2010 Hands-On Workshops (HOWs)

Hands-on Workshops (HOWs) are led by professionals trained

and certified by theGreen Gardens Group (G3). These

three-hour, in-field classes help community members

understand aspects of Ocean Friendly Garden construction

through site evaluation and getting their hands in the soil.

Location and registration information listed below.

Upcoming HOWs:

South Bay area --> City of Lawndale

There are three HOWs proposed for transforming the

1,300 sq. ft. lawn behind the City of Lawndale's Library

into an Ocean Friendly Garden.

Location - 14615 Burin Avenue, Lawndale. Click here for a link to a map.

Registration - To register for any or all three, email Senior

Librarian Melissa McCollum:

MMcCollum@library.lacounty.gov

Saturday, February 20, 2010, 10am-1 pm

Site Evaluation (a basic design-centric class), Turf

Removal/Sheet Mulching

The primary objective of this workshop is to help train

homeowners how to conduct a fair evaluation of their

property’s sustainable landscaping assets and deficits,

and select techniques to address the issues found in

the evaluation to enhance the conservation, permeability,

retention, and restoration of their landscape.

Saturday, March 6, 2010, 1pm-4pm

Grading for Rain/Planting and Irrigation

The primary objectives of this workshop is to

demonstrate methods of holding rainwater on a

property, properly planting native plants to ensure

long-term garden success, and installing drip

irrigation to conserve water.

Saturday, March 20, 2010, 1pm-4pm

Stewardship with Organic Practices and Celebration of

Completion

The primary objective of this workshop is to provide

homeowners with a sustainable maintenance template

for their garden.

Who should attend – considering doing it yourself, landscaping professionals, government employees or regular folks who want to be able to communicate with a professional they hire.

Here's what we did in 2009:

West Basin Water Recycling Facility in El Segundo (1935 S. Hughes Way, El Segundo, CA)

• Installed a stormwater capture chamber to detain and infiltrate water from 2,000 square feet of roof (product: Ecorain). We'll spend some time "in class" and the rest out in the garden installing the chambers. You’ll be able to figure out how to capture water at your own home. Fee waived – and it’ll be fun. It's our first one, so we're not sure how long it will run.
• Installing native plants and following proper soil, water and space protocols for success.
• Installed drip irrigation system.
• Click here for before-and-after pictures of a HOW site. Click here for a link to a map to go and see it.

Residential site in Culver City

• Installed elements like those listed above.
  

2010 GAP Workdays

The Garden Assistance Program (GAP) provides hands-on help to assist residents in implementing Ocean Friendly Garden components. The GAP is aimed at those who have attended an OFG workshop, have a highly visible location and/or are in-need (low-income, physically challenged) and invite their neighbors to be a part of the workday. We’ll explain the how-to elements each step of the way so that you can go home and try it yourself. Please remember to utilize the do-it-yourself material on this blog, as well.

West LA/Malibu Chapter area:

Sunday, February 28, 2010, 1pm-4pm, Culver City

The West LA/Malibu Chapter GAP group will be helping an OFG class attendee with transforming her front yard into an Ocean Friendly Garden. What's involved: removing grass, installing native plants and fruit trees and directing rain-gutters to these plants. More details will be coming. Wear sturdy clothing and bring sun protection, water and a lunch. RSVP at oceanfriendlygardens@surfriderwlam.org and type "2-28-10 GAP Workday RSVP" into the subject line and we'll send you the address.

South Bay Chapter area:

Saturday, February 27, 2010, 10am-1pm, Lawndale

This GAP Workday will be focused on doing the work needed in between the Hands-On Workshops to help transform a 1,300 sq. ft. lawn behind the Lawndale Library into an Ocean Friendly Garden. For more information on the HOWs, click here.

Saturday, March 13, 2010, 10am-1pm, Lawndale

Same as above.

Concrete Cutting

Concrete Cutting

This is another step in creating more ways for water to percolate into the earth rather than runoff the driveway and into the storm drain system.

From TreePeople:
"1.) Check to make sure there are no underground utilities or water pipes under the area you are cutting. Contact www.digalert.org.
2.) Break up the concrete surface using a jackhammer or sledge hammer.
3.) Pull out concrete to leave a 2- to 3-inch space between the remaining pieces.
4.) Fill in the spaces with mulch or low-growing, drought tolerant ground cover.
5.) Re-use the leftover concrete" (to build a garden bed or retaining wall)

You can rent concrete cutters from hardware rental and supply stores.

Composting, Bins and Tea

Composting

What Can be Composted

From Surfrider Foundation’s forthcoming “Ocean Friendly Gardens Manual” (OFG manual), Chapter 13:

“Aquarium Water: Straight from the fish tank to the garden, aquarium water is high in nitrogen and phosphorus.

Bone Meal: High in phosphorus, bone meal supports flower production, and helps deter some pests, such as ants. Clean the bones from steak or fish, dry them in a microwave, crush them with a mallet in a bag, and then spread and scratch the powder into the soil.

Catch / Infiltration Basin Sludge: Catch basins and retention areas will eventually fill with sediment and debris, and will need to be cleaned out. This sediment is loaded with a variety of nutrients and can either be mixed right into planter beds or added to a compost pile.

Coffee Grounds: This abundant and often-discarded resource is a good source of nitrogen and can be used as light mulch. When added to compost piles, coffee grounds also help produce nitrogen-rich humus. If asked, local coffee houses will typically give a customer their used grounds.

Compost: Along with the debris produced from a landscape, an actively working compost pile can absorb a variety of oddities, such as hair and dry dog food.

Eggshells: Containing a large amount of calcium and moderate amount of nitrogen, eggshells can either be scattered directly over a landscape, or put in a compost pile.

Feathers: While not an abundant resource unless there is a bird in a house, or the property has a cat, feathers are an excellent source of nitrogen. This resource should be composted.

Grass Clippings: The debris created from mowing a lawn is a perfect high-nitrogen fertilizer if it is cured in a compost pile first. Scattering freshly cut grass over soil does not work as well, because if it is not kept moist then the sun will chemically break them down and they will be blown off the property; on the other hand, if the clippings are kept too moist, they may produce an acidic barrier on top of the soil.

Hair: Human and pet hair is rich in iron, manganese, and sulphur. Hair is best used as an additive in a compost pile, but when used as mulch it can help deter larger pests, such as some rodents and birds.

Kitchen Scraps: Kitchen scraps of vegetables and fruits make some of the richest composts. Kitchen scraps are fleshy, moist, and loaded with nutrients, which speeds the decomposition process and time required to turn the scraps into compost and humus. Tea bags, coffee grounds, crushed and dry dog food, and eggshells can be thrown into this mix. These high-activity compost piles do not require a lot of room, just an area comparable to an old bathtub; yet they provide an excellent source of readily available nutrients. Kitchen scraps are typically high in phosphorus and potassium, but low in nitrogen (unlike animal products).

Pine Needles: An abundant resource in many landscapes, pine needles belong in a compost pile, or used as a mulch to deter weeds. Needles are low in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

Tea Grounds: An abundant resource in many homes and coffee houses. Tea grounds have a moderate amount of nitrogen and low amounts of phosphorus and potassium. This resource should be composted.

Wood Ashes: Completely cooled and dispersed straight from the fireplace to the garden beds, wood ashes are high in potassium, with minor amounts of phosphorus, which is perfect for flowering and fruiting plants. Ashes are a good addition to the compost pile.”

Composting Workshops

City of Los Angeles

http://www.ci.la.ca.us/san/solid_resources/recycling/composting/index.htm

Compost Bins

Those sold by the City of LA at their composting workshops

http://www.ci.la.ca.us/san/solid_resources/recycling/composting/bins.htm

A broad variety

http://www.composters.com/compost-bins.php?gclid=CLSymq65ipoCFRMUagodSTdbFg

Earth Maker

http://www.earthmaker.co.nz/cms/index.php?page=user-guide

Spinning Composter

http://www.gaiam.com/product/eco-home-outdoor/outdoor/composting/spinning+composter.do

Tumble Weed Compost Tumbler

http://www.compostguide.com/Tumbleweed-Compost-Tumbler-Bin-p/200003.htm

Compost Tea

From OFG Manual, Chapter 13: “Compost Tea: An organic concoction that concentrates nutrients in a liquid form. Useful in overcoming degraded areas and supporting productive landscapes. Tea is made by filling a permeable bag, like nylon stocking or burlap bag, with compost (generally made from worm castings, manures, and/or grass clippings) and setting the bag in a large bucket of water. The tea takes frequent stirring, or mechanical aeration, and about 2 days of seeping.”

Grow a Green Manure Crop

From the OFG manual, Chapter 6: “Sow Green Manure: There are a variety of plants that are particularly good at improving degraded soils, called green manures. These plants include those that can fixate nitrogen, like clover and vetch, and those that are tough and vigorous, such as alfalfa, millet and rye. These plants are seeded and once they have a hold of landscape they are tilled into the soil and allowed to decompose. The area will be ready for planting 3 months after tilling.”