Save the Dates for our next OFG Series!

We are excited to announce the dates for our Fall 2011 Ocean Friendly Garden Series, which will be taking place in Oceanside! 

OFG Basics Class:  Thursday, September 15th, 2011.  Location and Time TBA, but it will be in north county sometime in the evening.  Come learn how planting an Ocean Friendly Garden can benefit you and the environment.  Learn how to promote healthy soil, select the right plants, and install the most efficient irrigation system for your space.  Class is taught by a certified G3 Sustainable Landscape Professional.

Hands on Workshop (HOW): Sunday October 2nd, 2011.  10:30am-noon.  1807 Alvarado Street, Oceanside CA.  Come join us at the site of our future Garden Assistance Program as we assess the site's current landscaping and discuss different ways we can turn the space into a beautiful OFG!

Garden Assistance Program (GAP) Workday: Sunday November 6th, 2011.  1807 Alvarado Street, Oceanside CA.  Come and get your hands dirty as we put the concepts discussed at our HOW into practice!  No gardening experience necessary, just bring your love of native plants and desire for a healthy ocean!

Additional details will follow as the events get closer.  If you have any questions, please contact ofg@surfridersd.org

You can also stay on top of future events by "liking" Ocean Friendly Gardens - San Diego on Facebook!

OFG Tours Scripps Insitute of Oceanography!

On Saturday July 16th, the public and members of Surfrider's Ocean Friendly Gardens program met with Cammie Ingram of Scripps Institute of Oceanography to tour the exciting new landscape changes on campus.

How we treat our landscaping can have a significant impact on our natural environment, including the ocean. Pesticides and Herbicides applied to our gardens can be washed away into our storm drain system. Overspray from sprinklers can also pick up oil and heavy metals from car exhaust and brake pads while running along the gutters and into the storm drain. Water that enters our storm drain system when it is not raining is known as a dry weather flow and can carry high concentrations of pollutants. Water that enters our storm drain systems is not usually treated before discharging to our creeks, bays, and ocean. By reducing the number of pollutants in our yards and stopping the overwatering that carries pollutants into our waterways, we can help keep our ocean healthy.

For this event, participants met at Scripps pier, and got a chance to learn about how the campus has been working to implement OFG's concept of garden "CPR" - Conservation, Permeability, and Retention - as a way to reduce water pollution.

Scripps has been implementing conservation by removing unnecessary lawn areas and replacing them with native and other low water use plants. The native plants, once established, will help control erosion on the many slopes found throughout the campus. They also provide much needed habitat for native wildlife that are often displaced due to residential and commercial development. Native butterflies, bees, and birds are just a few animals that rely on native plants for food and shelter. A significant amount of lawn has already been removed, and more conversion is planned in the future. Additional benefits from using native plants include lowering to eliminating the need for fertilizers and pesticides, less pollution from gas powered maintenance equipment, and reducing the amount of yard waste that must be transported to and processed at the landfill.

Permiability is achieved by having healthy biologically active soil, and by reducing the amount of impervious surfaces (such as concrete and asphalt). Due to safety and transportation requirements on a large campus like Scripps, it can be difficult to incorporate pervious hardscape like unit pavers. One way to use impervious surfaces but still allow for water to permeate into the soil is by directing runoff from impervious surfaces like streets and walkways into a landscaped area rather than allowing the water to directly enter the storm drain system.

Retention is being achieved by the installation of rain gardens, bioretention areas (see picture above), and rain barrels (see below). Rain gardens and bioretention areas have been installed throughout the campus as a way to retain water from the surrounding slopes and hardscape. By allowing the water to pool in these areas, water percolates into the soil rather than directly entering the underground storm drain system. The resistance caused by the vegetation also slows down the surface water which can help reduce erosion. Rain barrels can collect stormwater runoff from the roofs of buildings and later be used to water nearby plants.

Another water treatment feature recently installed at Scripps is an "ecology embankment'. This large series of media filters directly along the beach treats dry weather flows and the "first flush" of stormwater flows, which typically contain the highest concentration of pollutants during a storm event. These filters are connected to the underground storm drain system which collects the flows that cannot be retained by the landscaping. While studies have shown media filters to be effective at treating a large variety of pollutants including bacteria, these "end of pipe" treatment systems can be very expensive. Also, their long term effectiveness and maintenance costs are relatively unknown. Scripps plans to closely monitor the effectiveness of the media filters through ongoing water sampling. OFG hopes that through the implementation of CPR throughout our landscapes, from the smallest residential yard to a large campus like Scripps, we can eliminate the need for these large and costly structural treatment devices in the future.

A big thanks to Cammie Ingram from Scripps for providing such an informative tour. OFG hopes to work closely with Scripps in the future to help them meet their water conservation and pollution prevention goals though their landscaping. To learn more about the stormwater treatment devices installed at Scripps, you can read the story featured in the San Diego Union Tribune. If you would like to participate in future OFG garden events and/or learn more about our program, please continue visiting our blog and "like" us on Facebook at 'Ocean Friendly Gardens San Diego'.

Lawn Patrol in Imperial Beach

The next "Lawn Patrol" for Ocean Friendly Gardens will be in Imperial Beach on July 17th from 9am-11am.

Lawn Patrols are a great way to learn about what makes an Ocean Friendly Garden ocean friendly, the impacts of the choices we make in our gardens on the health of our local environment, and what easy steps you can take to turn your garden into an OFG! We talk about soil health, plant choices, how to retain rainwater on-site, and how to use organic choices instead of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides! Come learn about what you can do in your yard, or see how you can lead a Lawn Patrol in your own neighborhood!

The tour will begin at the Tijuana Estuary Visitor Center 301 Caspian Way, Imperial Beach, CA

For more information please contact ofg@surfridersd.org

Planning For Climate Change

Just found this informative (and somewhat unnerving!) website by the Calfornia Energy Commission that tracks the projected effects of climate change on local climates and how this influences how we plan our cities. There was also a recent NPR show about the City of Chicago's Climate Action Plan: Preparing for a Warmer Planet. Many of their recommendations include the same sustainable practices we recommend: using permeable pavement, climate appropriate and drought tolerant plantings, and rainwater harvesting.
Check out the website, lots of interactive maps, articles, and other info!



Measured and Projected San Diego Temperatures

Three Upcoming Water Harvesting and Greywater Workshops from H20ME

Laundry-to-Landscape Greywater Workshop

Cost: $35
Saturday, June 4
9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Location: Clairemont
Learn the fundamentals of using greywater as you help install a simple, laundry greywater system according to county regulations which requires no permit. By using greywater, compost, and mulch we will turn this previously unproductive area into an abundant three sister's garden of corn, beans and squash. This system can be replicated in most San Diego homes, since laundry water is usually easy to get out to the garden whether your house is on a slab or not due to the pump on the washing machine. Potluck lunch and discussion after the workshop.
Learn how in this informative workshop led by Brook Sarson, water harvesting educator and permaculturist. Through her business, H2OME, she has created many water harvesting landscapes throughout San Diego focusing on simple, cost-effective rainwater and greywater solutions. For more information check out http://www.h2o-me.com/
Limited Space so RSVP soon to Brook at 619.964.4838 or brook@h2o-me.com.


Branched Drain Greywater Workshop
Cost: $60
Discounts for couples and work study opportunities

Design Lecture including fundamental water harvesting principles, Branched Drain concepts, and permitting requirements
Friday, June 10
6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Location: Talmadge
Attendence is not required, but strongly suggested.


Water Harvesting Tour and Installation Workshop
Saturday, June 11
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Bring your own lunch
Location: Mt. Helix
In this workshop we'll install a branched drain greywater system according to the principles we learned in the previous evening's lecture. We will split the water into 8 passive lines feeding fruit trees and other companion plantings. We will discuss and design a guild for one of the trees and evaluate the earthworks.
This will be a chance for homeowners to understand the logistics for shower, sink, and laundry greywater in a gravity-fed environment. We will transform a gently sloping weed/lawn into a food providing resource, fed primarily from our reclaimed household water.
The workshop will be led by Brook Sarson, water harvesting educator and permaculturist. Through her business, H2OME, she has created many water harvesting landscapes throughout San Diego focusing on simple, cost-effective rainwater and greywater solutions. For more information check out http://www.h2o-me.com/
Limited Space so RSVP soon to Brook at 619.964.4838 or brook@h2o-me.com.


Water Harvesting Tour
Saturday, July 23th 10:00AM-11:30AM
Come see water harvesting in action! Guided by Water Harvesting Professional and Permaculturist, Brook Sarson, you'll see how a passive water harvesting techniques, combined with a 1525 gallon rainwater storage system, as well as laundry and bath greywater work together to grow a garden of edibles (including 20 fruit trees) using only 1/4 of the water that most San Diegans use each day.

As you tour this urban farm setting, you'll see natural building techniques including a cob chicken coop, decorative benches as well as an earth pizza oven. Brook will be on-hand to talk to you about solutions for your space and how you can make a difference by conserving and protecting our most vital resource.

There will be a tour starting at 10:00, with light refreshments and materials to peruse relating to water in our community. You will learn about simple greywater systems, do-it-yourself options, rainwater-harvesting systems, resources, or you can schedule an appointment with Brook to assess greywater and rainwater opportunities at your site.
Suggested donation of $5 will go toward supporting water activism in San Diego. Please RSVP to Brook at brook@h2o-me.com or call 619.964.4838 for the address.

Ocean Friendly Gardens Lawn Patrol This Sunday (the 22nd)!!

Join us this Sunday the 22nd at 10am at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas for our next Lawn Patrol!!

We will visit our 3rd Street GAP installation, a parking strip that was converted from wasteful turf to a native garden and bioswale.  We will take a quick walk up A street and check out some gardens that are mostly ocean friendly and some that are not so ocean friendly and talk about the difference.

Lawn Patrols are a great way to learn about what makes an Ocean Friendly Garden ocean friendly, the impacts that the choices we make in our gardens have on the health of our local environment, and what easy steps you can take to turn your garden into an OFG!  We talk about soil health, plant choices, how to retain rainwater on-site, and how to use organic choices instead of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides!

Meet us at 10am in the turnaround lot where Encinitas Blvd ends at Moonlight Beach (at the end of 4th/BStreet).

Questions/Directions?  e-mail morgan@surfridersd.org

Water Harvesting Tour This Saturday!!

Water Harvesting Tour
Saturday, May 7th 2:00PM-2:30PM
Come see water harvesting in action! Guided by Water Harvesting Professional and Permaculturist, Brook Sarson, you'll see how a passive water harvesting techniques, combined with a 1525 gallon rainwater storage system, as well as laundry and bath greywater work together to grow a garden of edibles (including 20 fruit trees) using only 1/4 of the water that most San Diegans use each day.
As you tour this urban farm setting, you'll see natural building techniques including a cob chicken coop, decorative benches as well as an earth pizza oven. Brook will be on-hand to talk to you about solutions for your space and how you can make a difference by conserving and protecting our most vital resource.
There will be a tour starting at 2:00, with light refreshments and materials to peruse relating to water in our community. You will learn about simple greywater systems, do-it-yourself options, rainwater-harvesting systems, resources, or you can schedule an appointment with Brook to assess greywater and rainwater opportunities at your site.
Suggested donation of $5 will go toward supporting water activism in San Diego. Please RSVP to Brook at brook@h2o-me.com or call  619.964.4838 for the address.

Regrouping for next month, no meeting tonight!

Our next Encinitas Lawn Patrol will be SUNDAY MAY 22nd at 10am.   We will meet at the end of Encinitas Blvd at Moonlight Beach and check out our latest OFG and a few other gardens that have made a great start! 

Our next meeting will be May 31st at 7pm, keep posted for the location!!

We will be looking for volunteers in the following areas:

• Liasons between OFG and one of the following groups or agencies:  CNPS, CCC, Master Gardeners, MWD, local cities, and more.  Our liasons will keep groups and agencies with similar goals up to date on OFG events and updates.
• Blog posters: volunteers to keep our blog updated on local events that are OFG, garden, and water related in San Diego or Southern California.
• PR and Events: one or two volunteers who can reach out to local papers, agencies, etc. and get info out about upcoming OFG events and who can keep the OFG team posted on upcoming events (garden tours, etc.) where we might want an OFG booth.
• OFG Booth staffers:  anyone interesting in staffing OFG booths at local garden tours or other green fair events!

If any of these opportunities sounds fun to you or if you have any questions please contact Morgan at morgan@surfridersd.org for more information!

We are also putting together a presentation for the upcoming Headwaters to Ocean Conference next month in San Diego!

See you next month!!

Join us Tomorrow!

Quick reminder for tomorrow's Ocean Friendly Gardens Lawn Patrol in Encinitas!!  We will meet at 10am at Moonlight Beach (in the lot at the end of Encinitas Blvd.) and take a quick tour of our most recent OFG and check out some neighboring gardens to assess their Ocean Friendliness! 

See you tomorrow!!

Lawn Patrol and Garden Tour this Sunday!

This weekend we have two events coming up! 

At 10am is our first Encinitas Lawn Patrol!  We will meet at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas at 10am and walk up to our first Encinitas OFG at 3rd and A and from there we will take a quick tour around the neighborhood to check out the neighbors' gardens and rate their ocean friendliness!

From there we will be running up to Oceanside for the Annual Oceanside Native Garden Tour which starts at 2pm at St. Mary's School at 515 Wisconsin Ave in Oceanside.  The tour will go around several blocks in the neighborhood, showcasing native gardens and will be led by local native garden designers and experts.

Looking forward to seeing everyone at the Lawn Patrol and feel free to follow us to the tour in the afternoon for some native garden action! 

For questions or more info contact Morgan at morgan@surfridersd.org

World Water Day March 22nd!

World Water Day OFG Challenge!

Decrease water use in your garden and create awareness in your neighborhood by doing one or more of the following:

1) Change regular sprinkler emitters to Hunter MP Rotators:  Each emitter only costs around $5 and is 40% more efficient than regular spray emitters.  Available at your local irrigation supply or Home Depot.

2) Remove unnecessary lawn:   Replacing water thirsty turf in your front garden or parking strip with drought tolerant and native plantings can reduce your water use by 70% or more and eliminates the need for water polluting fertilizers and other chemicals.

3) Replace one or more downspouts with a rain chain and rain barrel:  1" of rain can generate several hundred gallons of water coming off of your roof, save that water and re-use it in your garden at a later time!

4) Mulch your planting beds:  Mulching your plants with a shredded mulch helps to soak up rain, prevents plants from drying out as fast, and helps improve soil condition by allowing it to take in more water.

5) Build a dry stream:  creating dips and swales in your garden that allow water to sit and soak in reduce the amount of water pollution generated during rain storms and save water use in the landscape by creating a "water bank" in your garden's soil.

6) Tell a neighbor about the OFG program and how simple changes can make a huge difference in preventing water waste and pollution.

Visit our World Water Day site for more tips and information!

Encinitas OFG

Our latest OFG in by Moonlight Beach in Encinitas is coming along nicely!!  Our next Lawn Patrol will be in this neighborhood on April 17th so mark your calendars and we'll see you there!  Keep posted for exact meeting locations and times.

Sustainable Urban Landscape Conference

The Cuyamaca College Horticulture Program, in conjunction with the University of California Cooperative Extension Service and the Cuyamaca College Botanical Society, is proud to present the Third Annual Sustainable Urban Landscape Conference. The conference will be held on Thursday March 10th at the Performing Arts Theater at Cuyamaca College.

The conference theme for this year is Sustainable Landscapes in Action. The program is dedicated to presenting examples of how landscape professionals in the San Diego area are responding to the needs of a changing landscape environment. Highlighting the list of distinguished speakers are Bob Perry, Landscape Architect and Professor Emeritus from Cal Poly Pomona, and author of Landscape Plants for California Gardens, and Nan Sterman, an award-winning writer and author of California Gardener's Guide, vol II.

For more information click here.

OFG Meeting Tonight in Solana Beach!

The OFG meeting is tonight in Solana Beach so come on by to help us plan our year!

The meeting is at 7pm at a new LEED rated building at 420 North Cedros in Solana Beach.

Since we won't be at a restaurant this time it will be nice and quiet but unfortunately we won't be able to order our own food so we'll bring some snacks but if everyone can bring their own water bottle so that we can avoid the single use plastic bottles that would be great!

See you there!!

Nasa Article on Lawns

Check out this awesome article written by a NASA scientist!!  It's a few years old but what it covers is pretty up to date.  Did you know that turf is the single largest irrigated "crop" in America, more even than corn?  

While she notes the obvious about lawns impact on our water supply she does note that it is useful for carbon sequestration which is being used as an argument by the turf industry for why lawns are actually environmentally friendly.  Unfortunately they don't mention that ALL plants sequester carbon and the overall surface area of leaves from a 5x5 drought tolerant shrub is bound to be more than a 5 sq. foot patch of lawn and it takes less water, less maintenance, and doesn't need fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides to thrive!!

Check out the article here.

Reporting Water Waste

A common question that has come up during our Ocean Friendly Garden meetings is how to report water waste when we see it. 

Most of our municipalities have a source on their website for reporting water waste and you can call or send an e-mail with the address and time that you noticed the waste.  Ironically, it is often the municipality itself that is the major source of leaking pipes and inefficient irrigation.  Personally, I can hardly count the number of times I have driven San Marcos Boulevard or Leucadia Boulevard late at night and seen our sidewalks and gutters getting a nice bath from the inefficient irrigation systems along those roads.  HOA's and large business parks are also a common source as many of these tend to have large landscaped areas that are not always up to date in sustainability.

Next time you see our roads being washed by wasteful irrigation systems take a note of where and when you saw it and visit your city's Department of Water website to let them know about the problem. 

Example:  City of San Diego 

Also, check here for the County of San Diego's Watershed Protection Program Home Page.

La Jolla Lawn Patrol Notes

Our first Lawn Patrol last fall attracted more than 20 people and was a great way to see how much impact our gardens can have on our coast. 

Our walk through several block of the Bird Rock area started at Bird Rock Coffee Roasters where we loaded up on coffee and tea and then began our walk.  We checked out home and business gardens along the way and rated different homes based on how effectively they demonstrated the basic principals of C.P.R. (Conservation, Permeability, and Retention).   It looks like we have plenty of work cut out for us but there were also some wonderful examples of homeowners who clearly get the message and are taking great steps toward building their own Ocean Friendly Gardens.  The tour ended at Steve Roeder's house, our first OFG home volunteer where we discussed the walk and compared the gardens.  Check out photos from the patrol here.

One of the most striking images along our way, however, was the amount of water running along the street and into the storm drains along the bluff.  Since it hadn't rained for quite awhile that water was most likely "dry weather runoff" caused by over watering and/or poorly installed irrigation systems. 

Now that we have a new OFG just up the street from Moonlight Beach in Encinitas we'll be doing Patrols there as well as in Bird Rock in the upcoming months.

Keep checking the blog for dates for our upcoming events!

Rainwater Harvesting Discussion at Tonight's Chaper Meeting!

Be sure to come to tonight's meeting at 7pm at Forum Hall in UTC where Josh Robinson from Eden on Earth Landscaping will be discussing rainwater harvesting!!

A bit more about Josh:

Josh Robinson has a strong love of plants, soil, and ecology. It is only natural that he finds himself working to transform conventional landscapes into their full and sustainable potential as abundant gardens of Eden. Josh is certified in permaculture design and has a master's degree in Ecological Landscape Design. Josh also encourages people to reclaim their own gardens through education. He has taught numerous classes, workshops, and slideshows on permaculture and ecological landscape design including courses through Northern Arizona University, Coconino Community College, Prescott College, and the Ecosa Institute. Josh lives and gardens in Flagstaff at “Quaking Aspen” an award-winning 1/4 acre ecological and food producing paradise.