Sustainable Landscaping, Lawn Removal on Water-Efficient Rebate Budget

Feb 21, 2024

Thanks to everyone who came to our class in January with Alana Mirror about how she transformed her lawn into an edible and native landscape, all within the budget of the Water-Efficient Rebate Program from the Solano County Water Agency. You can read her previous blog about this project here.

For resources on how you can make a sustainable transformation in your own backyard (and on a budget!), below are individual videos covering topics from the water-efficient rebate program to DIY sustainable landscape design (or you can watch the playlist of all the videos here). You can view a PDF of the slides from Alana’s presentation here. Within these, you’ll find even more links to resources that can help you on your journey.

Sustainable Yard Transformations: Why Transform Your Lawn?


Sustainable Yard Transformation: Water-Efficient Landscape Rebate Program


Sustainable Lawn Removal: How and Why to Sheet Mulch


DIY Sustainable Landscape Design


Permaculture Principles for Sustainable Landscaping


Installing, Maintaining and Enjoying Your Sustainable Yard


You can learn more about Solano County Water Agency’s Water-Efficient Rebate Program here.

To learn how Alana’s sustainable yard transformation also transformed her life, check out her musical blog where she shares original songs, stories, and videos of her transformation at thelivingmirrorproject.org/blog

If you’d like to be part of Alana’s growing community of creative gardeners and environmental stewards, she’s offering a free online introduction to her upcoming group: HeArt of the Garden.

Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting out, Alana’s introductory HeArt of the Garden two-hour, interactive Zoom event on March 23 is perfect for anyone who wants to

  • develop foundations that serve and connect with the natural world;
  • harness the wisdom of nature;
  • grow trust in your inner-compass through journaling;
  • cultivate confidence in your most honest expression; and
  • make peace with yourself, others and the world around you.

Heart of the Garden is a private online community with monthly Zoom meetings to share creative reflections, build confidence and grow connections.

For the free March 23 introductory event, you can sign up here.

Learn more about Alana’s peacemaking project at thelivingmirrorproject.org

Rebates for Residential Greywater Recycling

Jan 29, 2024

By Ainslee Shuemake

Ainslee is a graduate student specializing in water resource management in UC Davis’ Environmental Policy and Management (EPM) Program and wrote this op-ed piece as part of a class project. We wanted to share her insight with you and also let you know that we are currently looking for sites to host laundry-to-landscape educational workshops. If you live in Solano County and are interested in hosting a public workshop that installs a laundry-to-landscape greywater system in your home, then fill out the interest form here.

Community members help install a laundry-to-landscape greywater system during an educational workshop at a Vallejo home

As California pushes to make “conservation a way of life,” we should ask, who is going to bear the cost and responsibility to change the way we live? Well, it might be you. The State Water Resources Control Board has proposed regulations that would require conservation efforts from more than 400 cities and would raise about $13.5 billion dollars between 2025 and 2040. This new legislation would require counties and cities to limit outdoor water usage or pay a fine, and there’s a good chance that burden will be passed onto individuals. Enter: Greywater.

Greywater is produced in areas of your home such as sinks, washing machines, and bathtubs, which together account for almost 60 percent of indoor water usage. In addition, landscape irrigation accounts for almost 70 percent of all urban water usage and is the perfect candidate for greywater. How can we tap into this supply of greywater and use it for urban irrigation? Laundry-to-landscape systems are currently the most common and easy to install but there are many other options depending on budget and technicality. Providing incentives for homeowners who install these greywater recycling systems could encourage more people to use greywater in a way that would benefit both counties and individuals when it comes to mitigating rising costs of water. California has shown that green incentive programs are successful, so why not apply that strategy to water conservation and more specifically, greywater?

The good news is, about 40 percent of the money from proposed regulations would go to incentive programs geared towards conservation. Some counties in California are already offering some small rebates and even some tips and resources for installing your system. Counties that have already implemented small rebate programs are showing us that it is possible to make greywater recycling a reality throughout California and that there is real demand for incentives and rebates to make conservation and water savings more accessible.

Greywater recycling is a fairly new idea to bring into the residential sector and isn’t without its challenges. Currently, laundry-to-landscape systems are mostly do-it-yourself and require that your house have the correct layout if you choose to install it yourself. Although California is ahead of most states in the greywater game, all counties have guidelines for using greywater, so it is always important to make sure your system is both safe and healthy for you and your landscaping. Even though there are organizations out there that provide help and resources, incentives would make this process a whole lot easier and more appealing to the general public. Rebates that include the cost of having a professional install this system would encourage many homeowners that previously may not have been interested. Like any other new system or idea, it will take time for greywater recycling to gain traction, but incentives are the fastest way to get there. In the face of continued water shortages, we need that push to make sustainable water usage accessible.

Water conservation regulations are coming sooner or later and installing a greywater system in your home will help you live more sustainably now and save more money in the long run. If you are curious about greywater and how you can take action, look into your existing local rebate programs and let your local and state leaders know that greywater recycling is an integral part of conservation efforts. It is time that California invests into greywater recycling if we truly want to make conservation a way of life.

Sustainable Solano offers Laundry-to-Landscape Greywater installation workshops in partnership with Greywater Action to help get more of these water-saving systems into local homes.

A laundry-to-landscape greywater system is a simple system that runs the wash water from your laundry out to the yard to water trees and other plants in your landscape — saving water and saving your trees! These systems do not require a permit in California, and include a valve you can use to direct water out to the landscape or back to the sewer if you need to.

You can watch this informative video for a quick overview of laundry-to-landscape greywater systems.

To determine if your site might be a good fit for a greywater workshop, please fill out this survey.

Help us Shape Our New Doing Good Business Awards Program!

Jan 26, 2024

By Sustainable Solano

Image source: PermaculturePrinciples.com

We know that there are Solano County-based businesses that make a difference in their communities, and this year, Sustainable Solano plans to launch an awards program to recognize those businesses that stand out in their efforts to support people and planet.

And we’d like your help!

The Inspiration

Sustainable Solano has spent 25 years working to strengthen our communities through urban agriculture and community gardens, supporting the local food system, building community conversations and action around environmental and climate resilience, and youth engagement and empowerment.

Our work is informed by the practice of permaculture, which at its base level applies to creating environments that support a healthy, thriving ecosystem. This can apply to landscapes, but also to people, communities and businesses.

We are inspired to recognize businesses that, in their own ways, embrace the three ethics of permaculture: Earth Care, People Care, and Fair Share.

For businesses, we see these ethics materializing in different ways:

  • Earth Care — A dedication to authentic sustainability practices that comes from direct intent, rather than greenwashing or government mandate
  • People Care — A dedication to outstanding treatment of employees, both in policy and in action.
  • Fair Share — A dedication to giving back to employees or the community.

How You Can Help

We want an advisory committee that will help to guide what this program looks like in our community. We want input from business leaders on how to define meaningful efforts in these three areas, and how to judge which nominees are head and shoulders above the rest. Ultimately, an advisory board will review and select the recipients. 

Help us to envision and shape a program that recognizes, celebrates and supports Solano County businesses that are striving to do good!

Want to help? Contact us at info@sustainablesolano.org. We will start the planning process in early March.

Garden Design Templates Simplify How To Start Your Sustainable Garden

Jan 22, 2024

By Sustainable Solano

Want to learn how to apply a waterwise garden template in your own yard? Join Heath Griffith of Grow with the Flow for a Waterwise Garden Design Lab from 10 am-1 pm Saturday, Feb. 24, in Benicia. Learn more and register here.

Creating your ideal garden space can be daunting. Even with piles of garden books, maps of hardiness zones, seasonal planting charts and catalogs spread out on the table, it can take an expert eye to know where certain plants will thrive and how they will work together.

A template can be that little lift needed to get you started on reshaping your yard into something beautiful. (And the perfect activity for this time of the year when cold, rainy days staring out of the window give us an opportunity to think of spring!)

That’s why we reached out to Joshua Burman Thayer with Native Sun Gardens. Joshua is a local landscape designer and horticulture consultant who creates ecological landscape designs, has done extensive work with native plants and organic farming, and community-based work around plants and food. He wrote Food Forests for First Timers, an introductory guide to permaculture in the garden.

Joshua shared these four templates, which we are sharing with you in this blog and will include in our plant resources. These free templates give you a quick way to get started, with the basic layout and selection of appropriate plants for each design.

The templates are designed in 100-square-foot “tiles” that can be combined in various ways to create a larger design.

Joshua shared four approaches: desert, edible, Mediterranean and tropical. The desert and Mediterranean designs are waterwise and drought-tolerant, which is appropriate for Solano County summers. Below each design, Joshua offers a brief description of each as well as where in the county these options could thrive best.

Desert

Desert: For those gardeners wanting to try their luck with only minimal hand watering and no weekly irrigation, desert plants can provide a robust plant palette. These plants can acclimate in 2-3 years and then get by on 1-2 waterings by hand per month in the dry season by year 3. Desert plants evolved to withstand great solar intensity and can thrive in sunny parts of Solano County. (Vacaville, Dixon).

Edible

Edible: If you wish to maximize food production in your urban lot, the edible template will show you how to prioritize food for humans at each level of the food forest. This system takes a good amount of water and care, but can also reward with the most food per acre if water is not an issue. (All of Solano County).

Mediterranean

Mediterranean: Mediterranean plants generally do rather well here, because both the Mediterranean region as well as California are between 32 and 38 degrees N latitude and have similar marine-influenced climates. As such, expect many of the Mediterranean edibles to thrive with the seasonality of California’s wet and dry seasons. (All of Solano County).

Tropical

Tropical: Solano County residents near sea level have the blessing of being able to grow food frost-free 12 months of the year. Some winters do test that ability, but generally low lying areas near bodies of water will allow for a microclimate perfect for growing tropical crops. Try the tropical template for fun varieties to your garden. (Suisun City, Benicia, Vallejo, Rio Vista, Fairfield).

If you are interested in learning how to apply a waterwise template to your own yard, join us for the Waterwise Garden Design Lab taught by Heath Griffith of Grow with the Flow on Feb. 24 in Benicia. Registration is free, but seats are limited.
Heath got their Permaculture Design Certificate with Vital Cycles Permaculture, through a course sponsored by Sustainable Solano. Since then, they have worked with Soilogical BioSolutions and Designs, become a Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper, and earned a nationally recognized certificate in Water Harvesting. Heath is driven by a deep passion for reconnecting humans with the landscapes that live and breathe all around us, beginning with water harvesting and sustainable water use.

There are other templates out there. For native plants, we recommend the California Native Plant Society’s Regional Guides, which include plant lists and design templates. You can download the one that suits your environment here.

Have a template you’ve used? Share it with us at info@sustainablesolano.org so we can add it to our list of resources!

Stir Fry with Scallion-Ginger Sauce

Dec 21, 2023

Photo credit: Karen and Brad Emerson, CC license

Ingredients:

Protein: Combine the 3 items below and set aside.
¾ – 1 pound firm tofu or lean meat/seafood (you can use cooked & shredded rotisserie chicken too!)
1 T. soy sauce or Tamari (low sodium is ok), or Coconut Aminos
1 T. dry sherry (or substitute rice wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or apple cider)

Sauce: Combine all ingredients below into a bowl and set aside.
3 T. soy sauce (low sodium is OK)
½ t. sugar
1 T. dry sherry
2 T. minced fresh ginger
1 T. minced garlic cloves
3 scallions, white part minced (save green part for garnish)
2 T. low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

Vegetables: (you should have around a total of 1 ½ lbs.)
Prep vegetables into batches, according to ingredient list below (keep them in their groups — for example, keep the carrots, onion and broccoli together). Cut into uniformly-sized pieces.

Group 1:
2 large carrots, sliced (8 oz.)
½ onion, sliced (4 oz)
½ head broccoli (4-5 oz), cut into florets

Group 2:
4 to 5 oz (about ¼ head) cabbage, chopped
4 to 5 oz. shiitake or other mushrooms, sliced

Group 3:
A couple handfuls of spinach or other cooking green (i.e. bok choy)

2 – 4 T. canola / peanut / avocado oil

Get all ingredients near the stove – this next part goes fast!

  1. Heat a large, nonstick skillet over high heat for about 1 minute. Add 2 T. oil and carefully swirl to coat the pan.
  2. If using raw meat/seafood, drain meat/tofu and sear until just done (1-3 minutes, depending on meat). Spoon meat/tofu out of pan to bowl or plate; cover with foil or a plate to keep warm.
  3. Add “Group 1” veggies and stir-fry for 5 minutes.
  4. Add “Group 2” veggies and stir-fry for 3-4 more minutes (you may need to also add a little more oil if it’s dry).
  5. Add “Group 3” veggies and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, or until greens are wilted.
  6. When veggies are crisp tender, add cooked meat/tofu to the pan and stir to combine, about 1 minute.
  7. Add the sauce. Stir-fry to coat all ingredients, about 1 minute.
  8. Garnish with scallion greens and serve over rice.

To cook basmati or jasmine rice:
The ration of rice to liquid is roughly 1:1 ½. (So, 1 cup rice + 1 ½ cups water or broth. Combine rice and liquid in a medium saucepan. Add a pinch of salt if desired. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and cook for about 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let it steam for 3-4 minutes. Rice is done when tender and you will also see “steam holes” on the top. (Chef’s Note: long grain rice and other varieties can have a ratio of 1:2, so check package directions before cooking.)

Serves 4-5.

Recipe adapted from Cook’s Illustrated and eatfresh.org

Download a printable version of the recipe here

Learn about this recipe by watching the cooking class below