Blogs
Permeable Patio Maintenance
Permeable paved surfaces allow rain water to pass through them, reducing the volume of water that runs off the surface.
Last week Andy and I went to visit the permeable patio we installed last year at Ingebretsen's Gifts.
The plants that Julie Ingebretsen installed in the rain garden are growing nicely and the rain garden is performing quite well. Unfortunately, small areas of the permeable patio under the downspouts were not allowing water to flow through.
Green Walls on Lake Street
Earth Wizards worked with the Lake Street Council to apply for a grant from the City of Minneapolis to develop graffiti prevention demonstration projects. Lake Street Council received the grant and Earth Wizards will be installing one or more "green facades" on east Lake Street in 2008.
Caring for your new asphalt driveway or parking lot
After a new asphalt surface has been installed, specific guidelines should be followed while the asphalt "cures", or hardens.
As a rule of thumb, don't drive on your new asphalt for 3-5 days, and don't park on it for 7-10 days. This length of time depends on several factors, and some asphalt surfaces can be designed for immediate use within 1-3 days. Ask the job foreman or superintendent to be sure.
Juxtaposition Arts Green Roofs Workshop
In April I was asked to lead a green roofs workshop at Juxtaposition Arts as part of their "Kids Green Revolution". Kids in this class learned about a range of sustainable technologies and products and how to incorporate "green" ideas into design.
With generous donations from GreenGrid, Northern Perennials, and the MN Green Roofs Council, we planted modular green roof trays with shallow-rooted natives. Students will care for the trays over the summer.
Native Plant Profile - Northern Blue Flag Iris (Iris versicolor)
The Facts:
Zones: 3-9
Native to: all of Minnesota
Height: 2 to 3 feet
Spread: can spread up to 2 feet a year
Our Waterways Are Becoming What Falls Into Them
As homeowners we impact our waterways, sometimes with disastrous effects. More development means more impermeable surfaces. Impermeable surfaces are hard surfaces that do not allow water to pass through them.
Native Plant Profile - Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)
This is one of my absolute favorite plants, with its compact form and
vibrant orange flowers. Plus there’s the added benefit of attracting
butterflies, hummingbirds and bees, due to the copious amounts of
nectar it produces. In fact, it’s one of the larval food plants for
the Monarch Butterfly. Butterfly weed is a member of the milkweed
family, and has the characteristic seedpods filled with silky-tufted
seeds, but is unique in that it does not contain milky sap like most of
the other members.
Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs) available to Metro area communities
