[Les Ballard]

My edit didn’t work.  Added features may have an overflow and so should the planting base some inches up maybe being led to a drain with the 2 small tubes initially put in a single piece of hose.  Both may be pricked with wire back up them occasionally to remove any clogging.    

The planting base can be shielded from the sun by a bent raked lip of a few inches to catch rain but exclude sun.  Gravel near the drain hole should filter water well enough.  The base can also comprise a garden seat for casual perching but there only needs to be say 6 inches of actual soil/compost, the rest filling or hollow beneath in places.    

 

[Les Ballard]

there are many varieties of hedera – maybe a normal, a yellow and a variegated ivy with a honeysuckle or 2 for winter berries and summer aroma – i would let these climb up a false screen and keep off the wall as much as possible.  Ivy changes to an evergreen leaf from the top down, when it reaches the top, then having flowers and berries (which are poisonous so beware livestock) so new shoots need encouraging so always typical ivy leaves exist and old shoots need cutting back.  They will make own shade but some would help so darker danker base is fine.  Also a passion flower would give easter blooms and summer fruits to squeeze for juice.  Hope its not too light or hot for the ivy.  Whatever, warn client to look out for nests in the ivy and not go near chicks, wasps, etc.  Leaves can also hide bird, bat or other boxes put onto wall.  As a screen i suggest a roll of anything, even old carpet, fixed to a 2 x 2 frame with 1 x 1 battens.  No need for a strip near the ground, let the plants grow up to 2 or 3 feet up canes.  You can nail up horizontal strips as plants grow but wood or angle iron needs to be nearly as high as wall min. 2 metres less maybe 6 inches.  Adherence of roots to actual wall could crack the surface of the cement especially when it needs chipping off with a chisel.  You can always cut stems, remove the screen material entirely and roll everything up to dispose of it.   Garden centres usually sell rolls of screening maybe made of willow.  Fence type panels are too dear and heavy.  Ivies will get no nutrient from all this, only a grip so may need feed and water even once established.

Oh btw they arent evergreen but nasturtiums dont suck providing flowers for salads, leaves for stuffing, buds for capers a pleasant aroma and nice vegetation generally.  Once the vines grow and there is nothing in the first two feet nasturtiums may be a good idea though replanted annually from own seed.  They will grow up the other stems.   

People sometimes like a plaque type water feature in such places with water coming out of a mouth to sparkle in the sun and this helps birds too.  Where there are young children it is pretty safe with water spilling onto pebbles only which is then recycled and pets can drink freshly oxygenated water but add pet sulphur to the reservoir and change regularly.  There are even solar self contained models as only a tiny pump is necessary and topping up with water to cope with evaporation.  

[Les Ballard]

Oh you couldnt do it any more too many health and safety issues you would need armed guards to protect folk from committing suicide by eating the seeds lol,

[Les Ballard]

right, you cant desalinate the salt lake and melt water reduction in many years may dry that out anyway – recycling what you have is king unless you convince residents to bath with a friend a few times per fill and not shower lol.  The stat on irrigation is obviously key in that so much h2o is lost to evaporation and better ways of irrigation, eg leaky hose rather than sprinklers, seems the way forward in the short term.  I think of the mayan, etc problem with insufficient food being grown to feed a huge urban population for those days resulting in human sacrifice in drought.  I cant see the tabernacle reverting to that lol but some folk do odd and ancient things cos they are in our brains.   Actually limiting any resource or population is enough of a culture shock for people brought up on inexhaustability and cheap gas so trimming at the edges, as indicated with irrigation and planning limits, needs a main attack elsewhere – namely in this case, i think, a major water recycling project from melt and rainwater where, currently, water is lost by flowing in the wrong direction or actual urban recycling.  USA wide funding is going to be limited for a long time and state funding too so this is going to have to be a private commercial and public donation or taxation enterprise over a decade with the promise of dearer water and even food for all to ensure “angel” company profits.  The saving grace may be very low percentage profits providing sufficient rewards over a long time, not giving a licence to print money as folk may usually regard utility companies.

[Les Ballard]

I am obliged for your responses.  I agree with the attitude of needing nothing and noone to continue to live in some areas – whereas we should know our place more and be called upon to work together – and as for the barrier, it needs to be finished before the next surge, not after all returns to normal or it may never get the chance.  Just build it 20cm higher than the highest projection for highest surge in 200 years.  Our Thames barrier is lovely but already an inch short to fully protect London due to water rises from global warming over 20 years.  .  

[Les Ballard]

yes grey water tanks are fine as are 3 pond filtration systems to get back to drinking water and underground reservoirs but planning new areas from an underground cistern upwards carrying all services seems best.  For donkey’s years people have said we should save the rain, at least and recycled water from sewers but I see it done nowhere really well.  Even the New York water systems provide water rather than recycle it.  Look at the entries for the Drylands Competition.  I do not think they have got back to the cistern idea there either, not like the one thousands of years ago in Russia.  As the people left the foothills due to the start of the monsoon rains washing the soil from the fields they migrated via the plains and built cisterns.  There are small ones today in North Africa too.  Only the Russians diverted the waters from the Caspian at ground level, to water cotton mainly and now the Caspian is a puddle – you can’t allow evaporation or overuse what you have.

[Les Ballard]

Laburnum in the local park with wisteria and ash on a metal framework.  This was a walled garden to a cluniac priory.  Because a few children suffered and the public became newly aware – for their generation – of the poisonous nature especially of the seeds, which little children might think were peas or sweets, many were cut from suburban gardens some years ago.  Perhaps because of their nature – and spiritually – the timber is said to represent death and used as a staff by those seeking to have to do with that side of things – undertakers maybe – though blackthorn is widely favoured as a stick, staff, knobkerrie and so on and beech, oddly, is supposedly ruled by saturn – one time planet of death though, since neptune was found, that is now more a planet of mystery.  On the strength of the flowers of laburnum, yellow not purple, you would normally attribute them to the sun and heart – well they certainly stop it working yet the timber has been used for boxes and turned items for centuries.

[Les Ballard]

There are disparate groups but also groups of groups and they advise members on various issues.  There are likely groups wherever folk think of “green” protests and so-called tree-huggers.  For you that may mean those who try to save the redwoods in Ca. and those working in the Seattle area.  Wherever there are permaculture (which google) projects and even good old fashioned communes there is usually a plethora of small press networking and I would particularly direct you to one of these perhaps set up as a co-operative.  The reason for this is that there are co-ops of co-ops who seek to help and advise members just as local authorities have their associations and you can learn of this senior group from one member.  In many ways we are all hostage not to our local authorities but what their associations tell them to do.  Of course many co-ops and other groups have political leanings you or your clients may wish to disassociate themselves from but trying to do good can make for strange bedfellows.  So, please, in Ca. especially, talk to those who remain and still get called hippies whether they are, are socialists, communistic, modern anarchist or whatever.  There are many tie-ins between such groups and acknowledged experts in universities there and elsewhere who are interested in the ecological activities not politics or lifestyles.  Personally, being Pagan, I would tour the occult and new age shops there n the first instance collecting contact details from leaflets and seeing who is into what with whom.  You will also find religious folk of all kind happy to help with labour and expertise as part of their outreach into the community and popularisation of their religion from Jains, Sikhs and Hindus to Muslims and Jews.  Finally, in more standard and richer economical areas and communities, there are all kinds of gardening and flower groups and cross-overs with other organisations including academics.  For example, the mayor could be into fuschias and the local tree expert into orchids.  There are also land sharing groups and even barter or fruit gleaning and sharing groups in many areas where there are few gardens for those who want them or older folk who may be happy to have their grounds used by younger folk.  These upwardly mobile young people, perhaps anxious to grow a few vegetables for their families, may have the inclination and verve to help you and cetainly as parents via schools and the parent groups associated wit them.

[Les Ballard]

I am sorry but have to ask, without really expecting a reply, why your firm has been asked to do this apparently with no adequate brief.

I have read the other replies and can only add these points:

     It could be good to plan 4 phases – street trees, others say in parks, both using paving and other aspects that may take some time, money and effort by professionals, using appropriate species,

      basic planting to include large and small trees involving schoolchildren over a number of days at say 4 hours a day with free soup, prizes, etc.  Children can grow some trees from seed and even provide tree spirals, tubes, stakes and string, etc.

     extra planting to fulfill various desires and use private land like front gardens where owners will take responsibility for watering, etc. and the public can see but not go.  One example would be a mini or sub arboretum of all the trees in the various holy books.  Locals may again provide seed and even healthy trees as a part of their cultural or religious social activities.  Will the local authority tend them all though?

Authorities may have a map showing all trees, that will need updating, using a diary programme and schedule for upkeep and a sub-committee put together to agree siting so that nothing is planted without permission that may interfere with homes, sewers, utilities, etc.  Thirteen agencies here may get permission to dig any road each employing any number of contractors and in receiving permission will have to be told whether to remove, work round, move or otherwise cope with any planting.  Some planting can be allowed in sensitive areas if, for example, the trees are in a buried container so that no ingress is made by roots to tunnels, etc.  It may or may not be appropriate to plan watering by a system like grey water / leaky hose under gravity from a municipal building nearby/uphill.  

It is sad that so far nearly all municipal planting has no native species but are a park variety costing more than wild natives, no fruit – almost – is planted for folk to take or to be used for children’s meals or for the elderly freely.  No timber goes to the benefit of schools, etc. so reducing imports but instead goes by contract to parties the authority employs to clean up.  Authorities could grow all their own stakes, fencing, board for shuttering, etc. as well as sell firewood / make pressed dust logs but never seem to do so. 

Good luck.

      

[Les Ballard]

If you do not know much about an area’s environment or a subject yourself it may be an idea to pencil your idea into a sketch then seek help from someone who does know stuff. A gardener would say you can remove whole trees if you have storage, leave them out in all weathers if roots are protected from frost and you can protect foliage with fleece and other stuff if weather is worse than planned if someone can take responsibility. Don’t cry too much if plans are thwarted due to impracticality or cost but it is probably more important to put a good idea forward than be reticent.  No-one has ever been accused of genius by being unoriginal.  

[Les Ballard]

htt://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildlife_crossing

http://www.wildlandscpr.org/evaluation-wildlife-crossing-structures-their-use-and-effectiveness

http://www.badgerland.co.uk/help/helpbadgers/tunnels.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qi-9ycF45YE

http://uktv.co.uk/blighty/stepbystep/aid/600114

I hope these links assist and it will be seen that tunnels, etc. are well known, appreciated and used and costs can be light or included in such building contracts as the new high speed rail line from London to Ashford and the Channel Tunnel.  

[Les Ballard]

I think we have said before, in effect, what we have read and learned makes us the individuals we are and different sources will shape different people different ways.  Listening to Kate Bush go on about Cathy and Heathcliff on the Yorkshire moors. or alternatively reading the novel Wuthering Heights, may give different people a similar perspective on the moor landscape, the waving grass and bleakness, rain and bone numbing cold maybe, but how useful this would be to an LA in Brazil is indeterminate.  Similarly, watching the film Picnic with William Holden, or reading some novel like Wise Blood, may give me appreciations of the Kansas landscape or what it was like to be in the Southern USA at a certain time, but these do not alone prepare me to help with a scheme there or elsewhere – suburban Australia maybe.  It is a conglomeration of knowledge, appreciation of history and anthropology, as well as seeing a flat vista of grain silos and everything/where else that has made the total me and the more we can take in of everything, the richer the basket of goodies we can bring to the party and there is as much room for a person of a certain set of experiences as another.  With a willingness to research a project properly, it is the reason we can look up to an ancient LA in your town or a student across the world.  So yes, gobble up this resource if you wish or lust after the landscapes of Teletubbies but, whatever, keep gobbling! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlNMk4SD6gA&feature=related

[Les Ballard]

There certainly are problems around the world with this.  No-one really wants to provide a green space for any reason save making it more conducive to dropping your wallet and leaving as soon as possible.  It only needs a little thought, however, to actually attract shoppers with planting, even if they do not start out that way.

What I mean is a mini arboretum, perhaps with protected dearer foreign species from scriptures, or a show at a time of the year, or free food.  People may not want an apple dropping through their screen nor, indeed, dyed guano or sticky sap on their cars and a mall will not want to provide juveniles with ammunition to start a war but soft fruits and small nuts is not a bad aim for providing free food.  A friends group will even help with maintenance and cropping for free as well as delivery to, say, a school and an old folks home.  Whatever wildlife can be planted, introduced or attracted also attracts human visitors and most trees will support a bird, bat, owl, bumble bee, small rodent or other box that maybe cctv can cover and provide a view of young on the nest, etc.  The car parks for a mall and surrounds could easily support visitors amounting to a couple of classes of kids and a few parties of adults and kids a day.  Leaflets can list trees, etc. and set trails to negotiate to take in sites and sights to include a jogging track with pace posts, trim trail and even a zipwire or jungle gallery in pre-existing trees.  

In the UK, planting includes regular replacement of dead trees that have not been allowed to spread and with no irrigation,  Stock has been obtained with hormone imbalances that cause leaves to go and stay a uniform muddy brown and not fall until pushed off by new growth.  Companies make a profit attending to these things to include replacing waving palms in the atrium before they get too tall and often they retain ownership, trying to revive pants not given enough light or water off-site or just plain trashed by vandals of all ages.  No-one wants bushes that odd folk can lurk in or vermin can hide behind and bushes are often limited to a few evergreen species with thorns and berries “for the birds” whereas, really, native species are possible.  A single mall could double the currants grown in this country as part of a business, for example and market it’s own brand of preserves, pickles and other things to at least cover costs.

The bad news is that I have never seen anything very positive done apart from providing a fishing lake also used to teach scuba diving and have water ski sessions.  Only a comedy of errors has ever been perpetrated and the situation will not change until owners are led by the hand gently up the piecemeal garden path.    

[Les Ballard]

will you not be interested in desert living and the drylands competition mentioned on here?  I realise insulation is the other way around, you want to keep heat in but, like everyone, you want cheap power.  Surely there are many correlations.  You may, however, want to think about reducing snow to water before the spring melt and, in a virgin area, saving and recycling water for there and elsewhere that may have a shortage as a cash crop.  Potable water for cities is not all there is though, any conurbation needs food, preferably locally sourced and that needs water too.   

[Les Ballard]

Parents are saved from walking their little kids to school here by walking buses.  Different adults each day, though maybe the same collection as you always get inactive folk in any group, collect the children from their doors and they are walked to school in company.  How the adults are qualified to do this I don’t know, some adults seem unable to walk by themselves without interfering with traffic and getting hooted, at least, but it seems to work and means that many parents get a little extra time.  Many of the children are too young to walk or cycle on their own and it saves a family walking the littlies too, as they can’t be left at home, though pre-school may start at 3 1/2.  The number of tiny tots and buggies are thus reduced and, where a chelsea tractor (4wd) or whatever is used there is some car sharing.  Some schools have a breakfast club to ensure kids eat something in the morning in the school canteen or classroom and teachers may have to monitor playgrounds on a rota basis.  At higher schools pupils may not be able to cycle if closer than say a quarter mile and there are limits as to where you may get help with bus costs depending on income.  Not everything works, works well or is done everywhere though and often children do not walk to school alone because of some relatively irrational fears.  The cars, etc. are a real problem delivering to or collecting from every school, especially since the mothers – usually – who drive have little space to stop and no regard whatsoever for road lines, rules, regulations or laws while children may or not actually be willing to be carried in a wreck.  On this basis some children are dropped up the road or round the corner because they would suffer severe embarrassment not being delivered to school in what they consider an acceptable vehicle.  So this is the answer then, make all kids walk, in company or not, at least a half mile by forcing parents to run a complete rust heap.  During school holidays you can tell the kids are off by the lack of vehicles on the road early and up to about 11am as parents, mainly mothers, go to fill up, drink coffee, shop or do other unnecessary things simply because they are out anyway.  Instead families go out later, possibly by public transport, to out of town malls, etc. with the children though they also populate such places and town centres on their own up to one kind of no good or another.  Indeed, the coffee shop I haunt can be overrun by expensively dressed apparent mini sports stars (such dress is the fashion of course) pre (tweenies) and post teens when all the uni students who dress not nearly so well have disappeared for a while.  Indeed, social workers meeting caffeine hungry clients and uni lecturers holding tutorials in such places probably keep them going.      

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