Let's Make a Berry Nice Yard- rainwater harvesting/planting workshop- Jan 2016

We made a berry nice yard in a series of workshops that featured blackberries, raspberries and blueberries.  Here is what the yard looked like before we got started. Hover over the pictures to read the captions.

Our goal was to bring in drought tolerant plants to be watered by rain diverted from the downspouts, and edibles (trees and berries) that would be watered by greywater from the washer. We had the rain basins begun by a landscape crew so the first workshop could be finishing the basins and planting.

Once the basins and major planting was done, the yard was sheet mulched. We then had a Laundry to landscape workshop to install the greywater system. You can see pictures of that workshop here  and also of a more extensive planting workshop the next year--or look for the links from our Past Projects page.

The front yard after years of drought
The front yard after years of drought
A long view
A long view
It looks even worse closer to the sidewalk
It looks even worse closer to the sidewalk
Shaping the basins
Shaping the basins
measuring levels to make sure rain will flow into the basin
measuring levels to make sure rain will flow into the basin
We use a water level to get the reading
We use a water level to get the reading
Happy planters
Happy planters
Berry happy planters
Berry happy planters