Seeing Desert Native Landscaping as Wildlife Corridors

See the wildflowers in our basin? 

One of the joys of my day is to listen to the birds frolic as I tend the pollinator plants in our rainwater basin. Sure, I probably should have looked up how much water that spiderworts take before planting them. But what the heck! We have gathered plenty of rain in our slimline basin and watering them gives me an excuse to be out there every morning. I also planted Arizona curve leaf, yellow and red salvia, and Mexican honeysuckle to add some color until the poppies, globe mallow, desert senna and brittle bush returned with the recent rain to brighten our basin. 

Dan and I love to watch the birds gathering by the birdbath from our dining room window. We've counted 22 varieties using the eBird app. A neighbor mentioned that there used to be 100 varieties in the nearby Arcadia Wash. But loss of habitat, stray cats, and the use of pesticides has contributed to their decline. We feel it is more important than ever to extend the wildlife corridors like the wash to include desert lots and yards - so the birds can find food and safe shelter.

Currently our yard is a lovely bird habitat and pollinator garden, but it wasn't that long ago that it looked pretty stark. It's funny that people take so much effort to rake up all the fallen leaves and organic matter, when ants will gather it all up or it will break down and provide nutrients to the soil. Looking back at pictures (from different seasons) of our basin full of poppy stem or horse purslane mulch, I am surprised that the critters used it all up - leaving the ground pretty bare. But one of the promises of a native habitat is that different plants are in bloom or dormant at different times of the year. It might be difficult for neighbors who keep their gravel pristine (using poisonous Roundup) to understand that the spiney, dead-looking wolfberry in our basin will leaf out to provide shelter and berries for our beloved birds.

Ever since a neighbor reported the native bunch grasses (that are an integral part of a working rain basin), I have been very mindful about how some people see them. I've made an effort to trim off the seedheads along the property line so they don't spread into the neighbors' yards. Recently, I planted poppy seeds and watered them. Up came a bunch of grass. As the grass went to seed I was tempted to trim off the seedheads, but poppies were popping up between them. As I watched a charm of finches go to town on the seeds, I was grateful that I hadn't removed their food!

The problem is that some people only see "weeds" when something green sprouts in a yard. So I do my best to make it look intentional - keeping weeds off of our path and posting signs (like the ones pictured at the top of the page) that read, "Rainwater Harvesting Basin at Work," "Plants for Birds," and "Wildlife Habitat." 

Unfortunately, the city encourages people to report grass and "weeds" over 6 inches. The crazy thing is that it is in direct conflict with their policy encouraging Green Stormwater Infrastructure. Best practices include planting native bunch grass to help the water infiltrate and build healthier soil.

When I was threatened with a $2000 dollar fine, I took it as a challenge and contacted the inspector at Environmental Services, his boss, and some like-minded city council members. I educated them about GSI policies and the importance of native plants in the basin. I even conducted a slide presentation for the Commission on Climate, Energy, and Sustainability requesting a letter of support. Which they sent. It's been years, and the neighbor who reported me has kindly stopped spraying Roundup in her front yard. 

So I was so disappointed to hear that Ann, a fellow naturalist, was being fined $10,000 for her "untidy" landscaping. This scientist has created a lush wildlife habitat with a variety of native plants that extends the wildlife corridor of Arroyo Chico. The complaint included "dead trees." But the trees were actually just dormant - beloved hackberry and ironwood trees. 

Ann's wildlife habitat has a dormant tree, grass & wildflowers. Would pollinators want her to thin it?  

Ann reached out to me for help (as the lead of Sustainable Tucson's Water Committee) and I suggested that she contact the inspector (who happens to be on vacation) and their boss. I made a few recommendations on how to make it appear a bit more "tidy." But the birds love the habitat she created. And the so-called "weeds" are wildflowers that haven't bloomed yet or bunch grass that feeds birds. Why should they suffer because the guy with boring gravel doesn't like it? 

I invited her to attend our water committee meeting on "Rainwater Harvesting and Keeping Cool with Storm to Shade." Storm to Shade is the organization responsible for maintaining Tucson's GSI. Ann shared her story to a sympathetic audience. Hopefully this will lead to the issue being resolved and for an inspector to be better educated. Watch meeting here: https://youtu.be/HU0a-7EUr7M

Maybe we all just need to learn to see our desert yards with new eyes and understand that native plants look different depending on the season. And when you're tempted to call that little patch of green a "weed" remember that native plants are vital for creating healthy wildlife corridors. Can we do that for the birds, please?

More Information: 

Identify the birds you see or hear with Merlin Bird ID: https://ebird.org/home

Good Weeds vs. Bad Weeds blog

Our Yard the Bird Feeder

 #lovemyrainbasin

Looking Back: A Year of Community Building

While gathering pictures for our annual newsletter, I was reminded of the many blessings we shared this past year. During these challenging times, I've learned that it's more important than ever to embrace the good things in life. For me that includes family, community, and using my talents to share the joys of sustainable living. 

One of our main priorities this year was building community by working with our neighborhood association. This year we enjoyed some nice gatherings and worked on several projects. We adopted Pinecrest Park and used the money from our neighborhood yard sale to install a Little Free Library there.  Local artist (and neighbor) Becca donated her time to paint fun animals on it. The Desert Sky Community School family came out for our ribbon-cutting ceremony. 

One of my favorite gatherings was our "Stories of Pinecrest" breakfast in the park. Inspired by tales I had heard from some long time residents, I ventured out into the neighborhood to gather more. It was a great opportunity to get to know some of our neighbors. And what wonderful stories! Back in the day there was a ranch in the neighborhood. As a child, Noni rode her horse where the park is now. There was even a speakeasy that rumor has it the outlaw John Dillinger visited! Ann shared how she left home at 14 to join the women's baseball team that inspired the movie "A League of Their Own!"  

John told how he played in the wash as a child. He even showed us his leather sling shot. Now he gives back by being a part of the wash cleanup team. 

Which brings me to our neighborhood beautification projects. Dan has led the wash cleanup team that meets the last Sunday of every month. This year we joined in a multi-neighborhood Arcadia Wash cleanup with Avondale and Swan way neighborhoods.  After some campers lent a hand with the cleanups, I made an effort to start a relationship with them.

We found ways to share our love of sustainability too. At our potlucks, neighbors bring their own coffee mugs and tableware to limit trash. When Environmental Services joined us for a presentation about their programs, we invited Stephen Menke from Sustainable Tucson to talk about Zero Waste. 

Stephen talking about the 6 R's of sustainability. I shared the Zero Waste kit too. 

Wow! Looks like we did a lot with the neighborhood this year!  We've found that some of the most impactful work we can do is with our own community. 

I have to admit that sometimes I get discouraged because of the pushback from the current administration. But I've found that taking action really helps, along with building supportive relationships.  That's why I hosted a get-together with a few like-minded ladies (that could fit in our little TV room.) We watched the recording of the play reading of "ReGeneration: The Tucson Story," visited, ate yummy food and toured the rainwater harvesting features in my yard. (Any get-together is an opportunity to share my basin! #lovemyrainbasin )  I plan to host more of these parties in the coming year. 

We always enjoy hanging out with other environmental advocates at Environmental Day at the Capitol and feeling a part of that community. Last year Sustainable Tucson's Water Committee shared the joys of rainwater harvesting and lobbied for better water policies with our state legislators. Wanna join us in February? 

I also found some common interests with new friends in Tombstone when I performed a historical reading of my favorite book, The Forgotten Botanist: Sara Plummer Lemmon's Life of Science & Art (that Mt. Lemmon was named after!) During the introduction I simply dropped in a line about how I loved the native plants in our rainwater harvesting basins. At the campfire that night, people asked me about it. Sometimes it only takes a few words to start the conversation. 

While we fight the good fight for our country and the planet, let's take time in the new year to embrace the good things in life - like building a community, spending time with family and friends and sharing our gifts.  

Wishing ya'll a rewarding New Year! 

Love, Jana and Dan 

Feel free to host your own movie party. You can find the recording of "ReGeneration: The Tucson Story" on Youtube. 

Celebrating new traditions...

https://www.sustainablelivingtucson.com/2022/07/celebrating-new-traditions-that.html

The Best Gift: Rain on Christmas!

After suffering through a scorching hot year without our seasonal monsoon and winter rains, it has been a real delight to have our winter rain return! Our best gift was rain on Christmas Eve that lasted into Christmas Day. 

In addition to filling up our cisterns, the steady gentle rain was perfect for our front yard basins.  

Our jujube basin was full of fallen leaves ready to hold the moisture....  

... and nourish the soil as it breaks down.

Some of the best techniques we've found for our basins are Leave the Leaves and Chop and Drop. 

While waiting for our Christmas Eve festivities to begin, I spent some relaxing time in the garden cutting palm fronds into mulch for our basins. It was nice to use what nature gives us in our own yard. 

I put another layer of palm frond mulch in the greywater basin - where the previous layer was breaking down nicely. 

Jeremy and Lillie with the sign he drew. 

Earlier in the week, we were blessed with lovely weather for our outdoor Christmas sing-along party. Our native plants looked so green from the recent winter rains. 

We directed guests to walk on the gravel path to protect the plants in the basin. But late season purslane was growing in some of the gravel, so I made a sign with the back of a repurposed rocking chair back that read: WALK ON GRAVEL, NOT PURSLANE. 

My sweetie surprised me by lighting it up for the party!

Hmm... Maybe we'll have purslane scramble for Christmas breakfast! 

We celebrated the holiday by enjoying one of our favorite traditions - singing! 

We are so thankful for the Christmas rain that pepped up the native plants in our cherished basins. 

Wishing you and yours a Happy Holiday, too! 

#lovemyrainbasin

Thankful for our Traditions

It took us some maneuvering to accommodate the Thanksgiving plans from our divided family and the similarly divided family of Jeremy's lovely girlfriend, Lillie. So we settled on having our vegetarian feast on Wednesday... again. When Jeremy started calling our admittedly non-traditional celebration, "Wanksgiving," (W for Wednesday) we went along with it - not registering the other meaning of the word. That Jeremy!

For me, Thanksgiving has always meant family getting together and stuffing themselves with Turkey (or fake turkey) and all the fixings. Through the years, we have created our own traditions - like passing around the Bounty Basket and sharing what we are thankful for (usually the family in attendance.) While getting out the veggie turkey salt shaker and sunflower tablecloth, we rediscovered the children's Thanksgiving books. Jeremy gave a spirited reading of his favorite, "The Plump and Perky Turkey" before storing it away for future readings. 

Last night we shared that tradition by donating some of our other thanksgiving books to the Little Free Library that our neighborhood had installed in the park. 

NOTE: When SNAP benefits were delayed, a kind neighbor filled up our Free Little Library with food. Concerned members of the Pinecrest NA are now looking into the possibility of a Little Free Pantry across from the park. Pinecrest neighbors can give feedback on this project here. 

During these trying times, I am so grateful for the solace I find in tinkering around in my little garden and the pollinator/food forest in our beloved rainwater harvesting basin. This year I am thankful for Lillie for joining me on a tour and harvesting purslane and basil for breakfast. 

To the right, Lillie is harvesting purslane for a breakfast scramble.

Dan also made his mother Beth very happy by bringing out the Rummikub set. 

With our sustainable lifestyle I am always on the lookout for traditions that fit our values and these are definitely some that I can embrace - not to mention our dear family that I am most thankful for. 

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours. 

Late Season Purslane Saves the Day!

green chili huevos rancheros with purslane - YUM

If you follow my blog it should be no surprise to you that Dan and I enjoy purslane any chance we get. I'm pretty much obsessed with purslane. 

When we got home from our outing to Tombstone, we didn't have time to go to the store to get a veggie for dinner.  Then I remembered that I had some growing in my front yard! I simply added purslane to some leftover spaghetti sauce and heated it up. While I was at it, I also grabbed some moringa to add even more nutrition. I use just the leaves of the moringa, but I chop up the stems and leaves of the purslane. 

Note: The purslane in the pic has seed buds - which means it would be more woody. I generally look for ones that haven't gone to seed yet. 

moringa (left) and purslane with leftover sauce

This is actually late in the season for purslane, but the purslane that I planted from seed has grown and spread. And new plants are springing up after the rain! 

If you're wondering where I got the seeds... I rinse the purslane off into bowls (usually 3 or 4 times) and the seeds go to the bottom. I simply pour the water with the seeds where I want them to grow. The best place is somewhere you already water. You can see they spread very well in the gravel.   

I got up early to clean up a nearby lot and I still didn't get to the store. So I harvested more purslane for breakfast!

I had a little left over green chili sauce and tortillas that I needed to use up, so I decided to make green chili huevos rancheros with purslane. Yum!  Thought you might like to see how I make 'em. 

The tortillas were thin and crumbling, so I decided to fry them to make them firmer so they could hold up to the sauce. (If they are thick, fresh tortillas I skip this step.)  

Then I cut up the stems of the purslane and sautéed them with the leaves. (Sometimes I will sauté onions and add them to it but this time I really wanted to taste the flavor of the purslane.) I poured the green chili sauce into a big sauce pan, and laid 2 tortillas in the sauce. Then I ladled purslane onto the tortillas and grated cheese on that.

I covered those with tortillas and heated them up on both sides (until the cheese was melted.) Finally, I topped them with a fried egg. 

And my baby and I enjoyed a yummy huevos rancheros with purslane brunch... 

...with a beautiful view of our yard - unseasonably green from the last rain. 

Stories of Exceptional Women; or Taming My Presentation for Tombstone Territory Rendezvous

Performing at Empire Ranch. Photo credit Bob Block 

It's been years since I performed historical readings at Tombstone Territory Rendezvous, so I was honored when Nancy Sosa invited me to present at this year's symposium, "Tramping and Taming of Tombstone: Wild Women, Soiled Doves and Exceptional Ladies."

I immediately went through my collections of historic books in search of "exceptional ladies." I seemed to recall that the Earp Brothers of Tombstone had some quotes from Allie Earp. Perhaps I could share her perspective on their time in Tombstone in her own voice. But as I compiled excerpts of Allie's letters, it became clear that the Earp wives had been hidden off at home while the Earp brothers did their thing. The story where Allie had the most impact, was when she insisted on bringing her sewing machine to Tombstone - which she later used to support them. 

I knew there had to be more impactful women, because I had just finished reading my all-time favorite book, The Forgotten Botanist: Sara Plummer Lemmon's Life of Science and Art.

Sara had worked side-by-side with her husband as they botanized Southern Arizona in the midst of the Apache Wars. Mount Lemmon was even named after her since she was the first white woman to make it to the top of the Catalinas. That was it! I had my subject. The couple had even stopped in Tombstone on their way to Fort Bowie. 

It has been a rewarding journey preparing my presentation of Wynne Brown's lovely book. What a delight to re-read the passages of the couple botanizing our beloved Sky Islands. Their passion for those plants and the sheer excitement they shared whenever they discovered "new glories" is so moving. I couldn't help but feel a kindship with them. My husband Dan and I share a passion for the native desert plants in our rainwater harvesting basin.

Native plants in rainwater basin

While Sara created watercolor paintings of the plants they discovered, I use my cellphone to snap photos for my blog. I like to fancy myself a citizen scientist, studying the impacts of our sporadic Tucson weather on our plants. But Sara and J.G. were the ultimate citizen scientists. Several of the plants they discovered have been named after them and one is still at the Smithsonian. 

Thurber's morning glory by Sara Plummer Lemmon

Photo credit: Wynne Brown*

I was tickled by the way Sara combined her two passions of science and art. It has actually inspired me to pick up my own long neglected sketch pad. It's been many years since I've done any watercolor painting, but I look forward to getting back to it when we return from our trip to Tombstone. 

I am in awe of Wynne Brown's commitment to collecting, photographing and recording the Lemmons' field notes, correspondences, photos and artwork.* And beyond that, organizing and participating in efforts to preserve hundreds of Sara's fragile paintings. Wynne has gone on to share Sara's story far and wide through fascinating presentations and storytelling. I like to think we share a kinship, too. From our love of storytelling and Arizona history to the way we wrangle our husbands into helping us with our projects. 

Her husband Dave Peterson performed with her as J.G. Lemmon to her Sara...

He also worked alongside her preserving Sara's paintings. Reminds me of how Dan has helped me find photos for this slide presentation and doing research for my previous reading of the Clum letters.  

Ye old photograph of Dan and me doing research on the Clums

You might wonder if a bunch of Earp fans would be into a presentation on collecting flowers. But afterwards I got compliments from both men and women. One man thanked me for sharing Sara's story. He said that she was an "impressive woman." Karene Erdman, (who is related to Newton Earp) said that she was waiting to see what flower it was that Sara collected. She was delighted when she discovered that it was columbine - a flower that she had planted in her own yard.  

Feeling a little nervous before my presentation, I added a brief, impromptu introduction. (Talking casually to the audience always helps calm my nerves...) I mentioned how excited I was to share Sara's story because one of the joys of my life is to tend the native plants in our rainwater harvesting basin. At the campfire that evening, Eric Erdman (of the Earp clan) inquired about our rainwater harvesting system. We had a nice chat about all things sustainable. That made my day (or night as the case may be.) 

I want to thank Wynne Brown for her generosity in letting me perform excerpts from her book for my dramatic reading of "Botanizing in Apache Land" and Nancy Sosa for inviting me. 

Me at TRR 2025

For information on TTR, visit: 

https://tombstoneterritoryrendezvous.com/

*Sara Plummer Lemmon's art was donated to the University of California, Berkley and the Jepson Herbaria Archive by Sara's great, great grandniece Amy St. John. 

Watering Just Before the Rain

As the dark clouds of Hurricane Priscilla loom overhead with the promise (or threat) of rain, it may seem unintuitive to deep water plants. After all, won't they get watered by the storm? But one inch of rain can fill up even our biggest cistern. So, it is time to make room for more rainwater. 

I have the challenge of deciding what plants to deep water. I started by giving the moringa in our right of way basin two 5 gallon buckets. (See pic at the top of the page.) Dan drilled two small holes in the bottom of the blue bucket to let the water out slowly.

I also gave three 5 gallon buckets to our pomegranate that has been struggling since we got the water efficient washing machine. It only releases 2-3 gallons of water into the greywater basin (rather than the 12 gallons it used to supply.) 

The 55 gallon barrels that get water off of the roof and the air conditioner condensation have already been emptied.

I used the water from them for our little garden that needs to be watered 2-3 times a day in this unseasonably hot weather.

I've left the water from the last downpour in the cisterns attached to overflow tanks in hopes that one more downpour will finally refill the second tank.  

While preparing for the rain, we also cleared debris from the gutter and the leaf catchers so they work efficiently. After the long dry spell, we are keenly aware that every drop of water is precious.

If Hurricane Priscilla pitches a fit, we could get enough to easily fill the second slimline tank and overflow into our Jujube basin to deep water our jujubes. 

Hurricane Priscilla did fill up the jujube basin! 

And we might just fill up our biggest cistern. 

But the water will overflow into our patio that leads to our Mexican honeysuckle...

That's not a bad problem to have.  That's why it's always important to have overflow for your tanks. 

Just for fun... Here's the blog about my first rainwater harvesting experiment that made that possible. 

Pulverizing Bricks that Dam the Flow

It was a good thing that we used up some of the water in our cisterns before the big storm.