[Scpg] Parade of Green Building:Santa Barbara Ca An Invitation from Owen Dell

[Wesley Roe and Marjorie Lakin Erickson]

hi everyone
	Owen is a great friend and incredible Landscape and watershed designer and 
advocate, it would be worth the $10 cost of the parade to just visit his 
home"a incredible Permaculture Designed landscape" and more, we have met at 
his home for a Permaculture Meeting last year
		wes
	

Hello to all,

This is to let you know that our own garden and home will be on the 2004
Parade of Green Building this coming Saturday, May 1, from 10 to 4. (See
http://www.sustainabilityproject.org for more information and to buy
tickets.) Melanie and I would love to see you here. Here is some background
information on what we've done with our property. I hope you'll be able to
join us.

All the best,
Owen Dell
Melanie Yanke

p.s. Please excuse any duplicate mailings.




[This will be available as a handout for all visitors.]

SELF-GUIDED TOUR

1.	PERVIOUS CONCRETE DRIVEWAY: The first in California, this driveway
soaks up water and keeps it out of the watershed. This reduces pollution
and urban flooding while providing water for the trees and plants that grow
in this area.

2.	RECYCLED REDWOOD GARAGE DOORS: Made from old redwood from a
Northern California barn, these doors are an example of something beautiful
made from waste. The handles, by the way, are parts from an old horse-drawn
wagon that came from Melanie's parent's ranch in Texas.

3.	DUTCH DRAIN: Buried in the ground beneath the mulch is a perforated
pipe that distributes rainwater from the adjacent roof into the soil for
use by the plants. Excess water goes out the opening in the curb.

4.	ADOBE WALLS: These walls are made of earth. They are waterproofed
to last a long time and need no maintenance.

5.	NATIVE AND MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATE PLANTS: Most of the plants in the
garden are from one of the 5 Mediterranean climates of the world, including
our own. Because they're well adapted to our dry summers, they thrive with
a minimum of water, fertilizer and care.

6.	MULCH: The composted greenwaste chips that are used for mulch make
use of what was once thought of as waste. Mulch keeps moisture in the soil,
keeps the weeds down, prevents erosion and feeds the living soil foodweb.

7.	ART FROM SCRAP: This giant lacewing is made entirely from scrap
materials. See how many other pieces of art you can find on your tour. All
the art is done by Molly and Melanie Yanke.

8.	MESA LANE PARK: This pedestrian-friendly bench is the first phase
of what we hope will someday be a transformed Mesa Lane, with some of the
roadway replaced with a living bioswale, pedestrian paths, native plants
and other features.

9.	EDIBLE CACTUS: The pads and the fruit of this Opuntia cactus are
both edible.

10.	FRANKENPOT: When this pot fell over and broke, Owen sewed it back
together with brass wire. It should last many more years.

11.	CRAZY LIGHT FIXTURES: One five-gallon plant pot, cut in half, has
served as a pair of light fixtures for many years. Another waste-stream
material put to use.

12.	HAIKU: Here is the first line of a four-line haiku written by Owen.
Can you find the other three?

13.	CAJUN BLACKENED REDWOOD: This salvaged redwood was burned and wire
brushed to make it last longer and give it an aged look. It's a revival of
a very old technique.

14.	FOUNTAIN: This fountain attracts dragonflies and native birds,
including a huge egret, as well as providing a lovely sound and the beauty
of living water.

15.	ADOBE PAVERS: These sand-laid waterproof earthen pavers match the
walls and allow water to soak into the soil through the cracks.

16.	DROUGHT-TOLERANT PLANTS: Extensive use of native plants and
succulents keeps water use in this area very low.

17.	CEDAR FURNITURE: The furniture that is used throughout the garden
is made of rot-resistant Eastern White Cedar left in a completely natural
state with no finishes or stains.

18.	BRANCH TRELLISING: Trellises and cages throughout the garden are
made of scrap branches and fruit tree trimmings.

19.	MOUNTAIN MAHOGANY: This handsome tree is a rare subspecies of a
common California native chaparral shrub, Mountain Mahogany (Cercocarpus).
It has been trimmed only 5 times in the almost 25 years since it was
planted from a one gallon can.

20.	ADOBE STRAW CUTTER: This machine was used to cut short lengths of
straw to be used in making adobe blocks like the ones you see here. It is
believed to be over 100 years old.

21.	GIANT GERANIUM: This plant is a biennial that flowers and dies the
second year of its short life. It's nearing the end of its life cycle now
and will soon produce thousands of seeds to repopulate the garden.

22.	LILY BARREL: The water lily in this recycled barrel is a California
native species, Nuphar polysepalum. We're sorry that you missed the lovely
yellow bloom.

23.	BANANAS: This is an ideal climate for bananas and they bear large
crops each year with little maintenance. Because they are located over a
naturally wet spot in the garden, they need little supplemental water.

24.	FOOD FOREST: Here is our vegetable garden. Look around you. What
other food plants can you find here and throughout the property? Look for
mangos, citrus, apples, bay, peaches, apricots, rosemary, assorted cooking
herbs, guavas and much more.

25.	PERCOLATION CHAMBER: Buried beneath your feet is a gravel pit 4
feet deep and wide. It captures rainwater and stores it in the ground for
use by the surrounding plants.

26.	BRICK ON SAND: These salvaged bricks are laid on a sand base so
that they are permeable and also re-usable if need be.

27.	TIMBER BENCH: This was part of a 100+ year-old oil derrick in Taft,
California.

28.	DOLLY TUB: This is an old "washing machine" that has been converted
to a fountain. Look for the small copper tube that refills the fountain
from the waste water generated by the water treatment unit in the kitchen.

29.	PINEAPPLE GUAVAS: One of the easiest, most climate-adapted of food
plants, these guavas bear large crops each year. Perhaps you'll see the
starlings feeding on the sweet flower petals. Try one yourself!

30.	HUMMINGBIRD HEAVEN: The flowers of these New Zealand Flax plants
attract hummingbirds. Hummer populations have been very low this year.

31.	MEADOW PLANTS: The low-growing grass-like plants you see here make
wonderful, low-maintenance substitutes for lawns. They need little mowing
or watering and hold up well to traffic.

32.	RACCOON SPIKES: The spiky plates on the tree are a strategy for
keeping raccoons off the roof, which they like to use as a latrine,
damaging the roof and creating a health hazard.

33.	RED ROCK: It's not a real rock, but a ceramic one made by Melanie.

34.	ECOROOF: Look up on the roof. The black box with succulents growing
in it is one type of ecoroof, a planted roof area that's watershed friendly
and when used extensively helps reduce the urban heat island effect. This
one is just a small test unit. It could also be used to grow food.

35.	HAND TOOLS ONLY: Here are our basic tools for garden care. We don't
use power tools and actually we don't spend a lot of time cutting things
back, because most plants have been given room to grow to their natural
size.

36.	WORM COMPOST: This bin is full of red worms that are eating our
kitchen scraps and generating rich compost that we use to fertilize the
vegetable garden. A perfect example of nutrient looping.

37.	REGULAR COMPOST: This bin is for composting garden "waste," which
is then returned to the garden.

38.	CHOPPING BLOCK: Here is where branches and other trimmings are
chopped up for the compost bin. It doesn't use any energy and is good
exercise!

39.	SOME OF OUR SUPPLIES: We don't bring much into the garden. But when
we do, everything is organic and beneficial to all levels of the garden
ecosystem. Worm compost tea, organic fertilizers, mycorrhizal fungi,
beneficial insects and other natural products help keep the garden healthy.
No chemicals or corporate products for us!

NOTE: YOU'RE WELCOME TO TAKE THIS TOUR GUIDE HOME WITH YOU. BUT IF YOU
DON'T WANT IT, PLEASE RETURN IT SO THAT OTHERS MAY ENJOY IT. THANK YOU.




THE OCCUPANTS: Owen Dell is a landscape architect and contractor who has
devoted his life to the art and science of sustainable landscaping. He is
also a best-selling author and well-known educator who lectures nationwide
on sustainable landscaping and other topics. Melanie Yanke is a partner in
the acclaimed, award-winning firm of County Landscape and Design, which was
founded by Owen in 1972. She is an accomplished garden designer, artist and
sculptor whose works can be seen throughout the garden. Molly, who is 12,
is also a talented artist in her own right. Look for her ceramic insects
and incredible art-from-scrap pieces as you visit the garden.

THE HISTORY OF THE HOUSE AND GARDEN: Owen has lived here since 1980. The
house was a badly neglected rental for decades before that, and the past
quarter century has been one of constant change and improvement inside and
out. Two major remodels in 1990 and 2002 have improved the functions of the
house, modernized essential features and improved the sustainable qualities
of the buildings. The garden too has seen its share of transformation, from
a dying lawn full of dog holes to its present state. Melanie arrived in
2000 and began to add her own artistic touches and boundless energy. At
present, the property is as close to a state of completion as it will
probably get. The offices of County Landscape & Design are located on the
property, eliminating the impact of commuting.

THE FEELING OF THE HOUSE AND GARDEN: Peace and serenity, graciousness with
an Old California feel, natural abundance and respect for the Earth and for
humanity infuse the property. There is room here for pensive moments, the
sociable gathering of family and friends, efficient work, restorative calm.
In a world where even gardens have become battlegrounds for the war of man
against nature, this is a place of quietude, safety and refuge.

SUSTAINABLE SCALE: No garden or building that is bigger than the needs of
its occupants can truly be called sustainable. As E.F. Schumacher said so
long ago, small is beautiful. But beyond the environmental imperative,
there is another reason that small works so well. The human psyche demands
physical surroundings that are in human scale. Notice that most of the
rooms, indoor and outdoor, on the property are in the size range of 10x10
to 15x15 feet. The gardens are notable for being subdivided, and then often
re-divided again, to meet these size standards. In so doing, the perceived
size of the property increases. Notice how comfortable and safe you feel in
intimate scale surroundings. Overall, the house is only 2500 square feet,
and the lot 7500, which is completely adequate for a family of 3 to 4. In
our opinion, more is wasteful, no matter how "green" the construction
methods. Everything we need is here.

THE SEQUENTIAL EXPERIENCE OF SPACE: As you move from room to room, inside
and out, pay attention to the series of new vistas and pleasant surprises
that you experience. The spaces capture you in a magical way, slowing you
down and making you forget the outside world. It is the sequencing of
views, the repeated concealment and revealment, that give emotional depth
to the experience of being here. Explore and see if you can understand the
benevolent trickery that made this place magical.

THE GARDEN AS A SYSTEM: By developing the garden as a system, one makes it
as efficient as possible. Most gardens are designed for appearance only,
and function is thought of very little if at all. The result is an entropic
condition against which the gardener struggles constantly and without
respite in our year-round climate. A proper garden is homeostatic,
balancing all the forces in the system to the advantage of both the
gardener and the environment. Specifically this means giving plants room to
grow, selecting species that are undemanding and problem-resistant, using
hardscape materials that are as close to a state of nature as possible, and
most of all understanding and respecting the ecology of the living world.
Once the garden has been tuned to work properly, the aesthetic overlay can
be applied with confidence in the outcome. Thus the science of function
marries the art of luscious garden design.

INPUTS AND OUTPUTS: By reducing the quantity of things that enter and leave
the garden, we minimize the undesirable impacts of its presence. Using
local and waste-stream materials, using less of everything, making our own,
watering less, using compost instead of fertilizer, and making sure plants
have room to grow without pruning and generating greenwaste, we free
ourselves and the planet from excess demands.

OFFSITE IMPACTS: To ignore the offsite impacts of the garden is to
blaspheme the idea of sustainability. All materials have an impact on their
place of origin - clear cutting of forests for lumber, strip mining for
decomposed granite, oil drilling for petroleum to make plastics, fuels,
herbicides and fertilizers. By using local materials first, tapping the
waste stream for materials, using renewable and low embodied energy
materials, the impact on the environment is kept to a minimum both in the
garden and in the larger world. A garden that ignores offsite impacts is a
mere symbol of sustainability.

THE SOIL FOODWEB: Landscapers have learned to value and protect the rich
diversity of microbial life that makes the soil its home and provides the
other half of the garden ecosystem. There are 4,000 to 5,000 species of
microorganisms in a single gram of soil, several billion individuals in the
palm of your hand. By replicating as closely as possible the natural soil
system, we preserve the soil foodweb on which our plants, and ourselves,
depend. Mulch, organic nutrients, compost and minimal tilling nourish the
soil foodweb; chemicals, naked soil and constant cultivation damage it. We
grow plants in microorganisms and consider them irreplaceable allies.

SUSTAINABLE MAINTENANCE: It's not enough to build a sustainable garden. It
has to be maintained sustainably too. That means using hand tools instead
of power tools, beneficial insects and other least toxic pest control
methods instead of chemicals, managing water effectively, using compost and
organic fertilizers instead of chemical fertilizers, mulching to keep weeds
down instead of spraying with herbicides, and recycling all garden wastes.
(Although we keep much of the greenwaste on site, some does go out to the
County Transfer Station where is it composted into the mulch that you see
on the ground here.)

A YEAR IN THE LIFE OF THE GARDEN: Most of the time, we spend a couple hours
a week caring for the garden. This is pleasant work - deadheading, watching
for pests, watering every week or two in summer and not much in winter,
cleaning up a bit, planting new plants, harvesting vegetables. Two or three
times a year we spend a day or two taking care of major chores like tree
pruning, thickening up of the mulch, or cleaning out the drains in
anticipation of winter rains. We do not mow, till, double dig, hedge trim,
spray pesticides or pull very many weeds. We simply manage the natural
equipoise of the ecosystem. It is very pleasant work and something we look
forward to.




WHY A PERVIOUS DRIVEWAY? Every square foot of impermeable paving generates
runoff into the gutters and eventually into the creeks and ocean. This
excess runoff creates urban flooding problems and poisons our waterways
while depriving trees and the water table of needed rainwater. By making as
many surfaces as possible pervious, these problems are reduced and the
hydrology of our cities is restored to a more natural condition. The
pervious concrete used in our driveway easily supports the weight of
vehicle traffic, but allows water to penetrate at an amazing 350 inches per
hour. Pervious concrete is growing in popularity as builders and architects
understand its value.

WHAT OTHER PARTS OF THIS PROPERTY ARE WATERSHED FRIENDLY? The watershed
begins at the peak of every roof. Up on our roof is a small test box that
holds soil and succulent plants. It makes use of rainwater and also acts
as insulation. Out in the garden, there's a hidden underground percolation
chamber that catches rainwater and directs it down to the water table.
Other paved surfaces are set on sand and rainwater runs through the cracks.
Mulch and plants help the soil hold water rather than running off. And some
(unfortunately not all) of the gutters spill into the garden rather than
sending water directly to the street. Finally, an all-organic maintenance
program ensures that toxic materials never even show up on the property
much less run off. Landscaping is essential to a healthy watershed.

WE CAN DESIGN AND BUILD A GARDEN FOR YOU! PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT
http://www.owendell.com OR GIVE US A CALL AT 805 962-3253. WE'D BE PLEASED
TO HELP YOU WITH YOUR PROPERTY.

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"Man, despite his artistic pretensions, his sophistication,
and his many accomplishments, owes his existence to a six-
inch layer of topsoil and the fact that it rains."
				author unknown
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		    OWEN E. DELL, RLA
P.O. Box 30433.................Santa Barbara, CA 93130-0433
COUNTY LANDSCAPE & DESIGN......................805 962-3253
FAX............................................805 962-6603
E-MAIL.....................................odell at silcom.com
WEBSITE............................ http://www.owendell.com
LANDSCAPE CONTRACTOR 354451  *  LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT LA 3618
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