ReGENerating Rain Gardens (Part 2)

This week, in Part 2 of the landscape and rain garden summary, we're going to take a close look at the proposed plantings, donated by Dragonfly Gardens, for the front yard and the east side yard. (The narrow side yard on the west side of the house is becoming a french drain.) Here's a schematic of the front yard. Samuel Geer of reGEN Land Design, our Education Partner for the rain garden, and a member of the Emerging Professionals of the Minnesota Chapter of the USGBC, provided the design and list of materials. You can see that there are fewer species and total plants (depending on the number of Hostas) that we're using in the rain garden.

Below is a listing of Common Names, Latin Names and number of plants for the front and east side yard. The Common Names have links to additional information. [Depending on availability at planting time, there may be some species substitutions, but all plantings will be native.] Please plan on joining us October 26 to learn more about using these beautiful native plants in your own landscaping plan and to see the hands-on installation of a rain garden and French drain. 

Topics to be Covered include:

• Low maintenance landscape design
• Design with native species and horticultural varieties.
• Invasive species control
• On-going maintenance

Proposed Plantings
(front and east side)

Number	Latin	Common
12	Amelanchier alnifolia 'Regent'	Regent Serviceberry
many	Hosta spp. (mixed)	Mixed Hosta
4	Aronia melanocarpa 'Autumn Magic'	'Autumn Magic' Chokeberry
1	Cornus hessi 'Garden Glow'	Garden Glow Dogwood

When you come, please remember that parking is on-street so car pool, bike or walk, if you can. Here's a map link to 929 Edmund, in case you need it.

ReGENerating Rain Gardens

This week we're going to take a close look at the proposed plantings, donated by Dragonfly Gardens, for the back yard and rain garden. Next week we'll get to the front and side yards. Here's a schematic of the back yard. Samuel Geer of reGEN Land Design, our Education Partner for the rain garden, and a member of the Emerging Professionals of the Minnesota Chapter of the USGBC, provided the design and list of materials.

Although we're not going for LEED for Homes certification with this project, it's worth noting that one of the Sustainable Sites prerequisites is "no invasive plants." Minnesota Green Communities has a similar requirement. We did some quick checking and were pleased to find [as expected] that the backyard species are predominantly native Minnesotan and none could be found on invasive species lists. (We were unable to find a single, free, definitive list of Minnesota invasive species on-line.) Below is a listing of Common Names, Latin Names and number of plants for the back yard. The Common Names have links to additional information. [Depending on availability at planting time, there may be some species substitutions, but all plantings will be native.] Please plan on joining us October 26 to learn more about using these beautiful native plants in your own landscaping plan and to see the hands-on installation of a rain garden and French drain.

Topics to be Covered include:
• Low maintenance landscape design
• Design with native species and horticultural varieties.
• Invasive species control
• On-going maintenance

Proposed Plantings 

Number	Latin	Common
1	Aronia melanocarpa	Iriquois Beauty Chokeberry
36	Carex Pennsylvanica	Pennsylvania Sedge
3	Eupatorium dubium	"Little Joe" Joe Pye Weed
13	Iris versicolor	Blue Flag Iris
12	Panicum virgatum	Shenandoah Switchgrass
13	Rudbeckia fulgida	'Goldsturm' Black Eyed Susan
3	Perovskia atriplicifolia	Russian Sage
1	Amelanchier x grandifolia	Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry
6	Diervilla lonicera	Dwarf Bush Honeysuckle
9	Calamagrostis-acutiflora-karl-foerster	Feather grass
1	Hydrangea paniculata	Hydrangea

Here's a map link to 929 Edmund, in case you need it. 

Green building, healthy community

This past June, on the 28th to be specific, USGBC National released “Health is a Human Right. Green Building Can Help.” The emphasis on the relationship between green building and human health is a close to perfect fit for the work we’re doing with the Greater Frogtown Community Development Corporation on our Dynamic Green Home. The linkage between health and affordable housing has been recognized for quite a few years. Reduction or elimination of lead paint hazards, ensuring radon levels are within guidelines and asbestos is remediated are all priorities. Reducing asthma triggers and indoor air quality contaminants are getting increased attention compared to just a few years ago. We were particularly heartened to find the following statement in the report:

“We must shift practice such that our definitions of sustainable building include the well-being of the people in the buildings and the community around them as a matter of course – not an incidental byproduct. In the new paradigm, human performance must be seen as important as energy performance; health conservation equal to water conservation; health management on par with waste management. And we must ground our choices in data, using research and evidence to inform our approaches to healthy design, construction and maintenance. It’s through this holistic approach that green building becomes not just a market transformation tool, but a human transformation tool as well.” 

929 Edmund (before)

It’s encouraging to see this kind of holistic approach because we already know of a number of studies indicating that health problems disproportionately affect those with lower incomes living in substandard housing. Furthermore, The Center for Housing Policy and Enterprise, a leading developer of Green Communities criteria, in a report published in 2007, found that “Well-constructed and managed affordable housing developments can reduce health problems associated with poor quality housing by limiting exposure to allergens, neurotoxins and other dangers.” That same report concluded “Use of green building and transit-oriented development strategies can lower exposure to pollutants by improving the energy efficiency of homes and reducing reliance on personal vehicles.” Our DGH efforts seem to be right in line with these findings. Be sure to attend one of our upcoming seminars to see how you can improve where you live with healthy options.