Welcome to Martha’s Tiny Tree Farm! This little farm consists of items that I paid absolutely nothing for. The three pots? Found them by the curb. A neighbor was offering them to whoever wanted them. The dirt and the mulch? From my yard. The tree seeds? Their pods fell off my two ironwood trees. I…
In this week’s episode, I discuss summer gardening in the desert. Short take: It’s not easy, but it’s doable. Since garden plants don’t fit anyone’s definition of drought tolerant, they’re going to need human help to keep going. In my garden, that help consists of three things: Here’s another summer gardening tip: Cut back on…
Here’s a drainage swale that’s just sitting there, looking for something to do. Typical for drainage swales when they’re not directing rainwater away from where it isn’t wanted to where it is. That’s the first of the three activities of water harvesting. So, how do I get this swale ready for the summer monsoon season?…
I may not look like a killer, but I am. Now, before you check the Most Wanted List to see if I’m on it, rest assured that I’m not talking about homicide. I’m talking about darn near killing my fruit forest! The culprit? Me! I also had a partner in crime that came in a…
Although it’s tempting to plant desert trees in the bottom of your water harvesting basins, don’t do it. Remember that all-day hike in the rain, the one where your feet stayed wet? That’s exactly how desert trees like ironwood, mesquite, and palo verde trees would feel. Instead, plant those desert trees and shrubs near your…
It’s important to choose the correct mulch for your rainwater harvesting basin. If your basin is going to experience rapid inflows and outflows, it’s best to use inorganic mulch consisting of heavy materials like gravel or crushed rock, rather than an organic mulch like wood chips. Heavy materials are more likely to stay put during…
Meet my studio audience. I caught this mourning dove couple strutting on the fence outside my studio. And birds are the theme of this post, specifically, my appearance on the Birdhugger Podcast. Host Catherine Greenleaf and I discussed how to handle drought with water harvesting, and we also noted one of its key benefits: Nourishing…
This is an episode about rocks. Specifically, it’s about lining the sides of steep-sided passive water harvesting basins with rocks. This will prevent erosion during heavy downpours. The secret? Don’t just place your rocks on the ground. Instead, build a trench for each one. Think of this trench as a nest for the rock to…
Digging a basin? Before you pick up a shovel, let’s pause for an important safety briefing. Please call 811 or use the Call811.com website to get your underground utilities located. You don’t want to discover these utilities by accident, especially gas lines. That could be an explosive experience. That ends our safety briefing. Returning you…
With this episode, I’m beginning a five-part series on passive water harvesting earthworks creation. Let’s start with creating drainage swales like the one shown above. It’s in my front yard, and it’s busy harvesting rainwater. At left, rainwater flows into the swale via the green downspout. As mentioned in this week’s podcast episode, I’m giving…
Starting with a bare lot? That’s what I did back in 2004. If I had to do it overagain, I would have followed a bit of water harvesting advice that I heardseveral years later: Plant the water first. What does this mean? It means that you refrain from planting anythinguntil after you’ve created your earthworks…
Welcome to the first in a recurring series of episodes on this podcast. This one features my swale fail. Here’s your backgrounder: I bought my house in the fall of 2004, and by the end of 2006, my DIY landscaped yard was looking pretty good. But there was one big problem. During Tucson’s summer monsoon…
For this episode, it’s time to visit the wilderness and see how Mother Nature does water harvesting. Take, for example, the drainage swale, which sits at the top of a passive water harvesting system. I liken swales to intermittently flowing rocky stream beds, and the above photo shows an example from southwestern New Mexico. Unless…
In this episode, I introduce three passive water harvesting principles: Passive Principle #1: Think like water. Remember that, regardless of the terrain, it always flows downhill. Do you like where it’s going? Or do you need to send it elsewhere? Passive Principle #2: Decide what you want your water to do. Since rain is falling…
In this episode, I introduce two ways to capture rainwater, passive (guiding water naturally through landscape design), and active (using systems like cisterns and greywater recycling). I also discuss how each method works, summarize the benefits of active and passive water harvesting, and offer real-life examples, from watering gardens with stored rainwater to giving the…
You know what? I hate to let perfectly good water go down the drain! And, with that sentiment strongly expressed, it’s time to address the third of the three activities of water harvesting, recycling “used” water. At my place, I turn laundry day into water harvesting day by sending the “used” water out to my…
This episode introduces the second of the three main activities of water harvesting, storing rainwater for later use. At my place, I store harvested rainwater in a 1,500 gallon cistern. It harvests water from my north roof, which covers 500 square feet. The rainwater flows off the roof, into rain gutters, and through a downspout…
In this episode of the Audiobook Connection Podcast, I discuss my foray into home ownership here in Tucson. And, being a born and raised Pennsylvanian, I wanted trees. Since this is a desert city, I had to figure out where the water would come from so my trees would grow. This podcast shows how water…
I’ve just launched a weekly podcast about water harvesting. And what is water harvesting? It’s actually three things: This episode introduces the first of the three main activities of water harvesting, redirecting rainwater away from where it isn’t wanted to where it is. Let’s talk about where you don’t want rainwater. First and most obvious…
The Rationale: Amidst ongoing news of water scarcity in the western United States, I see an opportunity. For nearly 20 years, I have been transforming my central Tucson home into an urban oasis. The secret to my success: Water harvesting. The Book: In my new book, City Nature, I explain the rationale for water harvesting…
While I was designing my book, I also was dreaming of Press Day. On that magical day, presses would roll, and, a few hours later, large stacks of paper would result. Those stacks of paper would then be bound into finished copies of City Nature. Turned out that first phase of book production was a…