Get Paid to Up-Level Your Lawn

The drought-tolerant natives looking good in the lawn while restoring habitat 

If you have a lawn or remnants of a lawn, you may be eligible to get paid to replace it with a drought tolerant landscape. The California Department of Water Resources runs a rebate program that pays $2/square foot up to 1,000 sq. ft, so you could get up to $2,000 basically. PLUS, you can grow fruit trees, perennial food plants, fruiting shrubs and vines which still count toward your drought tolerant landscape. That’s a sweet deal. Also, you must include at least 1 tree in your landscape project (either new or existing) to be eligible. It’s a 2 step application process. Make sure to do first part of application before you start ripping out the lawn so you have evidence. You get paid after the project is done (see links to get started below in resources section).

how?

It’s all about laying down mulch to cover the grass. Tilling and ripping up plants is usually unnecessary. Mow the lawn nice and close. Lay down a thick layer of newspaper (avoid the glossy paper; newspaper will kill more weeds than cardboard since it leaves less air pockets and suffocates the plants underneath more effectively). Water the newspaper down, and then add a nice thick layer of mulch (around 4 inches max). I prefer my mulch in the form of wood chips, so call some local tree services and get on their lists for free chips. Most any chips work well to protect soil and retain moisture; there is debate as to whether Eucalyptus tree mulch is okay for your garden. From the reports I read, it is fine. Like with all wood chip mulches, DO NOT work them into the soil. Leave them as a layer on top and you’ll be fine. Wood chips look beautiful and promote the mycorrhizal relationships that help grow your perennial plants and trees. Place your plants into the ground underneath the wood chips and newspaper; do not plant directly into wood chips (Refer to the free film Back to Eden for more on advantages of wood chip mulch).

Native edibles on deck: blackberry, elderberry, wild grape (plus a fig, which is a great drought-tolerant complement to the edible landscape). 

why?

Native plants take care of themselves easily because of their relationships to the insects, birds, soil and weather patterns. Plus, there are many native edibles in the California landscape. – Strawberries, buckwheat, madrone berries, grapes, mints, elderberries, blackberries, currants – ALL of these have native edible varieties just to name a few. Nature wants to make this easy for us, let’s work with it. When we restore and give back to the land, the returns are massive. We can directly source food from our yards and help the wildlife and insects have a place to live.

resources

Get the deets on getting paid to convert your lawn at site below. http://www.saveourwaterrebates.com/turf-replacement-rebates-hta.html

My friends at Nature’s Acres Nursery have the CA native plant stock to bring your lawn into the new era. They serve the Bay Area.                                   http://www.naturesacresnursery.com

Check this comprehensive list of California edible natives http://www.laspilitas.com/classes/edible.htm

contact

If you’re interested in support in converting your lawn into an edible native garden, email me. I’d love to check out what you have going on.                                                                               bryan.bramlett@gmail.com

Many thanks, spread the word and the mulch,

Bryan

The Santa Claus of Mulch yours truly, working hard to build that soil fertility. 

 

 

 

 

Eat Fresh in Your Hood ( 5 Trees to Look For)

If anyone knows the name of this tasty lil fruit, please leave a comment. I once heard them called something along the lines of “one time fruit” cause most people only want to eat one based on the texture. I find them to be quite good.

Food foraging around the Bay Area is awesome this time of year. I picked enough food for a days worth of breakfast, lunch and snacks on a foraging mission yesterday at the El Cerrito Plaza in East Bay, all within a mile radius. (And check out the link at the bottom on the mental health benefits of food foraging! It’s exciting research.)

Here are 5 trees I came across that you should know about, though these only show a fraction of everything I found.  Remember to give thanks to these trees and the people who planted/tended them as you pick from them. Take only what you need. Please don’t clean pick trees. Nature has such a surplus and I love how great she is at sharing. Experience the abundance for yourself and happy foraging!

1. Olive trees (pictured above) are all over the spot, especially abundant in North Berkeley area. This one is in El Cerrito. Olives usually run about $10/lbs in a grocery store- collect your own fresh olives fo’ free! Pick up ones that have dropped and look up how to cure them or give them about 5 weeks to ripen fully and eat raw.

2. Pineapple Guavas (Feijoas) are going off right now around the Bay. Had my first one EVER just a few days ago. Literally brought me to tears they’re so good. Keep your eyes open, the insides are delicious even when the outside seems a bit tough. Often the skin is edible and delicious too depending on ripeness. There are many varieties, collect ’em all.

3. Many orange trees produce year round in the Bay. Tap into the citrus network around your area and be fed all the time. And you should never buy a lemon in a store if you live in the Bay, they are growing within a block of you most likely. Pictured above are tiny mandarins.

4. FIGS! – the holy fruit. They are finally here. Make sure they are really squishy before you pick. Figs do NOT ripen more once they are picked. If you pick the fig and there is no milky white liquid at the stem, then you know you’ve picked a nicely ripened fig. I sometimes pick them a tad early and eat just the inside. I advocate for patience though and promote consuming the entire fruit. There are all sorts of varieties ripening at different speeds keep your eyes out for what’s poppin’ off right now.

5. Apples are all over right now and you can’t beat a fresh apple. No need to pay $4+/bag for prematurely picked “organic” apples at the store (plus store bought apples have weird waxy coating stuff put on them often times). And eat the seeds! They are nutritious and will not kill you, as many people falsely believe. Yes they do contain trace amounts of cyanide, but not enough to cause any substantial effect, unless you ate like 2,000 whole apples in one sitting. So eat all of your apple and enjoy the stem as a toothpick.

Food foraging reduces your grocery bill, connects you to your food source, gives you fresher produce and also releases dopamine in your brain. Read more about how this ancient art can assist with depression and anxiety at the link below.

Why Gardening Makes You Happy and Cures Depression

Much love, be well, uplift each other ❤

Bryantonio