Grass lawns are so 20th Century. Take a look at these ecological alternatives.
“I’m not 100 percent against lawns,” says Brett Graf, owner of Habitat Gardens, an ecological landscape design company in Santa Cruz. “If a lawn is really getting used a lot, then great.”

But on the other hand, he adds, “If you just want a green spot to look at and only go out there once a year, there are other alternatives.”

The lawns that have become suburban American mainstays—you know the type: improbably green year-round, perfectly manicured, and hardly used—don’t stand up so well to today’s environmental standards. They gobble water, crave fertilizers, and require serious maintenance. “They take a lot of time and resources to maintain,” says Graf, adding that most people who use lawn fertilizers aren’t using organic varieties, which means they’re sending pollutants into our creeks and oceans.

So whether it’s time, money or water they’re looking to save, some homeowners opt for lesser-known landscapes. The Food Not Lawns movement has cropped up across the country, from Santa Barbara to Kansas City. The Santa Cruz outpost, which is headquartered at the Laurel Street Manor near the Laurel and Mission streets intersection, promotes replacing lawns with vegetable gardens. And still others go for the zero-maintenance, zero-water “eco turf” (fake grass).

But Habitat Gardens offers a slew of other ecological alternatives to Santa Cruz residents, as well. Putting his background in habitat restoration, permaculture, and holistic medicine—Graf is also a massage therapist and Certified Western Herbalist—to good use, Graf has built a business that caters to the customer’s needs while also promoting sustainable, native, and habitat-friendly services. “Everyone has their own idea of what they want their yard to look like, and I help them to do that in an ecological way,” he says.

Habitat Gardens’ lawn replacement option removes the existing lawn and reshapes the landscape to create contour, shape and elevation changes—this allows for rainwater to naturally flow down to storm drains, getting filtered and cleaned in the process. It specializes in native plants, but Graf says they can also plant non-natives, such as plants from other Mediterranean climates around the world. It also offers mulches as a low-water, low-maintenance yard solution.

Or, if a customer still wants a lawn, Habitat Gardens can replace a standard one with native grass. The most popular variety amongst their clients is the “Mow Free” native grass from DeltaBlueGrass.com. “Because it is native, it’s a little bit better for wildlife,” says Graf. “You might see more birds and more interesting insects in your yard. It only needs to be mowed between zero and two times a year, and it uses 50 percent less water than a traditional lawn.”

While making either of the above switches means uprooting your current yard and investing in a new one, Graf says it will mean cost savings in the long term, noting that, “if you spend a few thousand to take out your lawn and put in a beautiful new landscape with drip irrigation, [for example], that would cost more than leaving it as it is. But if you add up your monthly expenses over the year of watering, fertilizing and maintenance, then you’d be saving money over time.”

Further alternatives include planting thyme or chamomile instead of grass (“It smells good, and it takes even less water than native grass,” says Graf), or installing a rainwater catchment system (which, at full-scale, can be quite large) in your yard—both of which Habitat Gardens is happy to make happen.

“There’s an expectation people have that, first of all, they want a lawn, and second, it has to be perfect, but they don’t even go out and use it,” says Graf. “There are many other options that are so much more enjoyable.” Learn more at habitat-gardens.com. | Elizabeth Limbach

Ocean Friendly Gardens Yard Sign Criteria

An Ocean Friendly Garden (OFG) is a garden that applies CPR – Conservation, Permeability, and Retention – to revive the health of our watersheds and oceans.

Conserving the use of water, fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides reduces the amount of pollutants and water running off a landscape and dramatically helps restore and protect our local waterways and the ocean. Removing turf grass areas as much as possible, and replacing them with native plants or other climate-adapted choices establishes habitat for many species and makes the garden “come alive.” Finally, the proper selection of plants and design reduces maintenance and eliminates the need for equipment that contributes to air pollution.

Permeability within a landscape allows it to hold more of its water and nutrients. This mixture of water and nutrients is healthy in a garden but can accumulate and deplete oxygen in our streams and ocean – killing precious marine life. Permeable walkways and other permeable “hardscape” as well as “living soil” greatly improve a garden’s permeability.

Retaining rainwater in your garden mimics natural processes. Retention/infiltration areas help restore a garden’s natural water resource and replenish groundwater aquifers, which directly benefits the communities that rely on groundwater. These devices are important at capturing the first inch of rainfall after a dry spell —the event called “First Flush” that carries the most pollutants to our ocean. Approximately 600 gallons of water is generated per inch of rain per 1,000 sq. ft. of impermeable surface. The steps of rainwater retention are to take water otherwise running off your property and: “slow it, spread it and sink it.”

An OFG Sign will be awarded to any garden that achieves the following criteria:

CONSERVATION

1) Turf Areas.

a. Climate-appropriate turf grass is limited to 20% of total square footage of the landscaped area.

i. Turf grass is limited to only those areas where it serves a specific purpose (documented play area).

ii. Turf grass is maintained organically without synthetic fertilizers and never over-watered.

iii. Turf grass is kept away from the perimeter of the garden, where irrigation overspray is hard to control.

b. Cool season turf grass is not present in front yard gardens in areas receiving less than an average 44 inches of annual rainfall.

c. Warm season turf grass, if present, is not over-seeded with cool season grass during winter months.

2) Irrigation.

a. No automatic irrigation is utilized OR b. Irrigation system is in good repair (no breaks or leaks) with no

visible signs from stains on nearby hard surfaces or erosion on vegetated surfaces from repeated overspray or runoff.

i. Valve assemblies are installed properly and in permeable areas (preferably surrounded by mulch or gravel).

ii. Irrigation shut-off valves are easily identified. iii. Separate irrigation valves are utilized for each hydrozone

(see “hydrozone” description in 4a below). iv. Back-flow prevention and pressure regulation is visible in

or at the valve assembly.

c. No spray irrigation of any kind is installed in areas less than 10 feet wide OR a total surface area of less than 100 square feet. i. Spray irrigation is matched precipitation, “multi-stream,

multi-trajectory.” ii. Spray irrigation requires anti-drain check valves to prevent

low head drainage. iii. Spray irrigation heads of any kind are installed at least 24

inches from hard surfaces and buildings.

d. Drip irrigation is ! inch diameter tubing or larger — utilizing either line source (“in-line”) OR point source emitters (“on line”). i. No 1⁄4” diameter irrigation tubing is present, except where

needed for irrigating containers and raised beds. e. Hoses have shut-off attachments.

f. Aweather-basedirrigationcontroller(WBIC)or“smart” irrigation controller is installed OR

g. Absent a WBIC, the irrigation controller has a rain shut-off installed.

3) Mulch.

a. A minimum of 2 inches to 4 inches of natural woodchip mulch is present in all planted and open areas.

b. 50% or more of the woodchip mulch must be smaller than 1 inch in length or diameter.

c. Small open mulch-free areas are permitted if they are designated for native bee or insect habitat.

4) Plants.

a. Plants are grouped according to plant community or hydrozones including:

i. Similar sunlight exposure, water requirements, root depth, soil type, hardiness and temperature adaptation, and/or size at maturity.

b. New gardens are planted with sufficient space between plants to accommodate mature growth without over-crowding, and to minimize pruning at maturity.

c. Plants requiring regular shearing are not permitted, unless they are edible or produce edible fruit.

d. Plant material is 80% climate-appropriate unless it is edible or produces edible fruit. (Climate-appropriate plant material is defined as plant material with a Species Factor or Crop Co- efficient of 50% or less or is described by reliable local references as a “medium” water-using plant in the particular climate. In California, use www.water.ca.gov/wateruseefficiency/docs/wucols00.pdf for Species Factors.)

e. Local native plant material is utilized for at least 10% of the visible garden area, whether or not the other plant material is edible or produces edible fruit.

f. Noinvasivespeciesarepresent.Invasivespeciesaredefinedas those listed on the local Invasive Plant Council website as invasive or on the “watch list”. (General information at: http://plants.usda.gov/java/noxiousDriver, and in California http://www.cal-ipc.org.)

5) Water Features.

a. Water features may improve the habitat attractiveness of the garden and are allowed within these guidelines:

i. Water is recycled by the water feature. ii. Open water features are covered at least 50% by

vegetation, iii. All water features are maintained without chemicals or

additives that are toxic to fish. iv. Overflow from the water feature drains into a vegetated

area.

b. Swimming pools and chemically treated water bodies are drained to sewer systems.

c. Swimming pools must be covered to minimize evaporation when not in use.

Page 4 of 7

Surfrider Foundation’s Ocean Friendly Gardens Yard Sign Criteria Updated 10.27.10 !

PERMEABILITY

1) Healthy Living Soil.

a. Soil health is maintained organically without chemical additives. b. Soil health is maintained by the addition of compost, compost

tea, and worm castings. c. Soil is not visible beneath a mulch layer, EXCEPT

i. ii. iii.

Areas 4 inches to 12 inches around the crown of woody plants should remain un-mulched, and Areas 12 inches to 60 inches around the trunks of trees should remain un-mulched.

These un-mulched areas should be minimized, but depend upon the size of the tree or plant crown.

2) Permeable Hardscape.

a. Walkways and patios are made permeable with i. Plants, mulch or decomposed granite in gaps between

pavers or other hard surfaces; OR ii. Construction materials that permit water to “flow-through”

– such as permeable concrete or asphalt. b. Impermeable surfaces or minimally permeable surfaces, such as

permeable pavers or decomposed granite, are graded to direct

excess surface flow of water into adjacent vegetated areas. c. Existing impermeable surfaces such as driveways or large patio

areas have been altered to direct surface flow of water into adjacent vegetated areas or retention/detention devices.

RETENTION

1) Downspout Re-direct.

a. If gutters are installed, all visible downspouts are directed away from impermeable surfaces into vegetated areas, mulched areas or retention/detention devices.

i. Rain chains and other devices to slow the fall of water are recommended as a replacement for downspouts.

b. If gutters are not installed, surfaces beneath the roof eaves are EITHER

i. Vegetated with hearty plants that can withstand the beating; OR

ii. Covered with mulch, gravel or other sturdy and permeable materials, AND

iii. Hardscape surfaces beneath roof eaves are altered to create areas of permeability and direct surface flow of rainwater into vegetated or mulched areas or retention/detention devices.

c. Drains carrying roof runoff or surface drain runoff from back yards or areas not visible to the street are EITHER

i. Directed into rainbarrels or cisterns at the downspouts to slow and reduce the flow of water into the drainage system, OR

ii. Disconnected from their overflow to the street and re- directed into a vegetated or mulched area.

2) Sponge Gardens.

a. The visible garden area has been designed to capture as much of the rainfall from rooftops and other impermeable surfaces as possible.

b. The flat areas on the property have been replaced with high and low contoured areas (“graded retention areas”) to prevent rainfall from “sheeting” across the garden and off the property – helping to retain the first 1” of rainwater after a dry spell: AND/OR

c. A dry creek bed or vegetated swale (“bioswale”) captures the majority of the surface flow of downspout water and water from adjacent hard surfaces, creating sufficient area to slow, spread and sink it.

i. Dry creek beds or vegetated swales are designed to hold at least 1” of rain from roof and adjacent hard surfaces, AND

ii. Rainfall in excess of 1” or the water-holding capacity of the garden, whichever is greater, is safely directed off-site after having been run through vegetated areas, including bioswales and creek beds, to remove pollutants and retain sediment.

d. At least one tree or very large shrub has been planted at its proper distance from hard surfaces and buildings to help naturally store water for the entire garden.

3) Retention Devices.

a. Rainbarrels or above-ground cisterns are visible and are i. Installed properly in accordance with any prevailing local

building standards or codes, ii. Secured for safety purposes, and

iii. Overflow into vegetated or mulched areas, AND/OR b. Below surface retention areas and devices such as dry wells or cisterns are utilized to do the same.

http://us1.campaign-archive.com/?u=b799341cbd24da4a90652f80d&id=06465e04ae&e=f1ed890de6

Announcing Green Festival’s New Blogs We are excited to invite you to take an insider look at behind-the-scenes action in each city with our new Green Festival Blogs. This year’s Green Festival theme is ‘Engagement,’ with exciting new ways to shop green, be inspired, get engaged and give back. Visit our national and regional San Francisco website now to learn more. NEW This Fall: Buy your tickets and get money back to shop! Purchase your tickets online now and get GF Bucks back to spend at Green Festival. GF Bucks work the same as cash with more than 300 local and national green and socially responsible businesses in Green Festival’s incomparable green marketplace. Buy your tickets now and not only will we give you back GF Bucks to spend, but we will also plant a tree for every ticket sold online! Get to know Nature’s Path Nature’s Path is a family-run business that has been committed to organics and sustainability for three generations. As the number one organic cereal manufacturer in North America, we live for healthy, great-tasting organic foods. But we are also a company that wants to do more than just sell cereal – we aspire to advance the cause of people and planet, along the path to sustainability. Connect With Us! Green Festival’s mission is to inspire and inform as many people as possible to help make our world just and sustainable. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter and chat with us online. You are receiving this email because you have opted in at our website or have registered at Green Festival Manage Subscriptions | Unsubscribe GARDENOFBRETT@YAHOO.COM from this list | Forward to a friend Our mailing address is: Green Festival PO Box 2837 Asheville, NC 28802 Add us to your address book Copyright (C) 2010 Green Festival All rights reserved.

Offered by Karsten Mueller, Ph.D., LEED AP, CGBP

Saturday 10/23
9am-noon
At a Beautiful Green Home in Santa Cruz
(2250 Ocean St. Extension)

For more information or to register, see link below.
http://www.cabrillo.edu/services/extension/green.html#green

Green Building and Remodeling Green building is here to stay. This workshop will introduce you to green building basics from a homeowner’s perspective. Whether remodeling or building new, you will learn cost effective ways to create a healthier, more comfortable building while reducing your energy and water bills. This class will answer your questions, help you plan your project, and help you choose the best materials and building professionals.

Class will meet at the site of a completed residential green building project in Santa Cruz for some hands-on instruction and discussion with question and answer time. A map and directions will be provided upon registration.

Class #01HLGB1-05
Sat., Oct. 23
9 am – 12 noon
Project Home (map provided)
Register by Sept. 15: $55

It’s the time of planting our beloved Roots and Shoots or in other words, our yummy, comfort food-inspired starchy roots like potatoes, carrots, beets, etc and the diversity of leafy crops we enjoy all year-round in our mild climate: lettuces, spinach, kale, chard, collards, etc. During the cool season, we do in fact enjoy some fruits too: broccoli, cauliflower and related species do especially well this time of year. Herbs of all kinds can be rampant in the winter so take advantage of your rosemary, lavender, chives, wild leeks, etc.

10/10/10 is 350.org’s World Work Party Day–Celebrating Climate Solutions

TerraGnoma is hosting a work party and you’re invited!
Let’s Get Our Gardens Started at TerraGnoma!
10/10/10, 10am-4pm

ALL DAY LONG AT TERRAGNOMA, WE’RE HOSTING SPEAKERS, DEMOS AND WORKSHOPS in our permaculture-designed, ecologically-built, habitat-rich community demonstration garden:

SPEAKERS
Meet our chickens and bees and learn about adding them to your homestead!
Discover our plant design strategies: beneficial hedgerows, plant guilds and food forests!
Learn about building with salvaged materials by visiting our dry-stacked walls, greenhouse, chicken coop and compost system!
Explore what you can do with the abundance of surplus you create!
MOST of ALL: Be part of a community and “grow with us”!

POSSIBLE DEMOS AND WORKSHOPS THAT DAY, SOME DEPENDING ON THE NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS AVAILABLE:

Planting Demo: Planting the new Avocado Grove and Winter Veggie Crops
Pruning Demo: Roses and other Rose family trees and shrubs
Construction Workshop: Laying out the urbanite patio and pond combo

SO YOU CAN TAKE HOME SOME INFORMATION AND INSPIRATION TO GET YOUR OWN GARDEN STARTED, we’ll also have:

Gnome-grown plants
Gnome-made treats
Gi-gnome-ous raffle

Find Work Parties in your area: www.350.org
TerraGnoma 350.org event page: http://www.350.org/en/node/23202
TerraGnoma Facebook event page: http://bit.ly/9WBlqG

TERRAGNOMA COMMUNITY DEMONSTRATION GARDEN
LET’S GET OUR GARDENS STARTED
10/10/10, 10am-4pm
1147 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, 95062
831-421-2843

Looking for something to do to support the 10/10 action day this Sunday? Come help “break ground” at  Gnomestead Farm–see below.

And again, if you haven’t attended our monthly meeting for a while (or ever), you’re welcome to join us. We welcome your input!

We will be discussing the urban micro-farm project in Live Oak, establishment of a garden-share network/website, the community food mapping project, and possibly hosting a film screening this winter. Lots of ways to get involved with your local food system!

Announcements–Community Events

Work Party–Gnomestead Farm  Sunday 10/10/10
10:00–5:00; 721 17th Ave.–at the corner of Santa Maria Pl. (between Brommer and Portola)
Come and check out the spot where Leigh and Shane Klein are working to set up an urban micro-farm! We’ll be cleaning up the site, preparing the ground for sheet mulching, and starting to envision the site plan. Bring shovels, rakes, and spading forks–and a sack lunch.
For more information, email Leigh and Shane.

Directions to the El Rio Community Room:
The El Rio Mobile Home Park is at the end of Pacific Ave.
From the Eastside: take Water Street downtown, turn right on River and right again on Pacific.
From the Westside: take Mission downtown (which becomes Water St.), turn left on River and right on Pacific.
There is no parking inside the entrance to El Rio, so please park on the street or in the Lens Arts or lawyers’ office lots on Pacific (please double check to make sure that these businesses are closed for the day…)
The community room is just inside the entrance gates in the building immediately on your right.

For more information, visit http://transitionsc.org

This is the newest truck to our fleet!

In 2008, Ecology Action was asked to be the non-profit sponsor of a water-wise garden project at the corner of Wharf Rd. and Capitola Road, adjacent to the Shadowbrook Restaurant parking lot in Capitola. The garden contains almost an acre of California native plants and water-wise landscaping features, installed by many hours of volunteer labor and private sector donations.

Due to it’s current weedy appearance, and lack of clearly defined mulched pathways, the garden is in danger of losing financial support from the Soquel Creek Water District. We need a big community response to prove to the Soquel Creek Water District that the garden is a community treasure and not an eyesore.  To this effect, a community volunteer work party will take place at the garden on  SAT. Sep. 11 at 9:00AM.

It’ll be weedtastic–so please consider coming out to weed and spread mulch with us (that the city generously delivered!) before that glass of wine on Saturday afternoon!!
Please forward this to whoever may be interested in sustaining a beautiful native garden for Capitola~Hope to see you out there!

PILKINGTON CREEK CLEANUP & HABITAT RESTORATION

WHEN:  September 11, October 2 & 23, 10am to 1 pm. Please join us for one or more of these dates!

WHERE: Meet near the whale sculpture outside the Museum of Natural History (located at 1305 E. Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, 95060)

WHAT: Join our team of weed whackers to clear out invasive English Ivy and Mattress Wire Vine, an alien invader from New Zealand that’s smothering plants in Pilkington Creek that runs into Seabright Beach from the grounds of the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History. After we clear out pesky weeds we will create a natural riparian habitat with California native plants.

DETAILS: Wear long sleeves and closed toed shoes. If you have gloves and tools, bring them. Otherwise  we will supply them. Bring a sack lunch and we’ll picnic after we work.  Under 18-year-olds need to come with a parent or adult guardian who can sign a volunteer release for them.

CONTACT: For more information, contact Nancy Lenz: nanlenz@cruzio.com or 831-426-5252.

This project is a collaboration between local community members, Friends  of Parks and Recreation, Seabright Neighborhood Association, City of Santa Cruz Parks Department, and the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History. It is one of several in Santa Cruz County made possible by a grant from the Chuck Haugen Conservation Fund.  http://www.chuckhaugenconservationfund.org/

Mark your calendars now so you don’t miss out on this important event. Join thousands of cyclists during the best time of year in Santa Cruz – Fall!

Ride your bike to one of our sites and receive a FREE and healthy breakfast! Also, fall 2010 Bike to Work Day participants who complete a commuter survey at one of the breakfast sites or online are eligible to win a FREE Zipcar Membership.