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Taming the BlackberriesMy vision was to cover the "weeds" with cardboard, then add wood chips. This is what I tell people to do. I have done it a hundred times on large and small properties.
We worked hard to put in some logs for terracing and planted a few shrubs.  And then the rains came, And the blackberries got a BIG boost.  Year 3 One (popular) idea is to use a dark plastic tarp, to prevent photosynthesis which kills the weeds. SO, in the fall we put a giant tarp at the bottom of the slope and it stayed on from October until the next June. My father built greenhouses for a living, so I was skeptical of the tarp idea, (plastic with heat=greenhouse). So, I kept up with the cardboard on the top part of the slope. Then the leaves fell and the winter came.  Then early in the year cardboard again, then wood chips to hold the cardboard down.
And now to check on the weed suppression tarp method!
Still fighting all the invasives, but we are also implementing more trees & shrubs. Progress! Year 4 Every year we start in the early spring with more cardboard - a truckload of it!! Otherwise, all the work from the previous seasons gets nullified, and all the plants & shrubs will get overtaken. LOOK how it's thriving in year 4!!
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  Do you have a Salmon habitat? Find out with the fun map below!!
 Puget Sound, as shown in SalmonScape, a GIS-based interactive map  I thought I'd let you in on this hidden space I found to grow a garden!! It's basically the required setback between two buildings in a commercial district. I spotted it one day while on my way to visit a friend at work, and thought it would be a great area to demonstrate a "microclimate." So, with permission, here's a picture-story of what we're doing..... NEVER UNDER ESTIMATE THE POWER OF A VISION!
This microclimate works because the buildings are tall and create shelter from extreme heat, cold and wind. One of the buildings is metal, which is a heat-sink that radiates heat during the day and on into the night. An Eagle Scout project provided the raised beds and the installation, in perfect alignment with the aesthetic. We know we're on the right track here when even the smallest inhabitants are finding a cozy and inviting home! |
