How-to Build a Growing Rack for Seed Starting

Welcome back for the first major post to the blog this year!  I hope you've had a great start to 2015.

If you've been getting seed catalogs in the mail you might be excited to get some things started but we are a bit early yet for most things.  This project might help you satisfy the need to "do some gardening" this winter.  In this video I'll show you how to build a simple and affordable growing rack for early seed starting using a resin shelving unit and fluorescent lights. 

You can also build a rack with wood, or use a wire shelving unit if that's what you have available.  My project is also set up out of the way, but you may have a South facing window and get a nice decorative growing rack that you want to display.  You'll be able to use the lighting section if you want to boost your "daylight" hours. 

For more information on grow lights:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grow_light#Light_spectra_used

If you would like to request seed catalogs follow these links to Seed Savers Exchange, Raintree Nursery, Baker Creek or High Mowing Organic Seeds.  Contact me if you would like links to even more.

Also, if you want a plan for your growing adventures, and the plants you'll start on your new growing rack, this year call or email for an appointment and we can discuss your options and opportunities!

I hope you enjoyed the video and put these ideas to use.  We'll build on this topic in the weeks to come so stay tuned!

Happy New Year 2015

Happy New Year! 

2014 was a great year with the way things came together with the business, completed several interesting projects and took advantage of many learning opportunities.

I look forward to a 2015 with more edible and sustainable design and installation projects, new service offerings and more events. 

Stay tuned, be inspired and let's do great things!

 

 

 

Zero Waste and Bluebirds

Happy First Day of Winter and the Winter Solstice!

Photo: Iowa DNR website

Today I bring you another video with a way to reduce your waste, by building bluebird houses with your wood scraps.  When I build a compost system, fence or raised beds I sometimes have scraps that need to be disposed of.  If they are large enough I like to use them to build birdhouses.

Bluebirds are one of our most loved and useful birds.  They bring a flash of color, and eat a large amount of grasshoppers, beetles and larvae.  Numbers have dwindled significantly due to competition for nesting cavities from the English House Sparrow.  By putting up birdhouses we can help them out and gain some insect eating friends.

Here's more information from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources - Eastern Bluebird

 

Here are the bluebird house plans I used as a base.

Here's a wren house plan if you have smaller pieces.  Wrens are another insect eating machine and do well in town.  Their pretty song is quite loud, so you may want to locate these birdhouses further from bedroom windows.

I won't update the blog over the holidays, so unless you are also following on Facebook, have

a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

 

More Gallery Updates

I've been furiously trying to keep up with several classes I am involved with from Design to Soil Health, as well as working on a project in Urbandale.  The design class has really intensified as far as course work. 

I do have several new blog topics started but don't feel like they have enough information to be "complete."  When ready we will add a couple more under-appreciated plants and techniques for getting more yield from traditionally styled landscapes.


For now I'll share a couple more updates to the Gallery page.


Compost Bins-

 This composting system was made to compliment a backyard garden in West Des Moines for a
family that wanted to reduce their environmental impact and provide a benefit to their garden.




Older Projects

 I built this natural stone retaining wall & tree rings South of Grand Avenue when I was fresh out of college working for Heard Gardens, Ltd. 

I built a lot of stone walls that summer for them, as well as other styles of retaining walls, flagstone and brick patios, tree plantings and perennial flower bed installations.

My crew even planted several trees at the Brenton Arboretum in Dallas Center and Meredith's green space at the West end of Grand & Locust Avenues in downtown Des Moines.

This retaining wall was a rebuild of an existing wall that was showing the effects of time.  We tore down the remaining stones, fixed the slumping hill behind, provided drainage to move water away from the back of the wall reducing the pressure on it, and rebuilt it using the existing stones.  This was my first freelance project and followed it up the next year by doing the upper retaining wall, including a short stairway in the middle.

Large amounts of water flowed down the hill behind this Urbandale home during heavy rains.  This runoff caused flooding in the basement and the homeowner needed a solution.  The dry streambed was suggested as the perfect mix of practicality and aesthetics. 

A channel was dug that moved the water to the side of her home where it continued harmlessly down the hill.  River rock was used to fill the channel, giving it a natural look and resistance to erosion.  Larger boulders and ornamental grasses provided visual interest.



I hope you've enjoyed these pictures of green grass and sunshine!  You can still enjoy the warm weekend, but don't hold it against me if I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas! 

It won't be long and the days will start to get longer again.  I can't wait! 

Thanks for checking in!

2015 International Year of the Soils

The 68th United Nations General Assembly has designated 2015 as the International Year of Soils.

The Food and Agriculture Organization has been nominated to implement the program.  Watch their promo video below.

 

Symphony of the Soil

If you are interested in more, explore the complexity of soil building, mysterious life underground and the soils ability to grow food by watching Symphony of the Soil. 

This version of is available for free stream until December 12 as a lead in to the International Year of the Soils and an effort to help raise soil consciousness.  Beautifully filmed on four continents, the documentary includes various viewpoints from some of the world’s most esteemed soil scientists, farmers and activists.

 

The views expressed in Symphony of the Soil are not necessarily the views of Abundant Design, LLC. 

 

I hope you can find time to watch these videos, learn more about the soil that provides for us, and gain an appreciation for it in the year to come.

 

Thanks for checking in!

 



Backyard Makeover

Well we've had quite the weather ups and downs this week.  About 4" of snow fell earlier, and now today temperatures are in the 50's.  It'll help clean up the icy spots on the driveway and the sidewalks where the snow blew in after it was shoveled.

Between shoveling the drive and eating turkey I updated the Gallery page with one of my first projects as Abundant Design.  Check it out!


Waveland Area Backyard Makeover- After a garage had been refurbished/rebuilt the backyard space was a patch of bare dirt.  We had a nearly blank slate to put any new additions to the yard, but with any rain making a muddy mess we needed to act quickly.
                               
The homeowners had a small concrete slab patio which held their dining set, but they were hoping for a larger space to place a firepit and use for entertaining.  A ninety square foot expansion was built using reclaimed flagstone to meet this goal.  Low maintenance moss will be planted in the gaps.

 A mulched play area where the swing set would be situated was sectioned off with an alternating double brick border.  The existing shrubs and hostas were mulched, to reduce weeds and retain moisture, using a natural edge cut in.  Afterwards the remaining space in the yard was sodded. 

They were also off to a great start with  a small vegetable garden, dual compost tumblers and a rain barrel, but were really interested in perennial crops such as raspberries and strawberries.  Although the yard was heavily shaded by mature trees, there was an area along the property line that had good sun exposure.  This area would provide a planting area for the berry plants that was out of traffics way but allowed easy access to the fruit.  Since it was on a slope, terraced raised beds were installed.

I hope you enjoyed this quick summary of what a project looks like before and after, along with a quick sketch of the plan. 

If you would like to have a project done this coming Spring, or even get a design ready to do it yourself, contact me and we can arrange a time to talk about your productive and sustainable landscaping options!

Have a great week!

Happy Thanksgiving

This week we, as a nation, will celebrate Thanksgiving. A reminder of the Pilgrims' first feasts and celebrations of "giving thanks" to the Creator, during their early struggles at Plymouth colony. 

I want to send out a special thank you to my customers. I am glad I could help you on your journey to a more sustainable lifestyle and bring beauty to your home, with a strong foundation for abundant

yields of the highest quality fruits and vegetables available. In time, I trust the bounty from what we have created will be featured on your Thanksgiving celebration menus. My hope in the future is for those who follow us will be thankful for the trees we've planted, the rich soils we have made and the clean water we've contributed to.

I also want to say thank you to all of you who have supported me in other ways; family and friends who have believed in me and this new adventure I've started. Especially to my wife and kids who have had to put up with me being gone a little more than usual. Those that have helped spread the word of what I am doing, guided me in business decisions and provided help with my videos and blog. I am truly blessed and for that I am Thankful.

Squanto's Garden by Bill Heid

As a thank you gift to you, here is a link to a downloadable .pdf of  Squanto's Garden.

 

"Whether you are an experienced gardener, or just starting out, "Squanto's Garden" has plenty to teach you. The information in this book is designed to help any gardener learn about soil and how it affects the things that grow on it. One of the best aspects of this type of gardening is that you will learn to work with nature, rather than against it. You will learn to create a garden, or transform an existing one, using the same techniques that were used to bring about the first Thanksgiving. You will also learn important and little known information about that early period in American history, and the real truth about the Native American Squanto."

And at the bottom are some printable coloring pages I made for the kids to enjoy!  If dinner gets late it might help keep them busy :)

 

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!