm rockor plant) to allow the butteries body

temp to reach 82-100 degrees. is iswhat enables them to y well.

A carefully planned buttery gar-den will reward you with a garden fullof caterpillars and butteries, plus other

wildlife to enjoy throughout the season.

Nanette Masi is a landscape designer andeducator living in Amesbury, Massachusetts.She ounded Back to Nature in 2003 as aneducational source or healthy, ecologicallysound landscaping principles, and to provide

a healing alternative to traditional land-scapes. Nanettes designs ocus on native andsustainable plant communities to attract birdsand butterfies. For more inormation, visither website: www.bringnaturehome.com

All photos courtesy Nanette Masi

use to attract butteries include bottle-

brush buckeye (Aesculus parvifora)for nectar for many butteries; littlebluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) as ahost plant for skip-per species andshelter for over-

wintering stagesof other species;goldenrod (Sol-idago spp.) attractslots of butteries including American

Lady, Monarch, Fritillaries, and Sul-furs; ironweed (Vernonia spp.) nectarattracts Monarch, Great SpangledFritillary, American Lady, Spicebushand Eastern Tiger Swallowtails.

Butteries prefer shallow waterand are used to playing in mud puddles

where they can also get the mineralsthey need as they drink. To provide wa-ter for butteries, leave an open space

with a shallow dip or indentation in

the soil so that a puddle forms when itrains. I have also made shallow butter-y feeders with school kids where wepoured cement into a small trash canlid and then set the can itself into themiddle. You may press colorful stones,sea glass, and any other interestingnds into the cement for decoration(for the kids, of course, I dont thinkthe butteries really notice). When ithas dried and you pull out the can, you

have what looks like a attened birdbath with a wide rim and very shallowbasin.

Consider a few other elementsto attract and keep butteries in yourgarden. It is important to protect but-teries from pesticides. Pesticides onlyserve to kill the caterpillars that wouldhave become butteries. Let the naturalpredators have some of them for dinnerand create an even greater wildlife web

Hummingbird clearwing larvae

Liatris and Rudbeckia

Have you found

paradise?

Let us know!

Your garden

(or a clients)

could be ELAs

next featured

garden. Send

pictures andinformation to

ela.info@

comcast.net

PARADISE continued from pg. 7

e

A place of ideal beauty or loveliness.


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D oes your sprinkler system know iits raining?It will if you add asimple device known as a rain sensor.

e rain sensor determines whetheror not enough rainfall has occurred inorder to skip an irrigation cycle. Forthis reason every lawn sprinkler systemshould have a rain sensor.

ere are three basic types of raininterrupters. eyall serve the samepurpose: keeping

your system fromover-watering theturf or garden. It

works by inter-rupting the elec-trical connectionbetween the sen-sor and sprinklersystem controller

when a certainamount of raintriggers the device.

is ensures thatelectricity cannotow to the sprin-kler valves (or to apump start if yoursystem is on a well

without a pressure tank).One type of sensor breaks the

connection by weighing the water ina rainfall collection cup. e problem

with this type is that leaves, sticks, orthe occasional lizard will nd its wayinto the collection cup and thereby

turn o the system. Another type ofsensor uses electrodes to determinehow much water is in the collectioncup. is also has the problem of col-lecting things other than rainfall in thecollection cup.

e expansion disk type seems tobe the most popular. is kind of sen-sor uses cork disks that expand when

wet, so there is no collection cup toworry about. A pressure switch breaks

the electrical connection. e sensorcan be adjusted by increments of .25inches to the desired rainfall setting.

ese adjustments can be conguredto kick in when 1 to 1.5 inches of rainhas fallen.

e most important aspect of in-stalling a rain sensor is where to placeit. It should be installed in an area

unobstructedby trees, roofoverhangs, oranything elsethat mightblock rainfrom gettingto the sen-sor. If it is a

wired sensor,placement isgenerally nearthe sprinklercontroller. e

wires shouldbe connectedinside the con-trollers valve

wiring panel.is allows foreasier electrical

trouble-shooting of the system sincethe sensor can be easily disconnected.

As technology improves yearly,wireless FM sensors have becomemore popular. Although they are moreexpensive than wired devices, the easeof installation and increased place-

ment options oset the cost. Mostunits come with bypass switches builtinto the device. Some digital control-lers also oer bypass options for both

wired and wireless rain sensors.Whatever the type of rain sen-

sor that you choose, it will oer manyadvantages over not adding this detec-tor to your automatic sprinkler system.Some of the immediate and long termbenets include:

Monetary Savings

Whether you pay for city water orspend electricity running a pump,the money you save over time willmore than pay for the rain sensor.

Extended System Liespan

Sprinklers are made up of gears andother parts that move. e less thesprinkler parts are used, the longerthey last.

Resource Protection

By limiting overuse of your sprinklersystem, rain sensors reduce excessruno that carries fertilizers andpest control chemicals into the water

supply.Water Conservation

Less water is wasted when lesssupplemental water is used.

How much money can be saved byinstalling a rain sensor? According to arecent study in Florida, the use of a rainsensor averaged a 45% savings in waterfor single-family residential water usage.

is will vary based on the water source(city, re-claim, or well) and geographicallocation (water costs, electrical rate, cli-mate). Here is one example that demon-strates the benets listed below:Location: Seminole County, FloridaSystem Description: Designed to ir-

rigate a quarter acre of grass. Pro-grammed to apply .5 inches of waterevery time the system runs.

Water usage: 6,788 gallons per irriga-tion cycle.

Cost o city water: $2.30 per thousandgallons.Cost savings with rain sensor: $15.61

each time the sensor interrupts asprinkler cycle.

e next time you see a sprinklersystem running in the rain, youll knowit doesnt have to be that way. Rainsensors save money, help our environ-ment, and conserve water.

raiN SeNSorS coNServewateraNd moNeY Penny Lewis and Kat Good-Schi

Among these treasures of our land is water fast becoming our most valuable,most prized, most critical resource.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Timing Irrigation forWater Conservation

Plants require more water in summer

than spring or fall, so program your

irrigation timer accordingly, rather

than always keeping the irrigationtimer on the same setting. This will

promote water conservation, as will

watering at the right time of day. If

you set irrigation timers to go on

early in the morning, you will lose

less water to evaporation than if

you were to irrigate in the heat of

the day. To further conserve wa-

ter, override the irrigation timer of

your automatic system if your area

receives heavy rains the night before

the system is programmed to run.For best results, install a rain sensor.


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and gardens. Just look outside yourwindow the next time it rains andimagine all the water thats run-ning o your driveway being put tobenecial use later.

e amount of water that can becollected with a rain barrel dependson the amount of collection area

emptying into the rain barrel. Forexample, one inch of rain falling on

1,000 square feet of collection area adds up to 623 gallons.When rain water is collected from the roofs of houses, itusually carries very little contamination. Roofs should bekept clean of debris and potential contaminants to maxi-mize purity. Roof material is also important in how muchcontamination the water will carry.

Rain barrels should include the following components:

Durable, UV-stable polyethylene, food-grade plastic. An overow port and hose to divert water away from the

house.

A screen to remove sediment and particles as water entersthe barrel (this will also prevent mosquitoes and otherinsects from getting to the water).

A high-quality, durable spigot for con-nection to a garden hose, located low onthe barrel to drain the majority of the

water.

Aesthetic features compatible with thelandscaping plan.

A child- and animal-proof lid.

raiN BarreLS Penny Lewis and Kat Good-Schi

Collecting rainwater in rain barrels or other depositoriesfor use during dry months is an ancient, traditionalpractice. Historical records show that people in ailandcollected rainwater in simple clay containers as far back as2,000 years ago. With much of the United States facing

the rising price of municipal water and drought restrictionsduring the summer months, more and more homeownersin our own modern society are turning to the harvesting ofrainwater to save money and protect this precious naturalresource.

It is a common belief in many parts of the world thatwater is an innite resource to exploit as needed, but asthe saying goes, you dont know the value of water untilthe well is running dry. is is especially true in arid partsof the US where most of the municipal water comes fromoverstressed underground aquifers. Whereas rainwater is

considered a renewable natural resource, many aquifers arebeing mined, that is, communities are drawing out morewater than the aquifer receives naturally to recharge it.

As drought and aquifer mining begin to call atten-tion to an increasing water crisis, people are seeking waysminimize impact on their municipal water supplies. Rainbarrels can be part of the solution. Using a barrel to catchthe water from your gutters is one of the simplest and mostinexpensive ways to collect water for later use. Rain bar-rels help conserve water by storing it for when you need itmost: during periods of little or no rainfall. is provides a

good supply of free, non-chlorinated water, ideal for lawns

As the 21st century begins, theconcept of waste water isbeginning to disappear. The reason is

simple: we have no water to waste.

from Water: H2O = Life, an exhibition

that originated at the American Museum of

Natural History


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11

ready meet the standards necessary tosupport the load of a green roof. Also,current components of a green roofare much lighter and last longer thanpreexisting ones.

Many homes would need to betested before residential roof land-scaping could be considered, but

new homes and especially new busi-ness buildings could and should beconstructed to take advantage of the

benets of a greenroof. Nearly all types ofroofssloped, curved,or atcan have greenroofs installed. Usuallya rubber membrane islaid down and covered

with a waterproof

membrane. Drainageand soil componentsare placed, the soil isseeded, and the ownersstart to reap the ben-ets of their new roofimmediately.

e soil on a green roof oers insu-lation and protects the roong materialsfrom the harsh elements. Rainwater iscaptured and feeds the plants before

the excess is slowly released to collec-tion cisterns. e resulting sheet ow isgreatly reduced and fewer pollutants arecarried to lakes and rivers. During thesummer, a conventional roof can addup to 158 degrees of heat to the air, asopposed to 77 degrees for a green roof.Heat and wind can destroy conven-tional roong material in a matter oftwo decades, while green roofs can oeran additional decade to that.

As a member of Green RoofAustralia Inc., Rodney Swill notes theadded advantages of a great reduc-tion in fossil energy use (7% to 30%per building) due to superior insula-tion, and improved eciency for solarpower collectors sited above coolergreen roofs (20 to 25% in Australia).

ere are also psychological benetsto humans, since greenery reducesstress and promotes earlier recovery

greeN rooFS

a growiNg treNd

Penny Lewis and Kat Good-Schi

When large commercial proper-ties replace forests or farm

elds with acres of buildings andimpervious surfaces, the runo from

rain or melting snow and ice carriesuntreated pollutants directly into lakesand rivers. One answer to the grow-

ing problem of impervious surfacesis green roofs, also known as rooflandscaping, where at tar or rubbermembrane roofs are replaced with

shrubbery, grasses, and wildowers.According to Rodney Swill, a greenroof water expert based in Sydney,Australia, is water connection isseen as one of the big advantagesof green roofs and green wallsasa climate change response all of uscan address. We know that the bestarchitects these days are rst consider-ing water storage in a new or retrotbuilding design, whatever the size of

the building, so that green roof main-tenance is assured.

Green roofs are more easily in-stalled in Europe, where constructionstandards are generally more stringentthan the United States. Some USbuilding codes must be adjusted toaccommodate the increased weightload of a green roof, but some existingstructures, such as apartment hous-ing and government buildings, al-

Garage with green roof Getty Villa, Los Angeles, CA(photo courtesy Dennis Collins)

in hospital wards.For the construction project that

incorporates green roofs, additionalbenets can be realized by replacingthe acres of parking lot macadam withporous pavement. Green walkwaysto and from retail stores could havefountains and irrigation fed from

underground cisterns of collected andcleaned rainwater. ere are manyexamples in Europe and a few in theStates that already use stormwatercapture, clean, and recycle systems.

It is a pleasure to nally in-troduce our new editor for the

Ecological Landscaper. With thisissue of the newsletter, we mark thebeginning of what we hope will bea long and rewarding relationship

with Kathryn M. Good-Schi (bet-ter known as Kat), who was hiredin May. She comes to us with anintriguing mix of talents and experi-ences. As an accomplished writer

who has spent the past few years incommunications and marketing for

educational, business and non-protorganizations, Kat would seem agood choice for the position on thatbasis alone. However, she has also

worked as a professional in ecologi-cal landscaping, making her espe-cially well-suited for the job.

I hope you will enjoy the resultsof what turned out to be a long andchallenging task for our search com-mittee. We had a number of candi-

dates with very strong credentialsand were impressed with many ofthem. May I also thank the folks whostepped in to help produce the pastfour issues of the newsletter while wesearched for a new editor. I am surethey are as relieved and happy withthis announcement as anyone!

Dennis Collins, ELA Presiden

weLcome New editor


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12

gleanings

The California Sustainability Alliancehas released a study entitled The Role ofRecycled Water in Energy Efciency andGreenhouse Gas Reduction, which esti-mates the potential carbon and energybenets of accelerating and increasingthe development and use of recycled wa-

ter in the state of California. It concludesthat using secondary and tertiary recycledwater supplies could save enough energyto power 150,000 homes. The study alsocontains additional ndings on the costof recycled water, measures that can betaken to accelerate its use, and the ben-ets of accelerated implementation. Toread the study in its entirety, visit http://sustainca.org/content/recycled_water_2.

S

A new book from Ecowaters proles more

than 30 successful ecological wastewaterrecycling systems that use plants to stabi-lize, clean, lter, and use up wastewater(and its nutrients and carbon) or dischargeit to be used again to ush toilets, nourishplants, provide fuel, and more. Reusingthe Resource: Adventures in EcologicalWastewater Recyclingby Carol Steinfeldand David Del Porto is available directlyfrom the publisher at www.ecowaters.org/rtr.html.

S

Water: H2O = Life, an exhibit thatoriginated at the American Museum ofNatural History in New York City, may becoming to a museum near you. Currentlyscheduled stops on the internationaltour include: the San Diego Museum ofNatural History (July to November 2008);the Science Museum of Minnesota (Janu-ary to April 2009); the Field Museum ofNatural History (June to September 2009);Great Lakes Science Center, Cleveland(November 2009 to April 2010); theNational Museum of Australia, Canberra(January to June 2010); and the RoyalOntario Museum (March 2011 to Septem-ber 2011). Other dates and locations willbe announced at a later date. For moreinformation, www.amnh.org/exhibitions/water/

S

For a pint-sized look at the watershedissue, check out the educational, environ-mental puppet shows of Massachusettsresident Meredyth Babcock. The Water-

shed Waltz combines actors, puppets, andoriginal music to educate and entertain asit tells the story of the watershed. Thoughthe target audience is quite young, thisprogram is a joy for all. A video clip froma recent performance can be seen on theWesteld River Watershed Associationswebsite: http://www.westeldriver.org/.For more information, contact MeredythBabcock through her website: www.mar-maladeproductions.com.

S

The California State Assembly recentlypassed a resolution that calls on variousstate departments to address unresolvedhealth, scientic, and efcacy issuessurrounding the Department of Food andAgricultures eradication plans for theLight Brown Apple Moth. The Assemblyalso passed the Invasive Pest PlanningAct of 2008, which would require the

DFA to create a list of invasive animals,plants, and insects that have a reasonablelikelihood of entering California for whichan eradication or control program mightbe appropriate. These two bills addressenvironmental and health concerns byputting in place a pest planning processfor the future. The bills will now move onto the Senate for consideration. For moreinformation on the Light Brown AppleMoth issue, including key documents,correspondence, and news, visit http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/members/a27/

moth.htm

As a follow up to the passage of theLBAM bill, the CA organization Stop theSpray reports that while there will be noaerial spraying of pesticides in populatedareas, forested areas may be sprayed andground spray may be used in neighbor-hoods. The group has asked for a writ-ten clarication of what measures willbe taken, and they encourage Bay Arearesidents to get involved in this issue. Visitthem at www.stopthespray.org

S

Over the past ten years or so, a stingingant (Myrmica rubra) has begun to spreadthrough parts of New England. Pat Vittum,turf entomologist at UMass, needs toreceive specimens to get an idea of thedistribution of these ants in Massachu-setts. If you believe you may have theseants, please consider sending specimensas soon as possible. For more backgroundinformation on the ant and the project,and for instructions on how to packageand send ants, visit http://www.umass-

turf.org/mangement_updates/2008_ar-chive/08_jun_04.html

S

The Northeastern Integrated Pest Man-agement Center publishes the NE IPMCMonitor, a comprehensive list of recentresearch results, publications, andconferences, as well as summer and fall

IPM workshops in various regions in theUS. To read the Monitor, visit http://www.NortheastIPM.org/Monitor.cfm

S

NPR Covers Debate Over LawnsOn July 22, 2008, the National PublicRadio broadcast of the program OnPoint featured a debate between oppos-ing views on the use and managementof lawns in the American Landscape.Entitled Turf Wars and American Lawns,

the show featured Paul Robbins, professorof geography at the University of Ari-zona and author of Lawn People: HowGrasses, Weeds and Chemicals Make UsWho We Are and Trey Rogers, profes-sor of turfgrass management at MichiganState University and author of LawnGeek: Tips and Tricks for the Ultimate Turffrom the Guru of Grass.

While landscape professionals maynd the debate a bit thin on technicaldetails, the conversations between hostTom Ashbrook and his two guests, and

the comments of listeners calling in to theprogram, provide a fascinating glimpseinto the competing perspectives nowforming in the publics consciousness.Long-time ELA members may wonder atthe fact that this debate took 15 years toreach the mainstream media. Yet manywho helped bring it to the publics atten-tion will celebrate what may be a signi-cant milestone.

For those who missed the broadcast,which aired on different NPR stationsaround the country at different times, thepodcast can be downloaded from the

programs website at: http://www.onpoin-tradio.org/shows/2008/07/20080722_b_main.asp


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events

Northeast Organic FarmingAssociations 34th Annual Sum-mer ConferenceFridaySunday, August 810, 2008

University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MAThis years NOFA Summer Conferencewill feature keynote speakers Mark McA-

fee and Arden Andersen as well as over150 workshops on a wide range of topics.The weekend will also include a fam-ily contra dance, zydeco drumming, anold-fashioned country fair, live music, afarmers market, games and fun! For moreinformation, visit http://www.nofamass.org/ or call (978) 355-2853.

NOFA Organic Lawn & Turf CourseAug. 14 at Duke Farms in Hillsborough, NJAug. 19 at UMass Dartmouth in Dartmouth, MA

Aug. 21 at Manchester Community Col-lege in Manchester, CT$150 for the rst person from rm/town;$125 each additional person.Full-day intensive organic turfgrassmanagement course covering basics toadvanced and the transition to organic.For more info and to register: www.organiclandcare.net.

Vegetable Growers Field DayThursday, August 14, 2008

Penn State Southeast Agricultural Researchand Extension Center, Manheim, PAIncludes a presentation by Natural Re-sources Conservation Service on how toapply for conservation funds to supportadoption ofIntegrated Pest Management.Contact Tim Elkner ([email protected]) formore information.

Attracting Butteries and Hummingbirdsto Your GardenSaturday, August 23, 2008, 9am1pmHitchcock Center for the Environment,

Amherst, MA$75 members, $80 non-membersBill Benner and Ted Watt lead this multi-faceted class in rst understanding hostplant gardens that attract buttery larvaeand then designing individual gardens.The class will include a eld trip to seethe plants in bloom and view many but-tery species as well as a hummingbirdbanding demonstration.Pre-registration required at [email protected].

Integrated Ecological Restoration ofRivers and Streams Including Design ofNative Vegetation for Water Quality, inFloodplains, Riparian Zones and Water-waysOctober 511, 2008, Humboldt Institute,Steuben, METhis seminar/workshop is designed todig deeply into the concepts of waterwayrestoration from the broader ecologicalcontext and in the mode of EcologicalRestoration. The focus is on vegetationand native plant community issues asthey relate to waterway corridors, ratherthan on strictly mechanistic and engineer-ing oriented channel design. Participantswill learn the vital relationships be-tween watershed land cover, vegetation,stormwater, and the waterway, and howto design plans for the ecological restora-tion of the waterway corridor. While somebioengineering concepts will be included

in the seminar contents, they are not thesole focus of the session. Problem areasor restored waterways will be subject ofeld trips.For more information: www.eaglehill.us

Restore Americas Estuaries 4th Nation-al Conference on Coastal and EstuarineHabitat RestorationOctober 1115, 2008, RI ConventionCenter, Providence, RIEstuaries and coasts are an important part

of Americas economy, history, and livingculture. This is the only national confer-ence focused on the goals and practicesof coastal and estuarine habitat restora-tion. We will explore the state-of-the-artin all aspects and scales of restorationthrough eld sessions, plenary sessions,expert presentations, special eveningevents, workshops, a poster hall, and aRestoration Exposition.For more information: www.estuaries.org

Ferns of Massachusetts at Wildcat

ReservationFriday, September 12, 2008, 9am12:30pmBoxford Town Hall, Boxford, MAFerns are some of the most common her-baceous plants found in New England, yettheir variety frequently makes them con-fusing. It is critical to know the differencebetween cinnamon and interrupted fern,yet even experienced experts often mistakeone for the other. This workshop will teachyou about the numerous varieties of com-mon and unusual ferns in Massachusetts.This new AMWS workshop has been

requested for years, and is being taught byexpert John Dick (Hancock Associates).For more information: [email protected]

UMass Extensions Green School is nowaccepting registrations. Green School isa comprehensive 11-day certicate shortcourse for green industry professionals,taught by UMass Extension Specialistsand University of Massachusetts faculty.Designed for landscape professionals,lawn care specialists, arborists and otherhorticultural practitioners, the courseprovides students with the knowledgeneeded to make environmentally appro-priate decisions related to turf and plantselection, arboriculture, plant mainte-nance, and pest and nutrient manage-ment. Green School is held 1-2 days perweek from November 6-December 18,2008 in Milford, MA. For more informa-

tion, visit: http://umassgreeninfo.org/pro-grams/green_school.html

Did you miss the

ELA Conference?2008 Conference

Proceedings

Booklets for Sale

Copies o the 2008

Conerence ProceedingsBooklet, which containsspeaker handouts, are

available or purchase or$20 (includes postage and

handling).

For booklet orders pleasesend your check, madepayable to Ecological

Landscaping Association

and send to:

1257 Worcester Rd., #262

Framingham, MA 01701

Please be sure to includeyour return address with

your order.


14/14

Well Water Connection, Inc. providespractical, cost-effective and environ-mentally conscious solutions to water-related problems experienced by greenindustry professionals and their clients.Our unique approach combines profes-sional project management with waterwell, pump, ltration and stain removalservices. For immediate service or moreinformation, contact John Larsen at978-640-6900 or [email protected].

unclassifeds

WIll You Help ELA?

SAVE THE DATE!OCTOBER 14 17, 2008

35th Natural AreasConference

Natural Areas Revival in Music City:Tuning into a changing climate and

biological invasion

Conference website:www.naturalarea.org/08conference/

A joint conference of the

Natural Areas Associationand the

National Association ofExotic Pest Plant Councils

www.naturalarea.orgNatural Areas Association | 115 NW

Oregon Ave., Ste 28 | Bend | OR

97701

ELA is about to embark on

its 17th year and there has nev-

er been more need or the ELA

mission to educate and promoteenvironmentally responsible

landscaping and horticultural

practices. In the upcoming year,

there are many projects and

committees, as well as positions

on the ELA Board, that could

beneft rom your enthusiasm

and background. I you

can spare a ew hours, we

would love to have your

help. Please call (617)436-5838 or drop us

an email: ela.info@

comcast.net.

ELA advocates or

environmentally responsible

stewardship o land and natural

resources in the landscapingand horticultural practices

o proessionals and the

public. Through education,

collaboration, and networking,

ELA promotes the design

installation, and maintenance

o landscapes that are guided

by a knowledge o, and

respect or, natural

ecosystems.

summer 2008 the ecological landscaper newsletter

Documents