Companion Planting, Plant Guilds and "Who likes What?"

-->

Companion planting is an ancient gardening method which makes use of the synergistic properties found in Nature: cooperation to achieve optimum health and viability. Creating a plant guild utilizes companion planting, among other methods, to create functional connections between plants, soil, animals –one that mutually benefit all elements in the guild.

We humans have a task to help Mother Nature in our own gardens by choosing plants that respond well to each other, nestle and help each other grow and in some cases actually feed their neighbors.

Have a peek at the chart in our blog post HERE and see what plants you may have in your garden you can move next to your Rose or your Apple tree to see how they nurture each other over time. Contact us if you need help!

Calendula officinalis

Calendula, sometimes called Pot Marigold, is an easy and carefree addition to any garden.  Its origin is practically unknown but history shows it was readily used in ancient Greek, Roman, Arabic and Indian cultures as a medicinal herb as well as a dye for fabrics, foods and cosmetics.   This versatile plant has too many functions and benefits to list here but a few of them to include are:

• Medicine –used to treat skin problems and inflammation
• Companion plant –attracts beneficial predatory insects to gardens
• Human Food –leaves and flowers are good in salads and sandwiches
• Nutrient accumulator –stores nutrients vital to soil health/compost activator
• Self sustaining –self sows and maintains itself in the garden
• Yellow dye –food coloring or cloth  
• Cosmetics –salves, creams and hair coloring

 

 

“California graywater liberation day”

Art Ludwig says this of historic Tuesday, August 4th in California.

Yesterday, California Regulators issued an emergency decision that will allow residents to create simple water-reuse systems without a construction permit. Such as the Laundry to Landscape system that Art Ludwig has modeled for years, in addition to the thousands of other Californians. This emergency ruling is based on CA governors drought condition report of 2007 and last year.

While the single use system is legal without a permit other more complicated systems will require one to go though the permitting process.

http://hcd.ca.gov/codes/shl/graywater_emergency.html

One positive step in the right direction... now let's stop using flush toilets!!

Equisetum hyemale L.

Common name: scouring rush horsetail   -from Latin equus (horse) and saeta (bristle)

Families of vascular plants, horsetails reproduce by spores rather than seeds.  For over one hundred million years the equisetum family dominated the sub canopy of late Paleozoic forests.  They are known as living fossils.

Horsetails are a valuable dynamic accumulator plant very rich in silica but also in magnesium, calcium and iron. As it decomposes these nutrients become available to soil organisms and ultimately our plants.

They are wonderful for bog gardens and for covering a wet low spot where nothing else will grow; always taking care not to let it become invasive to native populations.

Uses:

The leaves are used as a dye and give a soft green color; its extract is often used to provide silica for supplementation.  It’s also used as a fungicide, liquid feed; musical instrument; paper; parasiticide; polish; sandpaper; scourer.