Ginkgo - update

The ginkgo tree has fully leafed out and is sending up lovely new growth. The leaves toward the top of the tree are very large and split rather deeply.

Swale Progress

This photo was taken in mid-February. Fava Beans & daikon have a good start and leaves are building up. The plant in the foreground is a Pineapple Guava, Feijoa sellowiana. It is an evergreen plant with glossy green leaves that are muted green on the undersides. The plant grows about 15 feet and makes edible fruits. I planted five in this area. The planting of mixed evergreen and deciduous (2 ginkgo trees) will offer some privacy from the street (lots of dog walkers & joggers go past) and it eventually act as a windbreak. Across the street is an empty field and an orchard, so we get lots of dust when they mow the field and orchard alleys.
Our entire lawn will eventually be replaced with more useful plants.
See earlier posts swale progress and planning a swale for comparison.

Update: April 1, 2009 photo of swale:
Blooming Daikon!

Berm & Basin (swale progress)

Swale expansion went well. Many hours of digging, shaping and planting have produced a basin and berm next to the road. The first few rains happened after the first digging/planting stage of the project and the water came in, filled the basin, then infiltrated the soil. It worked. Now with the larger area ready to accept water, it should be ready for our heaviest downpours. The pineapple guavas look very pretty out there, as do the lavender plants. The fava beans from the first digging/planting stage are up a few inches. I planted more fava beans in the newly-completed area and Daikon, salvia verbenacaea, and others. I am lacking in much mulch materials but I did bring some mulberry leaves and pine needles from the back yard to start that. I'll continue gathering materials to have the area better mulched before the rains really get going.

Planning a swale

This section of the front yard is currently a buffer of plants along the road. I am planning on creating a swale here instead. 12 ft wide at the widest and 4 feet wide at its narrowest. I am currently making calculations on the appropriate depth and appropriate berm height. Also planning the vegetation to go in the swale and on the berm. Trees and shrubs will go on the berm (ginkgo tree, pineapple guava) and annuals and perennials go in the swale (italian parsley, daikon, bell beans, chard (biennial), valerian, thyme, lavender and more). The plants currently along the road (lavender, lavatera) will be moved to suitable sections of the swale. These plants are drought tolerant plants. This swale will help deal with the deluge of water runoff from the road during the rainy season and focus that to a target tree (ginkgo), which will offer shade from the afternoon sun. The swale will replace a section of lawn with a wider diversity of plants, create visual interest from the road side and the house side, and encourage diversity of insect and bird life.
I'll start digging as soon as the temperature cools to a more reasonable range (80s).