Page 58 - Sonoma County Gazette - June 2018

Graywater is Great Water
Volunteers Needed
Ongoing ~ Larkfield Community Garden Work Day - Maddux Ranch Regional Park. FREE, $7 Parking, Maddux Ranch Regional Park, 4655 Lavell Rd., Santa Rosa, parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov
GOOD CAUSE Plant Sales
Fri-Sun ~ Occidental Arts and Ecology Center Organic Nursery - Succulents, perennials, shrubs, California natives and trees. 10-5p, 15290 Coleman Valley Rd., Occidental, 874-1557, oaec.org/ events/plant-sales
Jun 9 ~ Caring for Pollinators from the Ground Up - $10, 1-3p, Sonoma Garden Park, 19996 7th St. E, Sonoma, sugarloafpark.org
Tour guided by Michael Stusser and Michael A lliger. $25, 9-12p, 9-12p, Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary, 209 Bohemian Hwy., Freestone, 707-823- 8231, osmosis.com/event/horticultural- garden-tour-7
I think we can all agree that we are thankful for advancements in plumbing and sewage treatment since the germ-laden Middle Ages. However, many are recognizing that with our current plumbing systems, we are shorting ourselves on a great garden resource...graywater .
Jun 13 ~ Horticultural Garden
Graywater is the gently used water from your laundry machine, shower/ bath, and bathroom sinks. For the last 150 years or so, since the recognition
of germs and the advent of common indoor plumbing, graywater has been mixed with and treated the same as blackwater, which is the water from toilets, kitchen sinks, and dishwashing machines. However, these water types are
Jun 17 ~ Butterfly Gardens
not created equal! Graywater is in fact quite clean, and should be viewed as
a valuable resource for irrigation. Not only can this water-reuse method save you money, but it is an excellent way to reconnect urban residents and our backyard gardens to the natural water cycle while increasing the productivity of our plants.
Mon-Sun ~ Vallejo Home Plant Sale
- Children’s activities, wildflower display, walking tours, FREE, 10-4p, Hallberg Butterfly Gardens, 8687 Oak Grove Ave., Sebastopol, 707-823-3420, hallbergbutterflygardens.org
There are two main types of graywater system retrofits: the Laundry-to- Landscape system (coined by the grandfather of the graywater movement, Art Ludwig, of Oasis Designs) and the Showers-to-Flowers or branched drain system. In California, no permit is needed for the Laundry-to-Landscape (L2L) system, and it is a cheap and easy DIY project. Most of the time, L2L systems only cost $100-150 to install. Depending on how often you wash laundry and whether you have a top-or front-loader machine, this system can divert 1,000- 10,000 gallons of water to your thirstiest trees, shrubs, and perennials.
Perennials, natives, succulents, grasses and more. 9-2p, Willowside School, 5299 Hall Rd, Santa Rosa, 707-569-4724, ogusd.org/willowside-nursery
How do you know if graywater is right for you?
By Date
Jun 1, Jul 6 ~ Guided Public Tours at Garden Valley Ranch Unique rose varieties. $10, 11a, Garden Valley Ranch, 498 Pepper Rd., Petaluma, 707-795-0919, gardenvalley.com
Jun 2 - Jul 1 ~ Monte-Bellaria Lavender Harvest, Plant Sale & Festival Sat & Sun - Lavender bundles plants, soap and oil for sale. $5 pre-admittance ticket, 10a to 4p, 3518 Bloomfield Rd., Sebastopol 707-829-2645, monte-bellaria.com/events/
Jun 3, 17, Jul 1 ~Occidental Arts & Ecology Center Public Tours - FREE 1-2:30p, Occidental Arts & Ecology Center, 15290 Coleman Valley Rd., Occidental, 707-874- 1557, oaec.org
Jun 7 ~ Valley of the Moon Garden Club ~ workshop - SEE ARTICLE BELOW. Sonoma Veterans’ Building, 126 First St. West. 6:30, CLASS AT 7. refreshments and raffle follows. Members are free and guests pay $5.00 at the door.
Daily Acts dailyacts.org
Jun 4 ~ Water-Wise Habitat Gardening for Pollinators - Learn from local experts. FREE, 6-8p, Petaluma Library, 100 Fairgrounds Dr. Petaluma, 707-789- 9664, dailyacts.org, moreinfo@dailyacts. org
Jun 7 ~ Gray is the New Green - Re-Using Graywater for your Garden. FREE, 6-7:30p, Windsor Senior Center, 9231 Foxwood Dr., Windsor
Jun 8 ~ Community Resilience Challenge Celebration Party - Register to attend. FREE, 6-9p, Sebastopol Grange, 6000 Sebastopol Ave., Sebastopol, communityresiliencechallenge.org
Jun 14 ~ June Garden Day - Cavanagh Center Food Forest. FREE, 10-12p, 426 8th Street, Petaluma
Because every choice matters
The ideal homes for graywater will...
• Have a laundry machine located just about anywhere, but not:
On a second floor, interior-only wall (the upstairs wall with the machine does not face outside at all)
On a first floor interior-only wall, if there is a slab foundation with no crawlspace
• Have, or plan to have, a perennial landscape (not lawn) that is level with or from your washing machine
• Have approval from the home’s owner, if renting
• Be willing to use soaps that are sodium, boron, and chlorine free (such as
Ecos or Oasis)
• Not have concrete completely surrounding the outside area near the wall
where the machine is located (ie. if your laundry outlets next to your driveway or patio, and there is not space between that concrete and the house, you would have to remove concrete to get the pipe out to the yard).
To learn more, attend one of Daily Acts’ graywater and garden design workshops this summer! In Petaluma, on June 4th from 6-8pm Daily Acts will be hosting a Water-Wise Habitat Gardening Talk at the Petaluma Library
Succulent Arranging in the Valley of the Moon
great opportunity to learn about various habitat providing and pollinator attracting plants that can be supported by graywater. On June 7th from 6-7:30pm, a talk on Graywater for your Garden will be presented at the Windsor Senior Center. This will be a great opportunity to learn more about the steps it takes to install a Laundry to Landscape system, and the multitude of benefits that follow. Stay up to date with Daily Acts skill building workshops by visiting dailyacts.org Take Heart, Take Part, Take Action!
The June 7th meeting of the Valley of the Moon Garden Club is a workshop on container planting with succulents.
– Propagated on the property. 10-5p, Vallejo Home, 363 3rd St. West, Sonoma, 707-938-9558, Lynn Luzzi
Jun 30 ~ Community Seed Exchange
Jun 16 ~ Middle School Nursery
Locally grown organic seed and a network of seed savers. FREE 9-12p, St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, 500 Robinson Rd., Sebastopol, communityseedexchange.org
The objective is to create a succulent planting that best fits your style or garden theme. Participants should bring a unique container that is medium to small size. We suggest combing garage sales, thrift shops or even your backyard stash of treasured items. Maybe go the Dollar Tree or Plain Janes to find a festive container.
58 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 6/18
A container with a hole is
preferable. If it can be drilled or punched with a nail put a hole in it. VOMGC will provide the planting soil and succulent plants and cuttings. If you have unique and colorful succulents at home take some cuttings to share with our members. Remember you can cut them well in advance and let them scare over before planting. Sonoma Veterans’ Building, 126 First St. West. Meet and greet starts at 6:30, and the meeting at 7:00, and complimentary refreshments and raffle follows. Members are free and guests pay $5.