Comments on: Gardening in a Changing Climate

By: Samuel A. Sawyer

Samuel A. Sawyer — Thu, 26 May 2011 15:59:35 +0000

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By: Erica

Erica — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 01:49:48 +0000

Thank you very much for posting all of the excellent info! I am looking forward to seeintg more!

By: Sharon

Sharon — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:32:04 +0000

Dave, it isn’t either or – even in the places most vulnerable to flooding, there are gardening projects to be done. For example, the re-establishment of the salt marshes or other important ecosystems can give people buffers that mean the difference between evacuating now and 10 years from now. Planting trees that are salt tolerant means that the chances of enduring for a decades rather than years go up. Carbon sequestration is important everywhere.

Yes, I live inland, and upland – I chose this place precisely because of what we face. My entire family lives within 20 miles of the coast, and my husband’s as well – that means that my kids live apart from their grandparents and aunts and uncles, precisely because I don’t want them to have to leave their home someday as the storms grow worse. I expect to be moving my elderly parents and in-laws to my inland life as it becomes less safe and harder for them to evacuate. So no, I’m not contentedly gardening – I’m making the best choice I can for myself and attempting to establish something for many of the people – related to me and not – who will come inland eventually, but not until they have to.

Sharon

By: Claire

Claire — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 23:31:58 +0000

Alan, thanks for the info on soaker hoses! I’d already noticed there wasn’t enough pressure from the rain barrel to operate an oscillating sprinkler or to push water through a spray nozzle attachment for a hose. I’ll look into the bubblers you mentioned. I do have one non-oscillating sprinkler head that might work on the low pressure from a barrel.

Eleanor, I have composite shingles, but I have not been all that concerned about any problem with contamination of the rainwater. It’s not that there isn’t something to be concerned about – there might be – but I’m not going to replace a roof that is only 8 years old, having been done by the previous owner just before we bought the house. I’m going to use the water that falls on the roof, despite whatever may or may not be in it. My garden is in an urbanized area that has been subjected to leaded gasoline emissions. Years ago, it was an apple orchard, at a time when lead arsenate was a commonly used pesticide (we found a container of lead arsenate in our house when we moved in – thank goodness our county collects hazardous waste from households). Our municipal water has contaminants in it too, according to the report the water supplier provides. On balance, I’m not going to worry about anything the shingles may or may not be contributing to whatever contaminants surely are already in the soil or are in the municipal water I’d otherwise be using, at a much higher cost to the environment and to my wallet.

I have experimented with drinking the rainwater from my barrels with minimal treatment (filtering through cheesecloth and either boiling or exposure to UV from sunlight). No immediate ill effects have been apparent. I am trained as a chemist so I realize there might be something in the water that could be harmful in the long run, but I was exposed to chemicals that might also be harmful in the long run. IMHO, the rainwater is safer. But don’t anyone try this based on my say-so; do your own research. I’m planning to set up a low-tech filter system and use more rainwater for drinking in the next year. Should the roof need to be replaced in my DH’s and my lifetimes, we’ll put a metal roof on it at that time. It’ll benefit whoever has the house after we do, at least.

By: Dave

Dave — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:27:41 +0000

Sharon, it’s predictable that we will all be concerned about the various impacts of climate change where we live, but on this global issue, we do have to stay focussed on the bigger picture. You obviously live inland from the ocean, dreaming. By far and away the biggest climate impact will be “progressive” sea level rise, measured in meters, not centimeters. In Japan alone, 40 million will become refugees, in China 300 million, in the Indian subcontinent 180million, Europe perhaps 75 million, and on the eastern seaboard of the U.S. at least 20 million will have to abandon flooding coastal cities and homes, many of them thinking of moving up to where you are contentedly gardening….

By: Sharon

Sharon — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:11:28 +0000

Alan, I meant Redwood Park, not forest – my fault. I suspect the Sequoias are also in danger, but the paper I was reading was discussing Redwoods. Mark N, thanks for the clarification – that’s what I meant, if not what I said .

Heather – I find that with minimal protection, I can keep kale, leeks, scallions, sorrel, arugula and spinahc going into December most years. In mild years, I’ve overwintered leeks, kale and spinach with absolutely no protection here in zone 4 (5, but 4 by elevation).

As for what I plant in fall – on the sidebar there’s a whole fall gardening section, based on a class I ran this summer which should be helpful.

Sharon

By: Sena

Sena — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:29:44 +0000

Some more information on blight-resistant chestnuts, from Minnesota:

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/05/27/chestnut/

sounds like they are hybrid crosses with asian chestnuts.

By: Ståle

Ståle — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:02:42 +0000

Geoff Lawton (who studied with Bill Mollison in the late seventies and today is one of the world’s foremost permaculture teachers) talks about how we can be a force for good in the world, just like today we are mostly a force for bad with our environmental destruction. Intentional use of the right techniques can restore degraded land.

For a great example of reclaiming desert, search YouTube for “Geoff Lawton” and watch the video “Greening the desert”. At 400m below sea level, right by the Dead Sea, they transformed extremely saline desert to productive land using permaculture techniques (e.g. swales and berms).

By: ej

ej — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 02:00:37 +0000

many true things written here. but remember nature doesn’t care.

By: MD

MD — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 01:47:47 +0000

Don’t be too discouraged about your maples- we had a tree my parents called a sugar maple in our front yard when I was growing up- in middle TN. Our winters are too mild for sugaring, but the tree is still there and still thriving (and beautiful when fall is cold). The oaks and maples here are HUGE at maturity, and a welcome source of shade.
In Memphis I’m finding that growing vegetables from India and Asia is good for throwing our pest population off guard (the pests don’t die off in the winter) and finding new varieties. Unfortunately I grew heat-and-drought-tolerant tomatoes this summer- and got very few. Growing several varieties is better than betting on hot and dry.
And wildlife is actually booming in places down here, with abandoned farms (in rural areas) and buildings (in cities) providing habitat. We have possums, raccoons, squirrels, lots of birds (including hawks) and more species of insects, spiders, and mollusks than you can shake a stick at, in my tiny backyard, three miles from downtown. I even saw several different species of bees this year out back. Planting 30+ different varieties of garden plants in 300 square feet helps the diversity, I guess. I like the whole “farm the forest” idea, but then again, we picked poke salad from the fencerows in the spring, growing up.
It’s warmer down here, but life isn’t a treeless wasteland. It’s more like a jungle to my husband’s Northern-bred eyes. Throw a plant down and run away (as they say of the kudzu), and it grows. Even your robins vacation down here. If y’all get what we have now- you’ll be fine, and we’ll be making salsa.