Sustainable Grounds Project
Garden Parties
- Spring Planting
On Saturday April 3rd, 2010 nineteen volunteers put in twenty CA native and drought tolerant plants.
Cal Clauer Memorial Lavender
- Mulch and Munch
On Saturday October 3rd, 2009 eleven volunteers got together for the first Sustainable Grounds Garden Party. Lead by Connie Springer the volunteers moved five yards of mulch over the open areas on the east end of our building. The mulch will help the appearance and start to improve the soil for our transition to sustainable native or drought tolerant plantings.
A huge pile of mulch (five yards).
Background
When the Social Action Team conducted a survey in spring of 2008 on green practices 94% of respondents indicated support for landscaping Fellowship grounds with native and drought tolerant plants. When the congregation was asked, during the Social Action Sunday service in April 2009, what kinds of projects they would be excited about one of the suggestions that received enthusiastic support was growing native, edible and drought tolerant plants.
The Social Action Team selected this project for use of the endowment funds earnings that have been put into our care for the past two years. Under the terms of the endowment funds these earnings are to be used on a project that is not part of the routine operation of the Fellowship and that has a Social Action purpose. We feel that the installation of sustainable landscaping meets both criteria. Landscape maintenance however, including that of new sustainable plantings, will not be covered by these funds. Since the Sustainable Landscape that we plan to install should result in lower costs and efforts in ongoing landscape maintenance we believe this does not pose a problem.
Purpose
- Build awareness within UUFLG of the environmental impact of landscaping choices and generate commitment to sustainable practices in our Fellowship grounds and in our individual homes.
- Provide education to UUFLG members and the community at large on sustainable landscaping: what it means, what are the benefits, how to prepare soil, how to select and install plants, how to maintain.
- Build a connection between spiritual practice and environmental action. What we do with the grounds entrusted to us is an active statement of our connection to the web of all being.
- Improve the appearance of UUFLG grounds while practicing sustainable gardening and reducing our environmental footprint. Our church grounds are the most visible statement to visitors and passersby of our commitment to healing the earth's natural systems.
- Provide an example to UUFLG members and the community as a whole. Eventually become a stop on the local annual Native Gardens tour thereby continuing the educational aspects of the project and at the same time increasing the visibility of the Fellowship and of Unitarian Universalism.
Principles
- A healthy garden starts with healthy soil. A well composted soil encourages beneficial soil organisms, while at the same time discouraging harmful pests and disease. Compost is absolutely essential to an organic garden. Investment in healthy soil pays off in thriving plants. Chemical insecticides and fertilizers undermine the health of soil.
- Responsible use of water in our drought prone area dictates use of native and drought tolerant plants, well maintained drip irrigation, and adequate mulching.
- Gardens with greater diversity of plant types and structures provide habitat for a wide variety of insects including the beneficial insects that will naturally take care of 'bad' insects without the use of chemical insecticides.
Overall Project Plan
This will be a multi-year project with Phase I starting in the fall of 2009. Success is defined as 50% of our plantings being native with most of the rest being either edibles or drought tolerant. Some existing plantings will be kept due to their significance to members of our community, for example, the roses in our memorial rose garden. All plants installed in the preschool yard will be non-toxic and preference will be given to non-toxic plants throughout the grounds. No plantings are planned for the play yard on the south west corner of the property. Nineteen area have been defined including the narrow strip along the fence on the east side of the property. In Phase I priority will be given to areas of greatest visibility and impact.
Tasks
| Description | Start Date | Team Members | End Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Draw a plot plan | By end of Aug 2009 | Connie | 9/8/09 (Done) |
| Identify and label each planting area and calculate number of square feet in each. | By Sep 15, 2009 | Connie & Walt | Done |
| Survey existing planting and for each plant determine whether to take out immediately, 2) keep until we have a suitable replacement, or 3) keep (it is suitable for a sustainable landscape). | By Sept 15, 2009 | Connie & Sue | Done |
| Add all plants to plot plan and plants list, color coded by water use | Connie | Done | |
| Photo documentation of grounds now and of stages of the project. | On-going | All | |
| Identify highest priority areas for first year (October 2009) planting. | By Sept 15, 2009 | Connie with B&G | Done on 9/13/09 |
| Identify areas to be mulched in 2009 pending future plantings. | By Sept 15, 2009 | Connie with B&G | Done on 9/13/09 |
| Calculate amount of mulch for Phase I | By Sept 15, 2009 | Connie & Walt | Done |
| Order Phase I mulch | By Sept 15, 2009 | Connie & Walt | Done |
| Spread Phase I mulch | 10/3/09 | 11 Volunteers! | Done 10/3/09 |
| Purchase Phase I plants for Spring Planting | Jessica, Sue S. & Connie | Done | |
| Plant 20 drought tolerant plants (16 are CA natives) & remove several water hogs | 4/3/10 | 19 volunteers! | Done |
| Update plot plan and plant lists | Done on 4/3/10 | ||
| Install drip irrigation for new plants (to be removed after two summers) | By end of April 2010 | ||
| Replace front door planters and plants | |||
| Replace entrance drive planter and plant | |||
| Identify areas for Phase II mulching | |||
| Order Phase II mulch | Summer 2010 | ||
| Spread Phase II mulch | |||
| Design, produce & install permanent labels/markers for native plants | |||
| Remove additional water hogs | |||
| Select & purchase plants for Phase II planting | |||
| Plant Phase II plants | 10/01/10 | ||
| Design planting scheme for east fence |
Resource Area
- Middlebrook Gardens Plant Nursery is the only nursery in San José specializing in native plants. Check out the Garden Gallery on this site for some inspiring examples of residential native gardens.
- California Native Plant Society of the California Native Plant Society is a great source of information on California native plants. Watch their calendar for interesting talks and for plant sales.
- California Native Garden Foundation provides classes, lectures and workshops on gardening with native plants. There are some great pictures of native gardens on this site.
- Growing Native site offers a series of articles about gardening with natives. Of particular interest is one titled Why grow native California plants?
- Common Ground Organic Garden Supply and Education Center in Palo Alto offers supplies, plants and information on organic gardening. They offer great classes and often have native plants and seeds for sale.
- Yerba Buena Nursery sells over 600 varieties of plants native to California and their 2 acre demonstration garden is worth seeing. The website offers a long list of Garden Guides full of information and design ideas.
Address: 15980 Blossom Hill Road, Los Gatos, CA 95032
Phone: (408) 358-1212
Email: admin@uuflg.org