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It All Starts with a Little Drip

A few years ago, I had a bad work experience. After spending a year traveling, I found myself in a horrid job - back in dodgy Internet advertising, selling crap to businesses so they could sell crap to people, and I found myself crying in my car, trying not to crash on the West Side Highway as I sobbed to my brother about how unfulfilling my work life was. His answer?

“So leave.”

The very same day, a dear friend forwarded a NYT article to me on the NY Botanical Garden’s Landscape Design program, saying, “You should really quit and start taking these classes.”

Within a month, I’d stopped working full time in Internet advertising and decided to go to landscape design school.

LD school led me to a fascination with green roofs. Which led me to Earth Pledge. Which led me to sustainability. Which led me to green consulting, which led me to Jen, which led to the Bite.

The world works in crazy ways.

One of the last classes I took at NYBG was a course on microdrip irrigation - easily the best way to maximize your water usage. If you are in the NYC area, you should seriously check out its program. (And if you want more local NYC green tips, sign up for our local edition, which launches September 25th).

-Heather…off to help Mom chart out her microdrip project…
Posted by: tmeronek on 08/16/2007
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Evelyn  on August 16, 2007 at 05:20 AM 1
This sounds like a good system, but why not notch environmental gardening up a tad higher and turn everyone onto xeriscaping? I'm getting ready to landscape this fall and would love/appreciate it if you could devote a day to xeriscaping.
Earthteller  on August 16, 2007 at 07:18 AM 2
Here in drought-plagued Oklahoma we have used Dripworks' T-tape irrigation system in our big vegetable garden for the past 5 yrs. This year we added an automatic timer: easy and foolproof! T-tape not only avoids waste by delivering the water straigt to the roots, but also defeats weeds (they die in the dry paths) and saves plants from mildew and other diseases which thrive on wet leaves. Also, we can work in the garden WHILE watering. Yields have been fantastic. Highly recommended!
Idealbite Team Member tmeronek   on August 16, 2007 at 10:36 AM 3
Evelyn, Xeriscaping's a fantastic way to save water at home. See our Xeriscape tip here: http://www.idealbite.com/tiplibrary/archives/x_rated_garden_week/ And you can check out all our past garden-related tips here: http://www.idealbite.com/tiplibrary/categories/category/Garden/ Happy biting!
Wayne  on August 16, 2007 at 11:45 AM 4
I just moved into a new house a few months ago and all the drip irrigation is busted. As we rent, I can have the landlord replace it but the yard is also a typical suburban yard, e.g. lots of grass. So I got written permission from the landlord so that I can "modify the landscaping to suit my needs". This includes removing non-native plants, reducing lawn space, adding more planting beds, creating vegetable gardens and updating the backyard to be almost completely edible. I don't plan on moving for a long time and may enter a lease to buy option on the home so it works for me. The landscape when I am finished will have a total of 60% less lawn, 4-6 more trees (there are 7 on the property now) and provide about 70% of my family's produce and kitchen herb needs. Not too bad for a smaller suburban lot. Drip irrigation will be a big portion of this as well as reconfiguring other landscape items to fit the layout better. I'll definately be downloading the free ebook to help plan because the temperatures are starting to drop below 100 degrees and I can do more work outsied without jeopardizing the plant's health.
Carrie  on August 16, 2007 at 11:46 AM 5
Oh yes, working in the garden while the water is definitely one of the many pluses of micro drip. Another thing I love about it is there is usually less weeds to pull since you get more water to the plant and less to the surrounding area that weeds might grow in. I guess micro drip could also be considered a natural weed preventive since the only other thing that gets rid of weeds naturally is pulling them! Hey, if you want more natural remedies check these out at the www.thewishingwellness.com
Gloria  on August 16, 2007 at 03:02 PM 6
Don't forget rain barrels. I plan to use them myself. I downloaded plans for them but I have no idea on where to get the food grade barrels(here in Indiana). Any ideas anyone?? Making your own costs about $30 compared to $100-150 ready made. Also is there a plan to have a local green edition for the Chicago area? Since I'm about an hour away that would be really convenient & have things more pertinent to my area(Midwest).
Ikia  on March 19, 2008 at 04:53 AM 7
What is so dodgy about internet advertising? The Ikia furniture store at http://www.ikiaonline.com is doing a lot of advertising.

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