- a rain harvest system which stores water used to irrigate the plants; and cistern overflow directed into a retrofitted bioswale that infiltrates instead of draining into the storm sewer.  Bioswale planted with acorus and joe pye.  Water flowforms that convey the water from the roof downspouts to the cistern are being developed by local artist stakeholders.

- Edible and medicinal plants, such as elder, blueberry, pineapple guava, persimmon, comfrey, thyme and echinacea

- Plants that benefit birds and pollinators, such as winterberry holly, switchgrass, goldenrod and liatris

- A seasonal meadow with a multitude of ecosystem functions described in depth here

- Outdoor musical instruments will be designed and developed as a living project (evolving over time by continued student input), directed and facilitated by artist Jeff Mather

- A living willow sculpture will become an outdoor room sized for kids

Designed by Sustenance Design.  Implemented in partnership with Greenspace Innovations and the Rain Harvest Company

subsoiling

loosening compaction

Drilling for the overflow pipe

1500 perennial plant plugs wait for their new home

placing rocks is a burly and delicate operation

compost+granite sand+ existing soil= plant heaven

cross-section

subsoiled earth looking loose

subsoiled and mixed… almost ready to plant

laying mulch before planting

the pavers were not pervious; but subbed with 6in of concrete

retrofitted into the existing impervious cement, allowing for infiltration

concept

Not instant gratification. it will be 2-3 years before we see the realization of the meadow!

- Meadows build topsoil- critical since we lost an average of 3 meters (really!) due to bad farming  practices and deforestation in the eastern US.

- Meadows infiltrate water!  By breaking up clay with deep, tenacious roots, what were compacted city soils can serve to return water to our ancient aquifers

- Meadows sequester carbon- it’s all about the root biomass

- Meadows provide food and shelter for wildlife.  In the city this translates to supporting native bird populations and pollinators like honeybees.

- Meadows enhance biodiversity- encouraging the dynamic interaction of plants and macro and micro-organisms strengthens local ecology.

- They provide seasonal beauty outside, cut flowers and dried grasses for arrangements

We are going to see a lot more meadows in the city.  Meadows in the urban landscape are proving as vital as naturally occurring prairies.  In 2008, Hunter and Hunter published a study, “Designing for conservation of insects in the built environment” that concluded urban meadows were critical for insect diversity.  Catherine Zimmerman does wonderful work with the meadow project, teaching that anyone can install a meadow in any region.  A recent workshop here in Atlanta by the Lady Bird Johnson Center in TX at  Trees Atlanta shed light on meadow installation and care, using the Atlanta Beltline meadow trials as a local example.  We are implementing as many as possible!  One of our most recent meadow projects was the Drew Charter School Eco-Learning Courtyard.  Meadows are still considered ‘trial’ here as not many have done them.  They are usually a mix of mostly native grasses and some flowering, native perennials. They are gorgeous!!!   See?!  …….

a CA meadow garden

california meadow garden

meadow in winter has a special beauty

with Sustenance Design Founder Lindsey Mann

questions by Laura Martin-Eagle, candidate for Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist, California College of Ayurveda

1. What are the materials needed to start a small operation herb garden, both indoor and outdoor? Because Im partial to growing outside, as it fosters ecological depth (making organic growing more successful), the primary needs are climatic: do you have good soil, sunlight, air and a clean source of water?  You can’t grow without the last 3 but the answer to soil is usually ‘poor quality’ in a developed area.  Some herbs tolerate and even prefer poor soil.  Some need amendments such as compost, even sand- we use granite because it’s our natural sub-soil around here.  Kelp meal is an important addition for trace minerals and plant strength.

2. Do you have a list of recommended suppliers? Horizon herbs is probably the best supplier of herb seeds because of the diversity they offer and the founder (Rico Chech)’s dedication to holistic healing- he is considered an expert in Chinese herbal medicine.  But I believe that the best supplier is closest to the place you are growing for selected varieties that perform well in that region.  So if it’s nothing too exotic I need, I look to the local guys first, such as Sow True Seed or Southern Exposure Seed Exchange.

3. What soil recommendations would you give for a small, container or raised bed garden? A mix of: peat (or coconut coir may be a good substitute for unsustainable peat), worm castings, granite sand, and perlite and vermiculite for soil texture, loft and micro-nutrients.  I like to add a little green sand or kelp into a container situation, too.

4. What region is your nursery in, and what herbs have you found thrive well in this climate? We are in the southern appalachian region, which is rich with native american Cherokee’s herbal legacy.  Because of the intensive biodiversity of this area, the Cherokee had vast herbal resources with which to work and developed some of the most extensive herbal practices of any native tribe.  Because of the diversity, wildcrafting is a popular method of sourcing herbs, in addition to propagation.  Our native American ginseng is probably the most famous from this region and widely considered a superior adaptogenic herb.  Also native here are goldenseal, yellowroot, passionflower, black cohosh, monarda (bee balm), echinacea, black walnut, vitex, gentian, solomon’s seal, bloodroot and many more.  And we also host a wide variety of non-native but naturalized herbs such as yellow dock, dandelion, violet, yarrow, valerian, mullein.  The climate, like everywhere is changing, and so we are experimenting with herbs somewhat ‘new’ to this climate a lot, such as Ashwaghanda, which may be able to overwinter here now, allowing for the preferred second-year harvest of the medicinal roots.

5. For indoor propagation have you found herbs that do better than others? It depends upon the type of herb and it’s requirements.  What we consider annual herbs that tolerate heat can do well in an indoor greenhouse-type environment with a lot of sun.  All kinds of basil, including Tulsi, fit in this category, and some of the Mediterranean herbs such as rosemary can adapt well to a greenhouse.

6. How do I know what to add to my existing soil, and what sources are best for those amendments? Again, it depends upon the type of herb.  It’s best to be familiar with an herb’s native environment, as some grow in moist, boggy spots naturally and some in sunny, dry places.  Mimicking an herb’s native environment is the best way to ensure a superior quality medicinal product.

7. What are common pests htat you have encountered? How do you deal with them? Fortunately, herbs have much fewer problems with pests and disease than do vegetables or fruit.  This is probably due to the extensive breeding and hybridization that the latter have been subjected to.  Also, many herbs contain high levels of essential oils, which are known to repel animal and insect predators and ward off disease, and many herbs simply dont have the obvious fruiting feature that bugs and animals find so tasty.  Organic gardening techniques, such as interplanting and companion planting additionally help prevent such problems.

8. What irrigation methods have you found useful, and what ones have you found challenging and why? Irrigation is an interesting issue as we are in one of the the rainiest counties in the country.  Often, our issue is too much water, especially for non-native herbs that prefer drier, sandy soils (name any Mediterranean herb).  But by in large, my preferred method of irrigation- which we do employ for drought-affected summers, is drip line, preferably from harvested rainwater.  Drip is the most water-efficient form of delivering water direct to the roots, and because we are prone to humidity, and thus fungus, it’s best to prevent watering the aerial parts of the plant.

9. What methods of mulch have you found work well? Some herbs are more tolerant of acid than vegetables, as they are native to the surrounding Piedmont forrest and the leaves that fall naturally.  For herbs and perennials we use leaf litter.  As we are in an urban area, it’s easy to find around fall time when neighbors are raking and bagging leaves.  We drive the truck around and pick up leaf bags to store and use.  The best mulch is year-old, partially decomposed leaf litter; filled with nutrients.

10. What alternatives to chemical herbicides have you found useful for controlling weed growth? Hand control or hoe cultivation works well to abate young weeds.  Mulch is the best method by far to prevent weeds from sprouting.  I’ve heard of organic farmers using torch methods, but havent tried it.  The Biodynamic ‘ashing’ techniques I hear can work well, too.

Ben and Dara Build the Worm Bin at Sugar Creek

Located in the composting area, the worm bin will provide an optimal environment for our red wigglers, night crawlers, earthworms and others, so they can rapidly break down your vegetable and food waste into high quality compost material and worm castings (which can be used to make an excellent fertilizing liquid).  We’ve put a lid on top, as worms prefer dark spaces and recessed the bin into the ground to provide insulation to the worms from heat/ cold.  We left the bottom open to attract more worms and stabilized the sides with concrete blocks we found nearby.

The Worms Are Hungry!

If you have waste you’re ready to dump, please remember the tips below to assure everything goes well:

• Our worms will eat all fruits and vegetables (including small amounts of citrus), vegetable and fruit peels and ends, coffee grounds and filters, tea bags, grains, eggshells, leaves and grass clippings (not sprayed with pesticides).
• Place waste into a pile until it comes just above the cinder blocks. Start new piles next to the old pile.
• Try not to dump fresh waste in areas that look like finished compost to make it easier to harvest. If there’s no room for your waste, there’s a regular compost pile next to the bin on the ground.
• The worms enjoy a cool, damp environment, so it’s important to keep the bin covered. We put some cement board on top that was leftover from a building project

When we do go out, there is not much discussion about where.  Without question we prefer chefs who buy from local organic farms, but there is a particular ingredient in food that we hunt for when we dine out, and its presence alone defines whether we will come again: Love.

Love makes the digestion process easier; the food simply feels better in my body- a more harmonious incorporation.  Love ensures that when the meal is through, I leave in a physical and emotional state superior to arriving.  It is subtle, yet profound and something I do not commonly find, even at the finest farm to table restaurants in the city.

Billy Allin of Cakes and Ale has mastered this art, whether he knows it or not.  My experience with Allin’s food (which is a lot; it’s really the choice for us 4/5 times when we do eat out),  is exquisite food with an accessible presence.  It always is presented beautifully, tastes divine, and just after we’ve eaten is when I noticeably feel better- emotionally, spirits lifted, truly in-joy-in the food.  Post- meal is the litmus test for food quality.  After most restaurants, I feel heavy, sluggish, ugh, ick, whoa……. lots of ways in addition to full.   But rarely better than when I came in.

Interestingly, Allin has recently partnered with another primo chef who has mastered the art of love in the food, too- the lunch or ‘Bakery’ chef at Cakes, David Sweeney.  Eating a David Sweeney meal is best done as an exercise in awareness, when you can truly focus on the elegance of presentation and the literal presence of the food– the energy the food gives off.  I can feel the vibration of the food just having arrived at my table- before I eat.  And I feel its affects on my body.  It is graceful, easy and light.

Through 10 years of yoga  and Geomancy, I have literally made my body a receptor for different qualities of energy, something in which we are all able and all do to varying degrees, conscious or not.  My husband is with me here- a yogi of 18 years, teaches at Ashtanga Yoga Atlanta.  We are people who love to discover the subtle in the mundane.  It’s partly why we grow our own food– it’s richer and more delightful to eat that way.  We LOVE to find love in the food!  And it’s a special treat to dine out and find love.   Thanks to Billy and David for doing what you do!