How can Pasadena citizens keep their plants healthy without spending a lot of money on water?
Unlike the water that comes out of the hose or sprinkler, the water that comes from the sky is FREE. This past winter there was water everywhere, but how do we keep it from draining away?
One way to catch and keep that water is in a swale.
Unlike the water that comes out of the hose or sprinkler, the water that comes from the sky is FREE. This past winter there was water everywhere, but how do we keep it from draining away?
One way to catch and keep that water is in a swale.
But what’s a swale? It’s a hole in the ground, but with purpose. For info on how to make a swale, I recommend the book “Rainwater Harvesting” by Brad Lancaster.
A hole in the ground sounds pretty ugly. Luckily there are beautiful swales.
Nature is undulating with natural swales. Swales can be almost any shape and size. For example, the first swale I ever made was only one inch deep and 20 feet long. It held water because I used a calibrated ‘A’ frame to find level ground.
When you build a swale you get the deep water that horticulturists recommend and that plants love. You also get the good feeling of doing your part to preserve and augment the local underground water table, or aquifer. That builds local resilience.
Without a swale, most water sinks only a few inches. And, during a storm, most water sheets off the landscape and quickly makes it’s way to the ocean.
In contrast, swales slow the water, sink the water, and spread the water.
Building swales will help put water away for the future, for harder times.
May 9, I spoke to the City of Pasadena Environmental Advisory Commission on this subject and asked them to support the building of swales on both public and private property in Pasadena. Beautiful Swales is working to raise awareness about swales.
The response at the Environmental Advisory Commission was positive. Laura Garrett described someone getting paid to take out their lawn and replace it with black plastic and a couple of drought tolerant plants. How much better it would have been to have built swales!
Anyone who owns land can build a swale!
If you would like advice on how to build a swale or if you would like to see examples of how to make swales beautiful, please visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Beautiful-Swales-999988803354733/
— Sylvia Holmes
A hole in the ground sounds pretty ugly. Luckily there are beautiful swales.
Nature is undulating with natural swales. Swales can be almost any shape and size. For example, the first swale I ever made was only one inch deep and 20 feet long. It held water because I used a calibrated ‘A’ frame to find level ground.
When you build a swale you get the deep water that horticulturists recommend and that plants love. You also get the good feeling of doing your part to preserve and augment the local underground water table, or aquifer. That builds local resilience.
Without a swale, most water sinks only a few inches. And, during a storm, most water sheets off the landscape and quickly makes it’s way to the ocean.
In contrast, swales slow the water, sink the water, and spread the water.
Building swales will help put water away for the future, for harder times.
May 9, I spoke to the City of Pasadena Environmental Advisory Commission on this subject and asked them to support the building of swales on both public and private property in Pasadena. Beautiful Swales is working to raise awareness about swales.
The response at the Environmental Advisory Commission was positive. Laura Garrett described someone getting paid to take out their lawn and replace it with black plastic and a couple of drought tolerant plants. How much better it would have been to have built swales!
Anyone who owns land can build a swale!
If you would like advice on how to build a swale or if you would like to see examples of how to make swales beautiful, please visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Beautiful-Swales-999988803354733/
— Sylvia Holmes
