Beginning with our own small corner of the earth, we can make choices that honor our fellow creatures and plants to leave a vibrant balanced earth for the future. Sustainability refers to practices that are non-polluting and resource efficient.
River City Gardens encourages the preservation and care of the planet through gardening. We promote Earth-friendly gardening techniques, from choosing healthy plants appropriate to the garden site to using natural, sustainable and organic soil amendments and composts. Click the links below to learn how you can begin to incorporate organic and sustainable practices into your home gardening. (Click the link a second time to close the panel.)
Every handful of soil contains millions of living microorganisms which form the skin of topsoil that covers the earth. From this topsoil life as we experience it in all its forms is supported. Feeding the soil with balanced and natural minerals, organic matter, and clean water helps the plants grow strong. Soil building is an ongoing process, year in and year out.
Homemade compost is the best for our gardens as it recycles the nutrients from our particular plants. Our model here in the northwest is the deep duff on the forest floor. In late fall the leaves and branches drop to the forest floor where they are broken down by the soil microorganisms. In spring the nutrients are taken up by the plants, the leaves swell, grow and, in fall, drop to the forest floor—the dance continues...
A soil rich in organic matter hold water deep within where it is available to roots during the hotter summer months. Create a system which eliminates toxic gardening chemicals and recycles yard waste on site where it adds to the health of the garden and is easy on the planet.
Holding our winter rain water in the soil is the easiest method of water storage. Soil rich in organic matter from a system of repeated additions of mulches, composts, leaves, etc. is efficient at holding moisture. One or two inches of mulch on top of the soil keep it from drying out in the summer.
Water harvesting is becoming more popular as global warming threatens our climate. Storing storm water falling on the roof can help with summer watering. Green roofs cool a building by creating a green carpet above. Rain gardens and bioswales clean water before it soaks into the ground and keep it out of the stormwater system.
Wild animals visit native plants more often than they visit imported exotics. Northwest native plants are adapted to our wet winters and dry summers and are quite drought tolerant after they are established. I recommend many beautiful and useful native plants for the home garden.
Our agreeable, mild weather also allows us to grow many great plants from other parts of the world. Special attention is paid to placing plants—whether natives or exotics—in the correct plant communities and microclimates.
Every home vegetable garden and fruit orchard saves valuable wild lands from becoming farm land to service city populations with food. When we grow our own food, we know it is free from chemical contamination, filled with life vitality and completely fresh. I encourage using fruiting plants and beautiful vegetables in the ornamental landscape. Berries and seeds encourage birds and other critters to grace our gardens.
- Rejuvenate existing plants
- Reuse/recycle hardscape materials: bricks, stone, wood
- Build and maintain soil health with compost, compost teas, organic supplements and mulches. Protect the soil food web.
- Select building materials that can be reused or will biodegrade
- Use local products
- Mulch beds with organic matter: leaves, compost, lawn clippings
- Sheet compost to decommission lawn
- Reduce lawn size and use a reel mower
- Quiet, non polluting hand tools
- Create habitat for wild animals including drinking water
- Put plants in suitable location to ease maintenance
- Edibles for people and animals
- Plant organic vegetable seeds
- Conserve water
- Keep your rainwater by creating storm water management facilities: Bioswales (ditch planted with water tolerant plants that clean runoff water as it percolates into the soil) and rain gardens for disconnected downspouts.
- Store roof rainwater in barrels or giant tanks
- Install a green roof (garden on top of building that uses rainwater and keeps it out of the storm water system)
- Make and use compost
- Use plants to cool the house in summer and protect in winter
- Trade plants with friends and neighbors
- No chemicals, nothing toxic; remember the kids, the pets, the planet
- Make a beautiful garden to sustain the owners
- Make it financially sustainable
