May Showers... and Bioswale Building

Coming out of the worst winter we've ever had, spring is even more appreciated than it usually is, and it's always wonderful.  It seems a bit late, and we've had a lot of rain lately, so I've gone ahead and had a bioswale installed.  More on that later.

Meanwhile I spent the winter taking the Michigan Master Gardener course and have lately been doing my volunteer hours at things like Plant-a-Row sites, plant sale for Habitat for Humanity and pruning at Tollgate Farm  in Novi.  It's close by and a world unto itself.  They now have some cows, chickens, goats, and a llama in addition to the three horses which were there over the winter.  We had our master gardener classes there.  They've got some wonderful programs including 4H clubs.

Today I went to Cranbrook for their annual plant sale.  I hadn't been in years, but the wild geraniums, trilliums and Mayapples, Podophyllum peltatum, which I bought there have really spread over the years.  Today I bought some more natives which I've put in the ground, except for two heirloom tomatoes which will have to wait for more consistently warm weather.

My biggest project so far has been to get the bioswales installed.  Unfortunately I didn't have anything to do with the installation most of which took place today in the rain.  John DeLisle owns Natural Community Services and he does ecological restoration and native landscaping.  The swale with its native plants should soon begin to capture the rainwater and especially pollutants rather than allowing them to go through the storm drain.

Day 1 of the Bioswale

In the bleak days of winter

I began my Master Gardener's course last week through MSU Extension.  It was a tough evening since I had arrived late the night before from drought ridden but sunny San Francisco, and immediately caught a cold which turned into bronchitis.  However, after being told that we could only miss one class, I was determined to go.  The class covered one of my favorite subjects, water quality... eg. runoff, watersheds, rain gardens etc/   I know a bit more now, and where to go for more information.  I didn't get to ask questions because it was packed and I could barely speak, but I will.

Here are some pictures of California, a real contrast to Michigan in January.

Risa at the Berkeley, Ca farmers market on 1/18/2014

Risa cooking veggies from Berkeley at
Soul Food Farm in Vacaville, CA

With the donkeys at Morningsun Herb Farm, Vacaville, CA

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Morningsun Herb Farm in Vacaville, Ca.  California master gardeners go there for their graduation.  
They had a plant that I have, and have only seen in one other garden in Michigan.  The owner identified it for me as Jupiter's Beard or Centranthus ruber.  I was so glad to find this out.  On my last post I labeled it as unknown.