Field Trip!
By Andrea Peck
Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are.
- Alfred Austin
Oh, Mulch! You say?
You've heard enough of rain barrels and water conservation? Does the drought leave you dizzy as you decide between your hose and your water pail? Or maybe you're convinced that a large project is in your future. Rainwater garden or swale, anyone?
Maybe it's time to get out for a field trip to see the real thing. Today I decided to do just that and take advantage of the new docent hours to check out the garden in detail. There's nothing like full color in 3-dimensions to solidify what you've been reading about. The UCCE demonstration garden, officially known as the Garden of the Seven Sisters, is a great place for interested gardeners. It's small enough to make your way around, yet packed with every garden variation. Located at 2156 Sierra Way in San Luis Obispo, the Garden of the Seven Sisters sits on a gently sloping field that began with a bunch of weeds, hole-digging critters and a big, mysterious tree. The past four years have seen a transformation as hard-working Master Gardeners have brought the otherwise neglected land into full bloom all while utilizing the natural slope of the property.
Not only does the garden feature a variety of garden designs, such as lawn alternatives, drought tolerant ornamentals, raised beds and a children's garden, it also contains a large rain barrel, two garden sheds, a rainwater garden, retention basin and an orchard that more often than not, contains two or three trees in one hole. The slope, originally a difficult feature of the garden, was turned into a strength as planning took over. According to Cindy Horney, the main organizer of the rainwater garden, the rainwater garden ended up larger than typically necessary because of the advantage of the slope, which, she says, made deep digging less of a concern. This may be something to think about when considering placement on your own property.
The route that the water travels is interesting, to say the least. I had to ask Cindy at a number of points – where does the water go, exactly? How does this work? If you are trying to follow the “water trail,” the best place to start is at the two garden sheds. Then look up. From that vantage point, you will see the rain gutters and piping that feeds rainwater into the rain barrel. Water that overflows the rain barrel runs through a pipe into a trough that has a pipe which goes underground, below the stairs and pathway. This pipe then feeds water into the rainwater garden.
The rainwater garden is planted with a mix of appropriate plants which need irrigation during dry patches. (For a list of plants, follow this link: http://ucanr.edu/sites/mgslo/files/147107.pdf ). The rainwater garden is meant to hold quite a bit of water, but an overflow plan is a necessity. Water that overflows follows another pipe, under the pathway and is slowed by a curving, rocky swale. This water percolates into yet another pipe, underneath another pathway, into a retention basin. The retention basin holds the water for further percolation.
Each component of the garden, from vegetable beds, succulent gardens, rainwater containment and fruit tree plantings are constructed and planted in a manner that can be replicated in the average homeowner's garden.
The rain barrel, rainwater garden and swales follow Low Impact Development (LID) techniques which focus on distributing, storing, slowing, spreading and sinking rainwater into the land on which it falls. It's a take-no-prisoners approach but remember these are the Master Gardeners we're talking about.
The garden has many points to stop and ponder. The orchard is one area I continue to find fascinating – two or three trees in one hole? Wow, could I have my own orchard in my backyard? “Boom-a-rang” berms? What are those? Because the hill creates runoff issues, berms, situated on the downhill side of each planting were fashioned to create a “boom-a-rang” effect on the water. This not only discourages the inevitable erosion, but it acts as a water hoarder for the trees. I finish my walk and am amazed at the imagination and ingenuity it took to convert this challenging site into an advantage.
Today, I had the docents to myself, which was lucky because I had a whole host of questions for them. I'd like to thank the fearless duo, Merril and Frank, who helped me gain a greater insight into what goes on behind the scenes of the Garden of the Seven Sisters. I'd like to encourage all of you out there to visit and I'd love to hear what you find interesting about the garden and if you have questions, we are here to answer!
Before you visit, check out this link if you'd like to bone up on some of the elements of the garden: http://ucanr.edu/sites/mgslo/Demonstration_Garden/
Consider visiting during an Advice to Grow by Workshop. These take place on the third Saturday of every month beginning at 10:00 am.
Calendar of upcoming ATGB workshops:
ATGB Schedule 2014 Jan to June,
ATGB Schedule 2014 July to Dec.
Hear ye, hear ye, this hot off the presses! There will be a plant sale of drought tolerant, Mediterranean plants after the June ATGB.
The Garden Docent Program Has Begun!
Our educational demonstration garden - Garden of the Seven Sisters - will be open to the public every Thursday and every third Saturday of the month from noon to 2:00 p.m. MG docents will be on hand to answer questions about our many educational plots.
Please make note of the following:
- No pets allowed other than service animals
- Rain cancels
- For more information, call or email our helpline - 781-5939, anrmgslo@ucanr.edu
Finally, visit this site if you would like to be notified of upcoming events by email: