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| 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.
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.
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.
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| 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.
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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.
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...
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.
We were delighted when Arizona poppies popped up in that same area in March.
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:
More stories about our front yard basin here:
As rather homebound, soon to be 90 years old seniors, we love your sharing of photos and comments on an environment we've loved living in for the last 46+ years. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much!
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