With the rain and snow having returned to our region for their turn in the cycle of our seasons, I thought I would re-run this interview with Phyllis Clark-Kirkman of Gringo Dave’s in Redding on rainwater harvesting and storm water management, from December of 2009.

On December 13th of 2010, from 8 - 9pm I will be hosting a special one-hour call-in I 5-LIVE! on Northstate Public Radio (91.7 KCHO in Chico, 88.9 KFPR in Redding) discussing creative and effective designs for using/re-using and managing water (a lot of it, or not enough of it) in the garden through rainwater harvesting and storage, rain gardens and greywater systems. My guests will include Bernadette Balics of Ecological Landscape Design out of Davis, and Jim Collins, Garden Manager of the Community Teaching Garden on the campus of Shasta College in Redding. Send questions or thoughts in advance to me by email: jennifer@jewellgarden.com, or call in during the program: 1-800-234-5246. (more…)

This epic wet weather in the North State over the past few weeks has me holed up and dreaming about my spring planting of seeds. I am working on expanding my raised beds for vegetables from the existing two to a productive six beds - each about 3 feet wide, 12 feet long and 2 feet deep. Photo: Raised beds framed in cedar in an enclosed and formal home garden.
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The (blessed) rains (and snows) have come again to the North State and my garden rain gauge has measured 4.2 inches of rain this month. My rain barrels are full to overflowing, and this harvest gives me a small but happy sense of self-sufficiency. We’re only talking three barrels at this point, but still, their harvest provides me with a happiness along the lines of being able to build a campfire, make my own preserves or knit a sweater. (more…)