Resources & Assignment

Howdy All!

Here are some resources I promised during the class:

Links to view and download free USGS topographic (contour) maps of the whole country:
http://terraserver-usa.com/usgsentry.aspx?T=2&S=16&Z=18&X=52&Y=368&W=2

http://store.usgs.gov/b2c_usgs/usgs/maplocator/(xcm=r3standardpitrex_prd&layout=6_1_61_75&uiarea=2&ctype=areaDetails&carea=%24ROOT)/.do


Forest Garden Immersion Course: April 23-26 -- Tons of Forest Gardening Fun!!!
http://www.livingmandala.com/Living_Mandala/Forest_Garden_April_09.html

I told somebody I'd include a multi-functional permaculture "native" plant list:
http://www.appleseedpermaculture.com/docs/Pc_native_plantlist.xls

And here's a great Earthworks article by Darren Doherty:
www.appleseedpermaculture.com/docs/DD_PCA_DamArticle.pdf

And here are this month's assignments.
PLEASE SEND ANYA AND I YOUR RESEARCH PAPER IF YOU HAVE NOT YET DONE SO!!!

Here is an article from the wall street journal on water :

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123483638138996305.html

quantification! ??

How can I find out how to quantify my (as yet untrialed) food production? Are there tables somewhere of "this plant on this much square feet will produce this many pounds?"

my research project outline

I'd love to get feedback on this! Resources, lack of clarity, questions, whatever you've got. Thanks!

HOW CAN I GROW MORE FOOD USING VERTICAL SPACE?

The problem: I rent half a two-family house. My gardening space is limited to: one bed (6' wide) aligned east-west on the south side of the house (25' long), and one bed (6' w) aligned north-south on the east side of the house (12' l). The south side also has a 25' open porch and ~6' x 3' of usable pavement.

Question: Are there ways to go beyond trellised vines and shrub or tree crops, and increase usable soil volume vertically?

Continue to research available material for relevant concepts

• Edible Forest Gardens by Dave Jacke
• Planting Green Roofs and Living Walls by Nigel Dunnett and Noel Kingsbury
• Fresh Food from Small Spaces by R.J. Ruppenthal
• Gardening on Pavement, Tables, and Hard Surfaces by George Schenk
• All New Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew
• Espaliers and Vines for the Home Gardener by Harold Perkins
• Edible Buildings - benefits, challenges, limitations by James Petts, PDF
• "Little Homestead in the City" website
• further book, web research

Idea 1: Design "ladder" planter

• does it already exist? or something similar?

• how can I tie it in to other garden functions?

• vermiculture in bottom? (closer to kitchen than current compost bins)

• what materials? considerations: lightweight, durable, recycled, free/cheap

• is pallet wood feasible?

• could we create something similar with a box spring mattress and wire screen?

• how will screen stand up to time and moisture? Is there something else, lightweight?

• what planting material? - sphagnum moss? - and? -ratio sphagnum moss to compost to soil?

• how best to layer planting material?

• control of moisture - placement under roof drip? too much too fast in storms?

• can we make it in sections so easily (seasonally) movable?

• will it go in the "hoop house" on end of porch? will things continue to grow?

• what needs to be tweaked? angle of ladder? width? depth of "step"

Analyze expected niche and choose desired plants

• east side, south side

• depth of soil, root patterns

• edible forest gardens

• one green world

• fedco seeds, trees
  

Build several ladder planters, place in different locations and record growth, yields

Idea 2: Build a 7'x7' "hoop house" on south-east end of porch.

Learn more about hoop houses - check with Daniel Botkin - what can I expect?

• will ladder planters go in hoop house? necessary?

• water containers (water for temperature maintenance) - durable, recycled, free/cheap
• summertime hoophouse could heat compost
  

Idea 3: Some trellises, vines on strings, or espaliered small trees along porch.

• decide which and what

Integrate all 3 ideas.

resource for further exploration - Yestermorrow

A resource for further skills, building, design, practical/technical, at any level - people I know who've gone rate it 2 thumbs up!!
http://www.yestermorrow.org/

This design is particularly interesting because it blends community space with urban farming.

http://landscapeandurbanism.blogspot.com/2008/02/ps-1-work-architecture-company.html

Here is a blog I found a while ago with some interesting posts involving urban landscape.

http://landscapeandurbanism.blogspot.com/2008_02_01_archive.html