Voila! Ventura Lawn Vanishes!
Posted on 09. May, 2012 by pamela in G3 Blog, G3 Community, G3 Education, G3 In The News, G3 Media, G3 Partners, Homeowner, HOWs, Ocean Friendly Gardens, Rain Gardens, Surfrider Foundation, Ventura County, Watershed Notes
Surfrider Ventura GAP Workday Site
The lawn at 1538 San Nicholas St. in Ventura vanished last week in anticipation of the Ventura Surfrider Ocean Friendly Gardens Garden Assistance Party Workday on May 12. The GAP Workday is the fourth and final event in the creation of an Ocean Friendly Demonstration Garden through a California Coastal Commission Whale Tail Grant for the County of Ventura. Since March, the grant has enabled more than 35 people to attend a Watershed Basics Class and Hands-on Workshop: Site Evaluation, as well as subsidizing a professional training Core Concepts Workshop. People who received scholarships to the Core Concepts Workshop are paying it forward by assisting G3′s Pamela Berstler and Renee Roth (Ventura/Santa Barbara G3 Regional Coordinator) in fulfilling the mission of the grant: to build an Ocean Friendly Garden in a highly visible residential site through neighborhood involvement, sparking change within a community. Learn more about what’s happening by reading the OFG Article Ventura Breeze 5.2.12 contributed by John Burke, a.k.a. LAJOHNNY, licensed landscape architect and recent CCW Ventura survivor.
Dan Long's Lawn Before GAP Workday
Since the grass on this property was mostly kikuyu and warm-season bermuda, a sod cutter was employed to remove the bulk of the organic matter on top. In preparation for the Workday, homeowner and environmental advocate, Dan Long, will be tackling some hand removal of the largest clumps of remaining grass roots and stolons. Dan also is arranging delivery of the materials: plants, compost, mulch, paper for sheet composting, and downspout redirecting supplies. Oh, and food too! Sign up for the event so we have enough pizza.
Pasadena Residents Learn HOW To Sponge Up The Rain Garden
Posted on 01. May, 2012 by pamela in City of Pasadena, G3 Blog, G3 Community, G3 Design Studio, G3 Education, G3 In The News, G3 Media, G3 Partners, HOWs, Los Angeles/South Bay, Pasadena Sponge Garden, Rain Gardens, Watershed Notes
Christie Beniston's Topairies At Pasadena Sponge Garden
A collaboration on the part of Pasadena’s Public Works Dept. and Power & Water, along with Pasadena Planning Department’s Cultural Arts Division and G3 led to the installation of an amazing Sponge Garden at the intersection of Union and Catalina St. through an all-day G3 Hands-on Workshop. The Sponge Garden (a.k.a. Rain Garden) was designed to complement artist Christie Beniston’s Topiaries sculpture, which, when placed in an urban setting, symbolizes the human drive to influence nature in all types of environments. Topiaries is one of several art installations on display throughout Pasadena as part of the Rotating Public Art Program, funded by Pasadena City Council in July 2010.
The Sponge Garden accompanying Topiaries is another manifestation of the human drive to influence nature. 25 Pasadena residents gathered first to learn about and then to implement the techniques of Conservation, Permeability, and Retention (from Surfrider Foundation’s principles of C.P.R.) and build a landscape that is friendly to people desiring a slice of nature as well as to nature herself. It is truly an Ocean Friendly Garden, despite being so far from the ocean.
Topiaries In Completed Garden
The new decomposed granite pathways wind through the garden, shaded by mature CA live oaks (Quercus agrifolia), which are nurturing a whole legion of smaller kin at their roots. Intersecting the pathways and seating areas is a dry creek bed, reminiscent of the nearby Arroyo Seco. No soil was removed from or imported to the site, so the contouring of the land was a result of excavating the paths and creek bed. Plants that thrive in the Pasadena climate, and are mostly native to the local ecosystem were placed atop berms comprised of the native silty loam (if they were dry-adapted) and within the creek bed (if they were comfortable with more water in winter). In the morning, residents learned how to figure out their grade change using a bunyip and how to determine their soil type and compaction profile. Although the turf already had been hand removed from the site, a demonstration of sheet mulching was conducted so everyone could envision how turf might be removed without chemicals.
After a delicious boxed lunch from Lovebirds Cafe, courtesy of Nancy Long at Pasadena Power & Water, the reinvigorated crew undertook to plant the more than 100 one gallon and four-inch container plants using the G3 Planting Technique of watering 5 times! That took a lot longer than everyone thought it would, but everything looked super perky when completed. After planting, a demonstration of installing on-line drip irrigation was conducted, and the site was thoroughly mulched 3″ – 4″ with natural woodchip mulch, courtesy of superwoman Karen Balchunas of Pasadena Public Works, and watered in.
G3′s Pamela Berstler conceived of the original site plan, which was taken by Pasadena Public Works Dept. and turned into the beautiful garden constructed during the HOW. Patrick Healy, Regional Manager of Merchants Landscape Services, Inc., a C-27 landscape contractor, installed the project and picked up any loose ends at the completion of the HOW. Now it’s up to Pasadena residents to add their personal experiences to the garden and enjoy it all year long. Read the City of Pasadena Website Article.
Newport Beach WaterMiser Workshop
Posted on 04. Mar, 2012 by pamela in G3 Blog, G3 Community, G3 Education, G3 In The News, G3 Media, G3 Partners, Orange County, Speaker Series, Surfrider Foundation
Thursday March 8, 2012 – Thursday March 8, 2012
Newport Beach Public Library
Description:
It’s time for the 4th annual WaterMiser Workshop located at the Central Library. The focus of the evening will be on Ocean Friendly and native planting with emphasis on water conservation and water quality (reducing and eliminating runoff). Vendors will set up booths to display their products and services. G3′s Pamela Berstler and Surfrider Foundation’s Paul Herzog will be presenting in the main room and answering questions about Ocean Friendly Gardens.
This event is fully catered (dinner) and, as usual, will host a raffle of vendor’s donated items. Join us to hear our talk or to meet with local landscape designers who will be conducting EGG TIMER CONSULTATIONS throughout the evening at the G3 Table. Bring your design ideas or problems and consult with these experienced local designers who specialize in Ocean Friendly Gardens.
Green Industry Speakers Features Pamela Berstler
Posted on 14. Dec, 2011 by pamela in G3 Blog, G3 In The News, G3 Media, Speaker Series
G3's Pamela Berstler Speaks On A Variety of Topics
A new source for green industry speakers is featuring G3′s Managing Member, Pamela Berstler. Please check out the new site, or send the link to someone you know who is booking speakers for events.
Information about having Pamela speak at your event also can be found at Great Garden Speakers.
Oxnard Residents Learn HOW To Lose The Lawn
Posted on 13. Dec, 2011 by pamela in Build Habitat, G3 Blog, G3 Community, G3 Design Studio, G3 Education, G3 In The News, G3 Media, G3 Partners, Homeowner, HOWs, Living Soil, Ocean Friendly Gardens, Rain Gardens, Sod Story, Speaker Series, Surfrider Foundation, Ventura County, Video, Watershed Notes
Oxnard's Newest Ocean Friendly Garden
G3 led a series of Hands-on Workshops (HOWs) sponsored by the City of Oxnard, to help people understand how to transform their lawn into an Ocean Friendly Garden using significantly less water, with healthy, living soil supporting CA native plants, and retaining the rainwater from the adjacent roof of the home. Ten homeowners followed the series from the Watershed Basics Class (held in a classroom), through the Site Evaluation, Sheet Mulching a.k.a. Soil Lasagna, ending with Planting & Irrigation.
Making Soil Lasagna In Oxnard
The resulting Ocean Friendly Garden, or “Sponge Garden,” is an inspiration to the entire neighborhood and all residents of Oxnard, demonstrating Surfrider Foundation’s tenets of C.P.R. – Conservation (native plants, no chemicals used to remove turf, drip irrigation), Permeability (healthy, living soil created through sheet mulching), and Retention (downspouts re-directed into the landscape sponge).
The City of Oxnard Ocean Friendly Garden is located at 2820 Hill Ave., and is visible from the street. Please do not walk on the property. The garden is best viewed from the sidewalk.
This Oxnard Lawn Will Soon Be Gone!
