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Ironic though it seems, nurturing your own habitat can start with fences.The right kind of fences of course.

Fences are a historic landscaping means to create a border, for privacy, and to keep out animals, or for security in general.

"Choosing softscape" fencing means uses plants and trees as a barrier, adding a natural aesthetic that is consider by many to be much more appealing visually. In many ways softscape fencing offers the privacy and security that is generally implied with hardscape fencing. In some ways it is actually more secure, with trees that grow in excess of the typical fence height of three to five feet. In addition, these plants and trees can be so dense that they are comparable to hardscape fencing in keeping out uninvited guests, like skunks and raccoons, etc. okay, some people too.

Trees and plants do so much more than just look good, maintain privacy, and provide security, they also help to restore the ecological surroundings. The plants and trees are natural insulators and can reduce the noise absorbing the sounds in your area. Once roots are embedded into the land where they are planted, the topsoil surrounding them increases in nutrients and creates a land lock for the nutrients to not be washed away.

In fact, Botanist Phung Tuu Boi introduced the plant, Gleditschia austalis as a fencing in areas where Agent Orange poisoned the land -- see www.nytimes.com/2007.  Gleditschia austalis was particularly chosen because for it's prickly cactus features. The land was given a chance to restore itself by keeping animals and people off of it, as well as for creating healthier topsoil and land lock.

www.fast-growingtrees.com has a greet display and description of fast growing trees that includes the height, growing zones and appearance. They even tell you what's popular if you have trouble making a decision over what will look good, and of course you can purchase them on their web-site. Some variations include The Holly Tree, which has look like a green hedge, the Chinese Privet which has a white color, and the Wichita Blue Juniper which has a blue color. Note that checking the zoning charts will let you know which plants will survive in your climate. the chart will also help you to determine if taller trees make better borders for you, as in windy or colder climates. And finally, a nursery will help you to find the native plants to your area.  

It's spring time-- go mend fences!

Birds are sometimes given a bad rap, with all that talk about them being dinosaurs, and then there's the Alfred Hitchcock movie, and if you live in a city with pigeons, which have been compared to rodents, and all that poop!

But the fact is that attracting birds and providing them with means for a healthy habitat is a very useful thing. There are some great reasons to attract birds and provide them with healthy habitat, including 'helping bring nature back into balance', increasing the bird population, and insect pest control', says www.a-home-for-wild-birds.com.

Bird populations have decreased significantly in recent years. The most obvious reason is the pervasiveness of concrete in our modern world. By providing feed, we can help birds thrive! You can put out bird feeders, or just get a big bag of feed and dish out a scoop onto your yard every now and then. As more birds come to your yard to feed, they will be returning frequently, eating the insects as well as the feed. Eventually you will experience decreased need for chemicals to maintain the healthy vegetation and appearance of your yard.

Black oil sunflower seed is the feed to choose when trying to attract birds. You can buy feed at any feed store, or even places like Home Depot, or on-line. Just don't feed them chocolate, it does to a bird what it does to a dog, from a substance contained in chocolate called 'theo-bromine' which is toxic to these animals (see more on this at www.birds.cornell.edu .) For a good list of specific feeds that attract specific species of birds go to www.gardensalive.com. The website www.shawcreekbirdsupply.com has a list of ways to discourage certain species from coming to your yard, (i.e. the pigeon).

Birds rely on habitat, and with nature being 'paved over' for progress, the influx of invasive plant species, pollution, and industrialized farming, basic needs like feeding, rest and breeding are being threatened. The Audubon Society, www.audubon.org, provides a 'watch list' for all the species of birds that are currently under the threat of extinction. They also note that it is 'only citizen action that can fuel the changes that will improve the outlook' for watch-listed birds. All in all, feeding birds is something to feel good about. It helps the environment, beautifies your backyard, controls insects and keeps the cycle of nature in balance.

As a nationally recognized contributing writer and communications specialist, I've launched a column based on my newly published book, The ABCs of Green Industry Communications: assess, brand & communicate. To review or order link to http://www.lulu.com/content/6083320.

Published with Today’s Garden Center magazine, my first column, Creating Industry Presence http://www.todaysgardencenter.com/magazine/?storyid=1971 is available. The column will vary by topic monthly.

Hope you enjoy the column and its content. You are welcome to post comment and suggestions.

The more educated about Carbon dioxide and other harmful toxins in our home the more we wonder, how much of that stuff is in my house? Can I get a number? The answer is yes, you can.

CO2 sensors have transmitters, hooked up to the HVAC system. The idea behind getting a CO2 sensor, is to keep the fans and air conditioners from continuously running, and limit them to only coming on when the CO2 level raises. This is cost-effective and more ecologically friendly.

www.co2meter.com has indoor sensors ranging from one to three hundred dollars. These sensors are usually installed with your HVAC to automatically keep CO2 Levels regulated. But sometimes they're not. -You'll know when you start falling asleep at your desk, or can't seem to leave the house, as raised carbon dioxide levels can make you tired.

If you are in a LEED certified building there is a CO2 sensor in place. What the sensor will do basically, is turn on the fan and shut the fan off when people come in and out of the room. But if you really want to get into it, you can purchase a portable CO2 meter for about 1,000 dollars, and monitor everywhere you go if you like.  At the very least, a cheap wall mounted sensor will be able to tell you when to open a window.

Why stop there when www.greendepot.com has home test kits for allergens and mold, a carbon monoxide detecter that runs on batteries, a carbon monoxide, propane gas and natural/methane gas detector, an asbestos test kit, bacteria in water test kit, lead paint and lead dust test kit, lead in water, lead surface, Long Term radon. Oh, and my favorite, the microwave oven leakage detector. Yes, you can 'catch radiation leakage with this easy to use test kit.' Most kits were in the 11.95 range, fancier gas and carbon monoxide test kits were around 60 dollars. Happy testing! 

I am getting ready to re-finish the wood floor in our house. The floor currently has a poly-urethane finish that is getting weak. We have a 6 month old baby and I am looking for a product with low VOCs. The last time I finished the floor we were not living in the house and their was plenty of time to allow the poly-urethane to cure and gas out. Can anyone recommend a durable finish with LOW VOCs that can be applied over the current poly-urethane topcoat.

The petroleum consumption cycle of the American Landscape

Over the past fifty years Americans have grown accustom to purchasing goods, using them, and trowing them away. We have also become accustom to the flow of goods and services through our homes. Food, detergents, and paper products are all products we use, then throw away. Our landscapes have become that way too. Most of us don't realize it because the work is done by others who come and quietly do the job of making our urban environment beautiful.

Our homes have become little factories that take in goods and materials, process them, then export a product in the form of waste.

Remember this image because we will look at that a little later. Many of us have begun to look closely at how we live and find ways to stop purchasing goods that produce waste and pollution. Your landscape needs attention too. Every aspect of traditional landscape maintenance requires fossil fuels to complete. As chemical fertilizers are applied, new growth is pushed from the plants. Then gas or diesel is burned to cut back the grass and shrubs. The clippings are like the product that is hauled away to the landfill.

Here's the point. Natural, free, abundant nitrogen is available all around you. Nitrogen is the element in artificial fertilizers that gets the most attention. It boosts growth of green shoots and leaves and gives a nice green color. It is applied in the spring to fill in dead spots from winter and give a lush appearance. Phosphorous and Potassium are also key elements in artificial fertilizers. They regulate flowering and promote stress resistance. For more general information about fertilizer visit wikipedia - fertilizers.

We will focus on Nitrogen for this discussion due to it's ability to leech out of the root zone and cause pollution, the amount of energy that is used to produce it, and finally the fact that it can be manufactured right in your soil today from the air.

There are five landscape practices that make up the bulk of activity on any property.

1. Irrigation

2. Fertilization

3. Pest Control

4. Mowing

5. Pruning

The order is very important. Irrigation and fertilization are the two key factors that influence most everything else. By closely regulating the quantity and source of the fertilizers, while properly maintaining irrigation levels, you can reduce pesticides, mowing time, and pruning.

It's a simple fact: the more food and energy you give to the plants, the bigger they will get. The fact is that plants have evolved to survive on very little nutrients. In fact we already know the philosophy of choosing native or adapted plants that don't need much to grow. With the practice of the hybrid landscape, a combination of 20% exotic or imported plants and 80% native or adapted plants, a very nice landscape with a traditional look can be achieved. Yet the grass still has to be mowed. Trees, shrubs, and flowers still have to look nice.

So how do we do this with the minimal amount of materials coming in and going out of our home landscape?

5% of the worlds natural gas is used to produce artificial nitrogen fertilizers.

In an earlier post I discussed at length how to manage your irrigation system to save water and promote healthy, deeper roots. This will help your landscape with nutrient uptake as well. Fertilization and irrigation are linked in another way too. Pollution. Any fertilizer nutrients that are not used by the plant are lost to the environment. These can pollute streams and lakes and cause toxins to build up in well water. Another issue is that 5% of the worlds natural gas goes to the production of artificial fertilizers. Reduce fertilizer use and you reduce the burning of fossil fuels.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fertilizers is a good link for more information on fertilizers and their effects. http://www.cleanairgardening.com/ is a great source for natural lawn and garden products including fertilizers, soil microbial additives, and composting products.

Fertilizers do not make soil fertile.

What is soil fertility? Many people get confused about this. Fertilizers do not make soil fertile. Fertilizers are like vitamin supplements. You can't make a sick, diseased, malnourished person healthy with vitamins. Fertility is the soils ability to hold the nutrients in fertilizers when applied. When thinking of irrigation we use the image of a sponge. The bigger the sponge, the more water it can hold. That's obvious. The sponge image is good for fertility too. Think of it this way.

Soil particles are like tiny magnets with a positive charge. Nitrogen atoms have a negative charge. Some soil particles have a strong attraction to nutrient molecules like nitrogen and potassium. Others have weaker attraction so they cannot hold on to the molecule for very long. If the root does not take the molecule in fast enough then water will carry the molecule down through the soil profile into the water supply. The soil particles with the bigger charge + grabs the nitrogen molecule N faster and holds it stronger.

It's like a sponge with tiny little holes will hold more water when you lift it out of the bucket. A sponge that has big holes will let the water flow down into the bucket faster. Finer soil particles like clay will hold water and nutrients longer than courser soils like sand.

In these illustrations water droplets carry nitrogen atoms down through the soil profile. The larger gaps between the soil particles allow the water to flow past the particles and not release the nitrogen atoms N.

The smaller soil particles have smaller spaces between them and together have a stronger magnetic charge. They enable the root to take the nitrogen N up to the plant leaves.

Most of the time the location of the soil in the environment is the main factor to soil fertility. We have all heard the term "fertile bottom land". This refers to the process by which erosion by water transports soil, minerals, and other matter from high mountains to low valleys where it collects and is deposited. These areas are good for farming because the soils are fertile. They can hold molecules for a long time. The particles are smaller and have large amounts of minerals washed down from the rocks of the mountains. These minerals add magnetic charge to the soils. In fact, they can hold natural sources of nutrients that have arrived over time so no additional nutrients are needed. This is true in the middle of the United States. The fertility of that land is legendary. Soils in Florida are almost all sand. Sandy soil particles are bigger and have weak magnetic attractions so water and fertilizers will move quickly through the soil profile.

So how do you find out what kind of soil you have in your landscape?

One way is to take soil samples and send it to your local agricultural extension agent. This is a group of people that work with local universities to provide information and services to the public about agricultural issues. They will produce a detailed report about your soils fertility and nutrient levels.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soils can provide more detailed information about soils.

Soils lacking in fertility can be improved.

For this discussion we will focus on how to improve soils that are lacking in nutrient holding capacity, and organic matter. It's hard to improve the existing soils in your yard without replacement or major tilling and disruption. But once you get the PH balanced and the moisture levels at optimum levels you can encourage the growth and development of your soils natural microbes, fungi, and microscopic worms. These organisms are the building blocks of healthy soils. There are many sources to buy organic fertilizers. The trick is to grow your soils own microbial populations.

These organisms fall into two basic categories,

Bacteria - Processing, or fixation, is necessary to convert gaseous nitrogen into forms usable by living organisms. Some fixation occurs in lightning strikes, but most fixation is done by free-living or symbiotic bacteria. (From Wikipedia.)

Fungi. - A mycorrhiza (Greek for fungus roots coined by Frank, 1885[1]; typically seen in the plural forms mycorrhizae or mycorrhizas) is a symbiotic (occasionally weakly pathogenic) association between a fungus and the roots of a plant.[2] In a mycorrhizal association the fungus may colonize the roots of a host plant either intracellularly or extracellularly. It is an important part of soil life. (From Wikipedia)

These two organisms are what will help you apply less artificial fertilizers because they will produce natural nutrients from the air. As stated above it's called nitrogen fixation (wikipedia link). Certain bacteria can take nitrogen from the air that is not available to plants, and change its from so it can be taken up from the soil in plant roots. Certain fungi attach to plant roots and create a symbiotic relationship where the fungi help in the uptake of nutrients from the soil and receive a little food from the plant to survive. And as another bonus, these same microbial colonies help break down the old dead and dying grass leaves called thatch. This is significant because faster decomposition of thatch also increases the ability to leave clippings on the ground naturally. The process of getting nitrogen from the air down to plant roots in an available form is complex and fascinating.

Your landscape is a scary place.

Large herds of grazers feed on grass as the predators roam in search of prey. Sounds a lot like the African plains, only much smaller. Yet, the life inside your yard is just as savage.

Bacteria feed on dying grass blades absorbing the nutrients into their bodies. Some bacteria convert nitrogen from the air into their bodies, Microscopic organisms called protozoa eat the bacteria. As they feed on bacteria they release Nitrogen to plant roots. Microscopic worms called nematodes feed on the protozoa and release more nitrogen to the plant roots in the surrounding soil.

Each predator in the food chain needs less nitrogen than is contained in the prey item.

Thus the predator releases the excess nitrogen as waste. So by increasing the numbers of soil organisms and letting them feed on each other in a sort of huge gladiator arena, natural nitrogen will be released into the soil for plant up-take. The greatest thing is that once this environment is created it will continue for as long as the soils are not contaminated or applied with pesticides that kill key parts of this food chain. With artificial fertilizers the process is repeated every year. These natural processes act on their own and need little or no additional support once they are established. We know nitrogen is critical for plant growth and a deep green color. It's also the nutrient that is most likely to be lost to the ground water if it is over applied. These natural processes will boost nitrogen levels naturally for free.

Arthropods are the largest of the predators in the food chain.

They include insects familiar to us like beetles, millipedes, and sow bugs. They are also very small, almost microscopic. These organisms help by shredding dead leaves as they feed. This process breaks down dead leaves so the bacteria can feed more easily. Let us look at the 'shredder' arthropods a bit more closely. The act of shredding organic matter is crucial to start the process of nutrient release we spoke of earlier. If you spray your lawn regularly with insecticides these organisms are killed and the dead leaves build up and take much longer to break down. As a result, the dead organic matter builds up and needs to be dealt with. If it's your lawn, then power thatching and core aeration is performed. This burns gas and can cost a lot of money.

Earthworms - The ultimate shredder.

Earthworms are the most famous of the soil organisms. Worm castings have been used for fertilizers for a long time. As they feed earthworms take dead organic matter underground to feed and leave nutrient rich waste as they move about. These organisms can be killed by pesticides as well. Further reducing the soils ability to produce it's own nutrients. So go to a bait shop and buy a few carton of earthworms and the smaller red worms and release them into you lawn and landscape. They also are very beneficial to houseplants too.

Artificial fertilizers...The flaw is that it's a linear system.

Artificial fertilizers are applied because it a simple easy way to get a lawn green and growing. There is nothing wrong with that. The flaw is that it's a linear system. Meaning that materials (fertilizers, water) go in, are processed (mowed and clipped) into finish products, (clippings) then hauled off site (to the landfill). A system of feeding and growing the natural colonies of microorganisms in the soil to provide nutrients to plants will reduce or eliminate the need for artificial fertilizers. Thus making the system more circular. Determining if your soils are high in microbes is difficult for the average homeowner. knowing where the soils in your yard came from is difficult, if not impossible. Yet their are a few thing you can do to determine the best course of action to make your soils healthier.

Growing active, healthy soils involves four things:

1. Inoculating soils with new bacteria and fungi

2. Monitoring PH levels to maintain them at 7.0

3. Adding carbohydrates (sugar or molasses) to encourage faster growth of bacteria.

4. Monitor moisture levels (see post - Save Water in Five Steps

STEP 1 Soil Innoculation

Soils in new landscapes that have been imported may be low in natural soil microbes. You can add these organisms with commercially available products. (cleanairgardening.com) You can also use your own compost pile if you have one. By spreading your aged compost on your lawn the native microbes will take hold and grow. Let me say one thing about buying soil microbes from a commercial supplier. Like plant communities, soil microbes are different genetically from region to region. Commercial products are fine but any naturally occurring populations will be better. As I stated above, changing your soils is hard if not impossible. Yet a layer of active, healthy soils can be achieved with a little patience and a few afternoons a month. It basically breaks down to two things. * Building a compost bin to catch drainage. * Applying the drain water to the lawn. A simple compost bin can be made out of strong wire fencing, a pallet, four cinder blocks, and a refridgerator pan. The wire fence alows air to circulate freely. The pallet will elevate the pile above the tray. Next, running, the water from a hose will soak through the compost pile and wash all the microbes, arthropods, and nematodes down into the tray. This example was made from recycled metal fence posts, cattle wire, and a cooking tray. The tarp is to hold moisture due to the arid climate where this is located. The wood at the bottom has a hole to funnel water into the catch tray. All made from recycled materials At this point you can take that liquid and add water, and molassis, then ferment it to make larger amounts of compost tea for larger projects. I feel their is an easier way to do this that skips a few steps by alowing the fermentation to occur in the lawn. It involves using whats called a 'hose end applicator'. The excess water is collected in the tray. then it is filtered to remove large debris like leaves, twigs, etc. This water has billions of good soil microbes. Mix it in the hose end applicator with the right amount of molassis. Then turn on the hose and spray on your lawn and landscape. A Hose End Applicator is easy to get at any hardware store. It uses the water from your hose to mix small amounts of any material in the applicator, then sprays out the mixture with the hose water to wherever it is needed. Instead of fermenting the 'Tea' in a barrel or large bucket, the concentrate from the compost pile is applied directly to the yard with the molases. The population growth takes place in the soil. Remember to run your irrigation for about 15 minutes after applying the compost tea. These are handy tools to have on hand. It will allow you to apply small amounts of compost teas to the yard quickly and effectively.

Step 2 Soil Acidity

Soil PH is very important to plant health as well. PH is a chemical property of the soil that effects how nutrients are available to living organisms. Many people change their soils PH by adding lime or sulfur to raise or lower PH. This is an area that will be easier with the help of your local agricultural extension office I spoke about earlier. For more detailed information on PH see Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil_ph

Step 3 Adding Sugars

Adding sugars to soil may sound a little strange. But the science is solid. When plants carry out photosynthesis they create sugar. This is the food that animals eat. It's also the food source that soil microbes are after as well. By boosting the sugars present in soils, microbial populations are boosted. This is beneficial by speeding the processes that break down the dead and dying leaves, grass blades, etc. As this occurs organic matter is added to the soil naturally. Let me say one word of caution about applying sugars to your lawn. Of too much sugar is applied, then the bacteria population explodes. As this happens the bacteria consume the soils available nitrogen to grow and reproduce. This can rob the grass of nitrogen, and cause yellowing of the turf. It is temporary. As the bacteria die off because the sugars are used up, the nitrogen stored in their bodies is released back to the lawn and the green color will com back. A good rule of thumb is this:

* 3-5 oz. of molassis per 1000 sq.ft. ( 20'x50')

Step 4 Monitoring Moisture

Moisture levels are very important also. Soil microbial populations need water just like plants do. See my post Save Water in Five Steps for more detailed information on water management.

Throughout our history we have tried to replace nature with machines, chemistry, and man made biology. Then it seems each time we find out that Nature has the same thing that works on it's own, with little support needed other than to be left alone to carry out it's natural processes. Now with climate change becoming more than a theory, we need to look to ways to use the natural processes all around us to live simpler, better lives. Hopefully the use of fossil fuel based artificial fertilizers can be eliminated or at least reduced as your landscape soils grow and become more active, healthy and alive.

Bio Char is a charcoal -like product that is used as fertilizer to keep carbon in the soil. It is made from the CO2 that is released from trees, plants, and other sources of carbon that escapes from the soil producing greenhouse gases. The process is so effective, Bio Char is considered to be a problem solver of green house gas emissions linked to global climate change.

Other benefits of producing bio char out of greenhouse gases is using the coal-like substance as a fertilizer for farming, and it can also be used as a fuel for energy sources, www.biochar.org.

The actual process is pyrolysis in a kiln. Pyrolysis is the combustion process of greenhouse gases. When pyrolysis is kept to a kiln, the greenhouse gas combustion produces a waste carbon that is the coal-like substance referred to as Bio Char. The kiln is used to reduce the oxygen levels, so when the burning occurs the product is not ash, it's charcoal. The burning which normally releases carbon into the atmosphere, is contained, transformed, and ready to be put into the soil, where the carbon will not be released into the atmosphere, www.africaclimate.org. This is a way of storing carbon.

CARBONSCAPE is a New Zealand company working on a system to turn 'wood, trash, and even sewage into biochar.' www.carbonscape.com For more on the interesting origins behind the discovery of bio char check out www.nationalgeographic.com, 'Ancient Amazonian Cities Found'.

Great Earth Day news! Season One of Building Green made its debut on DVD and at the iTunes store just before Earth Day, last year. Now, we're thrilled to announce you can watch all 13 episodes for free, on Hulu.

For those of you who don't yet know about Hulu, it is a great site to catch up on a lot of the shows you may have missed, both from PBS as well as cable and network television. They've got movies too! It is an ad-based service that is very non-intrusive. After watching one 30-second ad, you can watch an entire episode of Building Green, uninterrupted! You can also post your reviews for the series, for individual episodes, or begin a discussion (or even a rant!) about any topic of your choice.

Enjoy a beautiful Earth Day, get outdoors a little, and catch up on some episodes of Building Green!

Happy Earth Day!

April 22nd is recognized by the United Nations as Earth Day. Earth day is acknowledged around the world with fairs, celebrations, or personal efforts of respect to the natural world we count on for survival. Celebrations happen all during the week. Check out www.cumbavac.org/Earth_Day.htm, for a list of web sites for Earth Day and Ecology, focused on April 22nd.

You might want to check out www.earthday.net, where you will discover ways to get involved. They have a 'take action' section, ways to donate, and focus points of this years Earth Day, which include Education, and Climate Change. 'Around the globe' talks about how the world is celebrating. This years Earth Day celebration brings excitement for the 2010 40th Anniversary theme, 'the green generation' denoting the peaked interest in all things environmental with the current generation. This is exciting because it suggests an expectation of unique contributions are up and coming in the environmental community.

Things to consider while enjoying Earth Day include changes you want to implement to your lifestyle, or bold efforts like which 'green' business idea you haven't thought of yourself, or you might like to look further into. There is also the opportunity to become aware of issues that you may be voting on in the future. It's a great feeling to be around people with the same interest, you might even make a few new friends.

The zero energy prefab house kit exterior is complete.

In about 2 weeks we move on to the next steps: interior walls of the modern house, off grid systems (solar energy, solar heat, and rainwater collection and filtration), and with it all, stepping back for a larger view: the land, and how we will encourage its health while bearing sustenance for our family.

Heather Barber, ASLA, of Topos met with us last week to discuss the land, and landscape architecture.

From the beginning, here are my thoughts about the land:

• I love the fact we did not have to cut down ONE TREE for the home site.
• However, we are big believers in crop tree release to help the woods become healthy. What that means, in short, is removing weed/competing trees to let the native, desirable trees grow strong and healthy. Along the field we have a mixture of poplar, hickory, oaks, walnut... mixed in with cedar, red bud, pine, a few dogwoods and... non-native evil ghetto palms! Ghetto palms, I'm out to get you!
• The 8 acre field can be rotated with
  • cover crops of warm season grasses that encourage the quail habitat (as well as leaving strips here & there in the fields, and other quail / wildlife management practices)
  • potatoes, garlic, onions: With friends we can plant the field, then harvest it together, keeping enough for our families and donating the rest to the Society of St. Andrews. I mean, why glean (although I do look forward to doing that with my friend Peggy, what fun combined with hard work on a gorgeous weekend!) when you could actually plant a field for hunger? (Also note: store bought potatoes have one of the biggest carbon footprints as they often travel quite far to reach the consumer. They're so easy to grow, try growing your own in your back yard!)
  • eventually move to the Rodale Institute's cover crop roller. Currently we have a tractor with a bush hog and blade.
• There is a smaller field downhill from the home site we could irrigate with rainwater... we've tossed around ideas of growing some kind of crop there, like asparagus... but the reality is that as it is much deeper in the woods it will be much more accessible to wildlife... but it's something to think about...
• I would love a root cellar in which to store food.
• ...and, I admit, we have a hankering for mid-century coolio functional cooking grills- purposeful practicality with kickin' design. YES I realize this is a murky area, in which I struggle. Half o' me is survivalist (heck my family has survived here for hundreds of years), half of me is forward thinkin' design, and half (fine I never said I was good at math!) o' me wants a third option from the solar cooker and propane marine stove. I mean, if the weed tree is felled, why not use it? (Or not? Considering.)
• Handsome Husband and the casa ti green building architect, David Day thought it would be plenty fun to have our friends hang on the slope next to the east side of the house in the evening and project old movies onto that north-east side of the house. They were even tossing around words like, "amphitheater." We'll see. They're such romantics. Which is why I love 'em. Which is why they're both more talented than I. : )
• We've already planted apple trees around the shed, and I was pleased to see they are all in bloom and healthy! In a few years we can invite friends over to pick apples!

Now I also must remind myself that we are on a STRICT BUDGET. So maybe most of these ideas will not happen for years. But in the meantime, here are a BUNCH of land pictures, so that the Virginia landscape architect Heather Barber can get a better feel of the entry, field, and area surrounding the modern house kit. I commented on many of the photos, so if there is something that interests you, click on it to see it larger, and with commentary.

We also met with Ron Bernaldo, also known as The Most Fabulous Contractor In The History of the World about our next steps. I can not re-iterate enough how critical having a knowledgeable, experienced contractor has been to the success of our house kit completion. The house kit itself erected easily; but the decisions we had to make as consumers, making the modern off grid house kit "our own"- could not have been affordably or successfully achieved without a contractor like Ron.

Regarding our green building progress, as I mentioned we start again framing the interior, then move on to solar and rainwater collection integration. And THEN we move to interior design of the house kit. Married to a fellow design enthusiast, living our role as house building consumers, I suspect there *might* be design fights ahead.

The first hint came when Handsome Husband nailed up some old sconces. Yes, they do help light the interior of the unfinished SIPs - exposed house kit, but... um... Fortunately they dribbled wax onto his pristine-just-polished concrete floor so I suspect that will be that. But we shall see... never underestimate Handsome Husband.

So maybe I should start a new blog category, called, "design fight" just in case...

In the meantime, here are a few more pictures of the zero energy modern house, it was a *lovely* weekend on the land!