I love working in my garden. It's a good feeling to be outside after a long day of coding or imaging, and gives me a sense of accomplishment come harvest time. Unfortunately, the garden area that existed when we first purchased the home died. It seemed the sprinkling system was built as a DIY project, and didn't last very long. As such, I lost a primary watering source. And then, just when I thought I had it figured out, Utah was plunged into a very difficult drought. Cutting back on water meant the death of my lawn, which was sod that never developed very deep roots.
So now my gardening project is two-fold: To restore a lawn that is drought-tolerant and to participate in the Urban Farming Project.
New Lawn Ideas: We all are aware of the ideal lawn, because we see it all over the media: perfectly manacured, green grass that is watered regularly and sprayed for weeds. Why wouldn't you want such a lawn? Well, for starters, it takes a lot of water, depending on the lawn you choose. And then there are the toxic herbicides that are used to kill weeds while growing lawn. All in all, it's a dangerous mixture.
Enter a new thought on lawn: thyme. Thyme is a low-growing plant that is generally used for ground cover within flower gardens. It works great, beacuse is covers the ground quickly, trails over stone, and has a fragrance that is heavenly. It's also drought tolerant, and doesn't require mowing at all. As such, it's a perfect alternative to your typical Kentucky Bluegrass which takes up to 70% more water to survive. The only remaining question: does the City allow for alternative lawns?
Urban Farming Project: There are far too few people that know where exactly their food comes from. As such, when a scare comes regarding a specific location or farm, they panic and don't know what to do. One way to combat the ignorance of food sources is to grow your own.
Urban farming is just that, farming in an urban location with limited space. The obvious problem is finding locations to grow food, and yet still be able to enjoy your space. I've been converting some of my lawn to garden space to grow grapes, artichokes, peas, tomatoes, eggplant, purple carrots (yes, I said purple!), corn, pumpkins, and green beans. It will be utilizing a small space with a lot of concentration for the crops.
I also use a section of my flower garden to grow fruit trees and herbs. Herbs are not only aromatic, but some also provide excellent insect repellant. My favorite is Mint, mostly because it's really hard to kill. But I also have some basil, parsley, sage, rosemary, lemon thyme, dill, and lemon balm growing in the yard.
Something I'm trying new this year is what's called "the three sisters", which is planting corn, pole beans, and a squash together. This is an ancient planting method that has been used for centuries to increase yield from a small space with minimal resources. The corn provides stucture for the beans while the squash provides a canopy over the roots to keep moisture from evaporating too fast. I'm excited to see how it turns out.