March 2006 Notes from Todd Rusk

Notes from Todd Rusk

To do this spring:

• Sump pump water
  Need another flexible connector, 1 1/2″ x 1″
  Continue to observe water flow in channel between black pipe outlet and swale
  Consider: Is a meandering water channel between black pipe and swale (i.e. to bring extra moisture somewhere) advantageous?
  Settle on final shape of path and fill with coarse rocks, i.e. from driveway, and cover with straw
• Downspout water – get barrels for rain catchment
• Pruning experiments with nanking cherries, if it’s not too late
• Identify and maybe transplant more of the mysteriously bountiful grassy allium
• Set up annual vegetable breeding plots
• Plan annual vegetable crop locations
• Trellises for viney things – hops
• Garden boundary
Annual plantings to condition areas for spread of bamboo, i.e. mulch, annual crop, border/boundary…
Create short term border/boundary using annual grains/grasses

3/14/06 – 1 hour

Observation: Someone reattached the pipes with a lot of duct tape, and a section of the wall of the house was saturated with water>

Activities:

• Foiled! Connector I needed not available at Sunnycrest True Value and Do-It Best is not answering phone
• Dug a small channel across garden path near bench to convey sump pump water into swale, then filled the trench with branches and straw. Channel is basically a straight line.
• Detached the pipes again to protect the house and left a friendly note written in purple crayon explaining that they’re not yet ready to be connected

3/13/06 – 0.5 hours

Activities:

• Purchased a 1 1/2″ x 1 1/4″ clamp on flexible connector from Sunnycrest True Value, $5.00
• Installed connector between 1 1/2″ sump pump drain pipe and 1 1/4″ pipe into garden, now a lot of water backs up onto house because of the increased pressure drop –> another connector is needed between 1 1/2″ sump pump drain pipe and 1″ pipe coming out of house – I left the pipes disconnected to protect the house

3/10/06 – 2.5 hours

Observation: Lots of water from sump pump is flooding strawberries and herbs near house.

Activities:

• Said hello Rita, Mariana, Katlyn
• Rob pruned the fruit trees
• Rob and Todd trained the curly willows in the swale
• Todd rescued a nanking cherry from chicken wire entanglement

3/9/06 – 1.5 hours

Activity: Transplant & consolidate chives – finished 1 area

3/7/06 – 1 hour

Activity: Transplant & consolidate chives

3/6/06 – 1.5 hours

Observations:

• Steaming compost
• Wheel barrow has a flat tire

Activities:

• Tie up loose ends of mesh around compost bin
• Remove bricks from around compost base, stack by garage

3/4/06 – 2.5 hours

Observations:

• Tire tracks in grass south of garden. “Dude, wanna do some donuts?”
• 2 partial compost piles, stinky
• Some scattered plastic trash & debris in garden
• Chives stands, tasty & mild

Activities:

• Pick up trash
• Attempt to balance compost pile: consolidated into 1 pile, added hay from around yard, watered
• Collected hops seeds for Love Pond green tunnel
• Removed steel frame thing holding hops vines
• Inventoried miscellaneous stuff around site
• Talked to Rita, met Mariana

Inventory of miscellaneous stuff around site

• 5-gallon bucket (Nasty) 2
• Asphalt shingle (Sheet, 2’WxLong) 1
• Bat (Waffle ball) 1
• Brake drum (Car) 2
• Building bricks (Red) Pile
• Chemicals (Nasty) Assortment
• Chicken wire (3’H) Roll
• Cinder blocks (Various sizes) Few
• Flat (Seed starter, various) Few
• Garden tools Basic assortment
• Lawn chair (Functional) 4
• Lawn chair (Broke-ass) 2
• Lumber (Various) Some
• Metal frame (Rectangular 4’Wx6’Lx3’H) 1
• Metal pole (Long) 9
• Metal thing (Artistic, strange) 1
• Metal tub (Probably leaks, 2’dia x 1’H) 1
• Metal wire (Wavy, thick gauge, 6′) 1
• Painting (4’x2′) 1
• Plastic mesh (like compost bin – Black, 3’H) Small roll
• Plastic pipe (Various dia, long) Few
• Plastic tarp (Green, gray) 2
• Platform (Carpeted, wood frame, 3’Wx7’Lx5″H) 1
• Play sand (Blue) 40 lb bag
• Pots (Terra cotta) Few
• Radiator (Car) 1
• Rim (Bicycle) 1
• Seat cushion (Blue) 1
• Tire (Bicycle) 4
• Tire on rim (Car) 4
• Tomato cage (Metal) 5-ish
• Toys (Various outdoor, plastic) Bagful
• Trash can (Metal) 1
• Tub 15 gallon (plastic) 1
• Wire rack 3’x3′ 4