Observations of a Crazy Winter on our Rain Garden

As a "would-be citizen scientist", I guess it's time to share my observations about the impacts of our crazy weather on our front yard rain garden this winter. 

The leaves on the jujube trees have fallen, as expected this time of year. We have taken the advice of local rainwater harvesting guru Brad Lancaster and left them in the basin to nourish the soil and retain as much moisture as possible. 

The globe mallow (the green shrub above) seems confused by our crazy winter weather. Is it sticking around in response to the unseasonably warm weather? (Many days around 80 degrees.) We haven't had our usual winter rains, so there isn't enough moisture to allow it to grow flowers. 

But take a closer look... Tiny yellow wild flowers have come up in the mulch. I spotted some little butterflies and bees pollinating them. (There is actually a species of native bees that burrows down in the mulch.) 

Our poor moringa trees also seem confused by the variable weather. They haven't frozen yet, so that's good. We still hope to gather some leaves for tea. (We have already harvested them twice this year. But they usually grow back...) They have sprouted new leaves. But I have watched in anticipation for weeks, and the  leaves don't grow big enough to harvest. And a few leaves have turned yellow. 

The latest development is some buds sprouting, but even with some additional rainwater from our cistern, they are struggling to bloom. (Thank heavens for the one winter storm in November that filled our cisterns.)

Moringa story continued here: 

Wrapping up for the freeze

Despite being watered daily, our sunchokes never grew beyond a foot before they withered up and died. They grew 3 feet last year and had yellow flowers. Last December I harvested more of the yummy tubers than we could eat...

As passionate rainwater harvesters, we always look forward to the winter rains filling our basins and cisterns. So it is pretty discouraging to have such a dry winter. Believe me, this isn't normal. Check out the normal highs and lows and rainfall in December and January from the National Weather Service. 

Our mesquite trees are starting to turn yellow and lose their leaves (which is normal this time of year.) The leaves that are left after the leaf cutter ants get their share become a part of the mulch in our front yard basin.  

 I'm afraid we won't have the abundant wildflowers we had last year. But I still find joy in seeing a variety of birds digging around in the mulch for food. I recently caught this goldfinch (below) getting a drink in our bird bath. 

Every morning Dan and I watch from the dining room window as the birds land on our decorative saguaro rib and then dive down to get a drink or splash around in our bird bath. 

Some regular guests are the Gila woodpeckers (pictured below), mourning doves, curve-billed thrashers, mockingbirds, sparrows and finches. We even had a red tail hawk once. 

This particular day there were so many birds all around our rain garden. I shooed away a stray cat that was hiding under the hackberry ready to pounce. That's why we keep ours in doors. Here is Freddy watching safely from his perch in the house. 

So, what have I learned from my observations during this unusual winter? That it is important to leave the leaves in the basin. The pollinators and birds really appreciate it. Cold weather or hot, rain or no rain, I still love my basins!  #lovemyrainbasin

More information: 

Basin Observations from a Would-be Citizen Scientist

Basin Observations from a Would-be Citizen Scientist

The nurse tree mesquite provides shade and nitrogen for the baby saguaro and hackberry

It's been a while since I've blogged about my beloved front yard basin. But I figured this was a great time to celebrate our basin with a new sign! Thanks to Abril for making it! #lovemyrainbasin

During these trying times I have found solace in tending the new pollinators I planted, watering them daily with rainwater from our cistern. All the while I have been recording the progress with pictures. Scrolling through google photos over the past nine months, I felt like a citizen scientist observing how our unpredictable, fluctuating weather has affected the plants and soil in our basin. 

The first thing I noticed was that through the extreme heat and long periods without rain our native trees (mesquite, acacia, and hackberry) thrived - even as our prickly pear cactus shriveled and drooped.

Our jujube trees did incredibly well too with just the rainwater from the roof that sunk into their basin. Rainwater flowed off of one side of the roof into the gutters and downspout then into the long basin. The trees grew 3 feet and produced an abundance of fruit. The waxy leaves stayed green until recently. Now they are showing their fall colors - which is kinda nice. 

You might be wondering about the dead "weeds" in the basin. But the reason the jujubes did so well was that I kept the native plants and grasses in the basin long after they turned golden brown to retain the moisture longer and to provide nutrients to the soil.

The dry grass and globe mallow slow down the rainwater so it can sink in rather than leave the basin.

I planted a desert senna plant in the basin last January. It struggled in the freeze, but the mulch helped keep its roots warm. 

It came back in August along with horse purslane that acted as living mulch to nourish the soil.

Look at that senna now! It seems confused by the warm weather and recent rain. It is starting to bloom!

When we first put in our basin, we filled it with mesquite chip mulch. But as that has been breaking down into soil, we allowed the basin to be covered with a living horse purslane mulch. 

As the horse purslane died, I broke it down into straw-like mulch. Here I am showing some to my son's girlfriend. She looked a little concerned about the dry grasses, but I reassured her that native bunch grass was a part of a working basin.

We were delighted when Arizona poppies popped up in that same area in March. 

When those poppies died, I also broke their stems into a straw-like mulch. I even gathered some extra from a neighbor and spread them in the basin. I saved 6 buckets full from the landfill! 

Check out how the poppy stems floated when the basin filled with the June rain...

When the water sunk into the basin, the poppy stems settled back down and the doves enjoyed evaporative cooling!

All that mulch created richer soil...

So I could plant more pollinators in the basin... And the cycle goes on.

Have I mentioned lately that I love my rain basin? 

How about you? Share the love by posting pics of your basins on your social media pages with the hashtag: #lovemyrainbasin.  

Read more about the campaign here: 

Love my rain basin campaign

More stories about our front yard basin here: 

Our Yard the Bird Feeder

Create your own Sonoran Desert Food Forest

Brush and Bulky Directions

 Keep it out of the landfill! Please, donate before resorting to Brush and Bulky. 

TELL YOUR NEIGHBORS! BRUSH AND BULKY TOMORROW

HAVE YOUR ITEMS FOR BRUSH AND BULKY AT THE CURB BY 6 AM ON MONDAY! There is no way of knowing the route the crew will take so you need to have your items at the curb by Aug. 19. Once they go down your street, the crew will not come back. Putting stuff curbside after they have picked up your street, will not get them to come back.   Brush and Bulky uses a Bobcat to pick up items to put them in the truck, so make a single pile at the curb in an easily accessible spot. Brush and Bulky will NOT enter your property to pick up piles.  Be sure the pile is NOT near a fire hydrant, your mailbox, trees, power poles, your wall, gas meter, etc.  Items in the pile cannot be longer than 5 feet or they will not fit in the truck.

Brush and Bulky Pick Up Starts Monday, August 19.    Please make sure your neighbors are aware of Brush and Bulky AUG. 19   The City discontinued the expense of the notification flyers,  so no one will receive a door hanger notifying them.   Brush and Bulky uses a Bobcat to pick up items to put them in the truck, so make a single pile at the curb in an easily accessible spot. Brush and Bulky will NOT enter your property to pick up piles.         Be sure the pile is NOT near a fire hydrant, your mailbox, trees, power poles, your wall, gas meter, etc.   Items in the pile cannot be longer than 5 feet or they will not fit in the truck.   WILL YOUR BRUSH AND BULKY PILE BE PICKED UP? Channel 9 did a great segment a few years ago on making Brush and Bulky easy AND safe for the crews to pick up. Click HERE to view.  https://www.kgun9.com/news/local-news/keeping-tucson-clean-how-to-help-make-brush-bulky-crews-jobs-easier?fbclid=IwAR2Dsfbj4nOE1ln790I0aPIyqcnITFyaLO1NKjv-b9ke81KQkyiij_GOETU Brush & Bulky will collect: Brush, tree trunks, branches and other green waste (up to 5 feet long and 24 inches in diameter) Lumber (up to 5 feet long and stacked in a separate pile) PVC and metal pipes (up to 5 feet long) Railroad ties (limit 5) Furniture, carpet, and doors Lawn mowers with fuel tank and crank case removed Scrap metal (bicycles, swing sets, etc., broken into 5 foot lengths) Cacti (must be contained - up to 25 lbs.) Appliances (remove freezer/refrigerator doors) Car tires (limit of five automobile tires) Metal drums (empty and cut in half)   Brush and Bulky will NOT collect: Any excess over the 10 cubic-yard limit Any items other than those listed above, such as Stone/bricks/concrete/aggregates Construction debris Hazardous waste like paint/oil/pesticides/solvents/liquids Glass/mirrors Television and computer monitors Compressed gas/air cylinder(s) Vehicle parts Commercially generated material City Brush and Bulky schedule map: https://www.tucsonaz.gov/files/sharedassets/public/v/1/egsd/documents/2024_brushbulky.pdf

DONATE ITEMS INSTEAD OF SENDING THEM TO THE LANDFILL

BUY NOTHING FACEBOOK PAGE or REALLY, REALLY FREE MARKET at Himmel Park - on the third Saturday of every month. BRINGING OUT THE BEST THRIFT SHOP on Speedway. Beyond what they can sell, they recycle everything: rags, old shoes, appliances, etc. etc. They don’t even have trash service for the shop.    TUCSON REPAIR CAFE - check with them first through their Facebook page, but they often accept electronics and appliances, small household items, etc, that can be repaired or be taken apart to use for parts.   SUBURBAN MINERS is near Garden District neighborhood and located one block west of Alvernon They repurpose and recycle all kinds of electronic equipment. They also accept other household items and have a "Free Store" open to the public. Suburban Miners is located about a mile away on Blacklidge just a block off Alvernon. ELECTRONICS RECYCLING: SWS Computers on Speedway, just west of Alvernon quite near us, recycles nearly anything electronic for free. A few of the many Charities where you can make donations: ·Assistance League on Alvernon between Pima and Speedway. Will pick up large items. https://altucson.org/donate/ Thanks to Meg for sharing this in the Garden District e-letter.

Climate Tucson: New Heat, New Diseases

Tucson City Council readies plans for protecting outdoor workers from the summer sun By Karen Peterson, Climate Tucson  “An epidemic of chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology is occurring in laborers who undertake physical work outdoors in hot conditions.” The three primary stages of traditional heat illnesses — cramps, exhaustion and stroke — are just part of the heat and health equation. The new higher heat is spawning its own heat-related diseases, notably a fatal kidney disease affecting large numbers of farm workers in Central America. Not caused by conditions normally associated with kidney disease, such as age, obesity or diabetes, this CKDu (an “unknown” chronic kidney disease) has been identified as a dangerous by-product of extreme heat combined with outdoor physical labor. Among farm workers, the mix includes pesticides. Over the past decade, the death toll from Mesoamerican nephropathy, as it’s known in Central America, increased 83% in Guatemala and it is now “the second leading cause of death in both Nicaragua and El Salvador,” according to the authors of “A New Era of Climate Medicine — Addressing Heat-Triggered Renal Disease.” In another study published by the National Institutes of Health, researchers found that “a single bout of exercise in the heat increases biomarkers of acute kidney injury.” In other words, all who labor or play hard under the sun for any length of time — or through employment — can be affected, the damage dependent on length of time spent outdoors and precautions taken, including hydration, the right clothing and rest in the shade. Research into this particular CKDu is still in the early stages, and much of the recent work has been pioneered by a PhD candidate at the University of Arizona at the time, Nicolas Lopez-Galvez. Lopez-Galvez led a study in Sonora, Mexico, that monitored farm workers at a grape-growing operation not far from the Arizona border. Published in 2021, as hypothesized the study found that heat stress and dehydration were contributing factors for developing kidney disease. Continuing through the harvest season, results showed that while all those studied had normal kidney functioning at the beginning of season, as the grape harvest continued over several months the workers “experienced a significant decline in kidney function.” By late harvest, one worker had developed kidney disease, two “experienced a kidney injury” and 12 showed signs of kidney distress. (Participants, average age 28.5, numbered 151 in the beginning, with 56 dropping out before the end of the harvest. Half were indoor workers for the company; the others were farm workers. “No significant change in kidney function was observed in office workers,” according to the study.) Heat Ordinances, Heat Roadmap on the June 4 Tucson City Council Agenda Research to date poses the very real question of how we should proceed in efforts to protect ourselves and others from emerging heat-related diseases, which the authors of “A New Era of Climate Medicine” caution “will be unmasked and accelerated by climate change.” The answer right now, as the heat tracks higher globally and also in Tucson — we’re under our first “excessive heat watch” warning of the season later this week — is to act on what we know and begin to protect the people most affected: outdoor workers of all ilk, postal to field to construction and solar installations. Forecast for the week of June 3, 2024 Joining Phoenix and the State of Arizona in their efforts to protect outdoor workers, the Tucson City Council at its meeting tomorrow, June 4, will vote on an ordinance to require excessive heat protections for outdoor contract workers and the adoption of the City’s Heat Action Roadmap. The roadmap contains strategies and actions and represents the procedural extension of the Climate Action and Adaption Plan (CAAP) completed this year. According to Fatima Luna, the City’s chief resilience officer, the roadmap was “inspired by the valuable discussions and ideas” shared by community members at the Southern Arizona Heat Summit this past February. Discussion of the roadmap is scheduled during the 1 p.m. council study session. Following the final vote on the City’s 2024-2025 budget at the regular 5:30 meeting, the council will hear Ordinance No. 12100 developed by the City’s Climate Action Team. The ordinance requires that any business doing business with the city must “utilize heat-hazard mitigation plans to prevent heat-related illness and injuries in the workplace” for those who work outdoors. Additionally, the Climate Action Team developed a Heat Protection Administrative Directive (AD) for City workers with protections similar to the ordinance. ADs do not require mayor and council approval.

Storm to Shade Across Tucson

 by Blue Baldwin, Storm to Shade Program Manager

Grabbing the water off the road to grow a healthy tree.

In the cool early hours of a midsummer morning in Barrio Kroger-Lane, long-time resident and community organizer, Josefina Cardenas, prepared breakfast burritos to share with her neighbors to fuel their morning’s work. With the support and expertise of Tucson Clean and Beautiful’s green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) maintenance team, Josefina and her neighbors took to their neighborhood streets to care for the GSI assets built there over the past decade. As they pulled weeds, collected trash, and spread native seed mix, nanas and tatas worked alongside younger generations, sharing their knowledge of desert plants and their healing properties and memories of the nearby river that once flowed perennially.

Tucson Clean and Beautiful is one of six maintenance contractors deployed seasonally by Storm to Shade (S2S), the City of Tucson’s GSI program housed at Tucson Water, to ensure the safety and functionality of some 450 GSI assets located throughout the City’s six wards. This cohort of specialized contractors provides routine maintenance as well as certified arborist services, invasive plant control, reconstruction of assets, community outreach, and stipends to pay community members who wish to be involved in caring for their neighborhoods’ assets. With this workforce in full effect for almost two years, Tucson’s GSI is thriving—providing shade, cooling, habitat, and beautification—thanks to the energy and resources being invested in our City’s urban infrastructure. To view a map of GSI assets throughout the City, see https://climateaction.tucsonaz.gov/pages/s2s-about.

In another neighborhood, over a dozen children and a handful of adults gathered at the intersection of Holladay Street and Santa Clara Avenue in the Elvira Neighborhood to celebrate the completion of a brand new GSI project with Eegee’s and a native plant give-away. Among them was Beki Quintero, a lifelong servant of the Tucson community. For years Beki had advocated to decrease the size of this awkward and potentially dangerous intersection situated in a neighborhood teeming with kids. When Ward One’s Budget de la Gente Program launched, this project was selected for funding and Beki and her neighbors’ dream was finally realized. To minimize project costs, S2S collaborated with the Department of Transportation and Mobility’s special projects team to accomplish much of the work in-house--removing pavement, excavating basins, and re-striping the intersection. S2S contracted local GSI experts, Productive Patches LLC, to add the finishing touches--microbasins and swales--and a landscape contractor to plant native trees, shrubs, and succulents. These days if you drive by after school, you’re likely to spot a gaggle of neighborhood kids hanging out near their new green space.

Intergenerational stewards of Barrio Kroger-Lane celebrate work well done.

To date, Storm to Shade has constructed six new GSI projects, most recently at Ironhorse Park, El Rio Neighborhood Center, Lower Lincoln Park, the intersection of 11 Ave. and Flores St., and the traffic triangle at Holladay St. and Santa Clara Ave. The Aviation Greenway between Kolb and Calle Polar, a collaboration with TEP, will be complete July ’24 and an additional handful of projects are set to break ground by year’s end. Many more are in the design pipeline. For a complete list and story map of projects, visit https://climateaction.tucsonaz.gov/pages/gsi  

S2S is also celebrating the completion of several large-scale projects funded by Pima County Regional Flood Control District, which serve primarily as flood control facilities but also provide the greening, cooling, and beautification benefits of GSI. S2S provides landscape maintenance for these facilities, which include Cherry Avenue Park, El Vado Basin, Sunland Vista Wash, and soon-to-be-completed Alvernon Park Basins, as well as several others constructed by the District over the past years. 

In the shade of the mature mesquites in the GSI area of Highland Vista Park, a dozen participants in the Pima SmartScape GSI course practice proper pruning techniques under the exacting eye of certified arborist, GSI expert, and SmartScape instructor Emma Stahl-Wert. The group consists of S2S maintenance contractors, a newly minted City Parks project manager, and other landscape pros and community members interested in expanding their knowledge of GSI. This GSI course is one of three new courses offered by SmartScape (funded by Tucson Water’s Conservation Program) developed in partnership with City of Tucson. The others are a one-day SmartScape “Bootcamp” designed as a crash course in best practices for landscape maintenance, and an Urban Forestry Management course. The goal is for every City employee who touches landscape to complete all three courses. This investment in staff significantly reduces unintended damage to landscapes, boosts morale, and creates a ripple effect as folks transfer knowledge among their peers in the field.  

Emma guides SmartScape participants through proper pruning technique.

Looking forward, S2S hopes to better align with the City’s equity goals by evaluating new models for prioritizing capital investment that center equity as the primary driver for investment rather than equality. Currently, S2S capital investments are divided equally across the six wards and the Mayor’s Office. Given vastly different demographics, green space, and climate vulnerability across the wards, equal investment is not equitable investment. Tucson is not alone in grappling with this issue. The conversation around GSI and equity is happening at fever pitch across municipalities and utilities in North America and is the central theme of myriad conferences, webinars, and publications. S2S, the Urban Forestry Program, and other Tucson programs’ use of Tree Equity Score as a tool for prioritizing investment within wards has positioned us a leader among our peers in North America, and we are excited to continue to lead by making S2S a truly equity-driven program.  

path to Tree Equity 

-reshared from the City of Tucson Climate Action Report

#lovemyrainbasin

Celebrating the start of purslane season

So excited that purslane season is finally here. We celebrated with a yummy smothered purslane and potato breakfast burrito. 

Purslane season officially begins at our house after the second monsoon downpour. But my story doesn't start there. I am always on the look out for purslane to relocate into my yard. (Why does everyone get purslane before we do?) So I planted some I found in front of The Loft Cinema. But I guess I really jumped the gun this year. Before it could spread, it was eaten by the critters in our sun burnt, barren desert food forest. (Honestly, I'm glad they found something to eat.) 

But did that stop me?  More recently I planted a few sturdy purslane that already had some little yellow flowers. Since they were about to go to seed, I hoped that they would spit them out. And spit they did!  Check out the baby purslane that spouted round the mother plant! Once the monsoon rain started they spread like crazy! 

Purslane seeds get caught in the gravel

Success! See them sprouting along our gravel path.

I usually try to plant them near something I am already watering. But in my enthusiasm to get them going, I have been known to water them with rainwater from my cistern. Yep. I water my weeds! 

Here I am harvesting some for a celebratory brunch. They are best harvested in the morning before they wilt in the hot July sun. Notice that I leave some of the branches intact so it will grow back! 

Next I rinse them off  3 or 4 times. The little black seeds fall to the bottom of the bowl. I pour the seeds and water where I want some more purslane to grow.

Full confession. I was anxious for the horse purslane to start growing in our shallow basin, so I had planted one in the middle of said basin - that was immediately eaten by a hungry critter. But I needn't have worried. After a couple of big rains the horse purslane came back on its own. I am looking forward to it becoming living mulch! 

Here I am taking a pic of the first horse purslane growing along our gravel path and in the remaining poppy stem mulch. 

Back to what you all are waiting for... I chopped the purslane stems and leaves and sautéed them with some onion then added them to some home fries and scrambled eggs. Seasoned with garlic salt. Yum!  You can also add green chilis. But we were all about celebrating the purslane today. Wrap it up in your favorite tortilla. 

We cooked some more purslane in half a small can of green chili sauce and doled it out on our burritos!

 

Dan likes a lot of green chili sauce

Cheers to the start of purslane season!  I hope you enjoy one of our favorite purslane recipes. 

You can find that recipe and another favorite recipe here. 

UPDATE June 14: Baby purslane is starting to get big! 

Check out the horse purslane coming back in our rainwater basin. Soon to be living mulch!

The start of living mulch to nourish our basin! 

Horse purslane spreading at last on July 30th! 

#lovemyrainbasin