From Zingy to Soft

Volunteer Cutleaf Nightshade (Solanum triflolium) in
6790' MuRefuge's backyard making large patches of
soft cushion for Shasta to nap upon.

When we moved to live on San Felipe Circle, Shasta found the backyard "zingy". 
Her word describing this place she was transplanted. She was unhappy and wanted to go back to MuRefuge, the place she called "home."

This picture shows only three fruit trees have been planted in the
backyard: apricot to the right of the double gate,
an apricot on the left next to the wall and
an apple, not in the picture but
further along the wall away from the double gate.
Can you feel the zingyness?

She did not like the burrs of the clover nor the tumbleweed; and as the Winter progressed the plethora of foxtails. With the increased altitude, 6790' above sea level, she did not have enough oxygen to be her regular peppy self. We set about to remove the invasive plants. Two truckloads, each 10 cubic yards, of compost along with all of the cardboard from our moving boxes covered the areas of the worst infestation, after some diligent weeding to keep seeds from entering the soil seed bank.

With the monsoon rains the unmatched areas are now adorned with volunteer Cutleaf Nightshade, a native and member of the Potato Family, Pigweed a member of the Amaranth Family and to which I am highly allergic so all of it has been removed, and Desert Mallow.

Desert Mallow (Sphaeroalcea ambigua)

Patches of Blue Grama (Bouteloua gracilis), the New Mexico State grass, have been planted. This warm season, low growing bunchgrass is native to the High Plains. Several Todd planters filled with potting soil were scattered with seeds. Once the grasses were established they were transplanted into mulched areas where Shasta naps. These young grasses have begun to send up gloriously, lovely seed stalks visible in the picture below.

Although there are still smooth medium sized river rocks in the backyard, most of the rocks now make up walkways. With the increase in vegetation Shasta seems to have not only adjusted to the backyard, no longer considering it "zingy," but loves her new home. Three black rod-iron gates allows her to view all the passerbys. Her barking has become more selective and the tone often identifies the passerby.

The side and front yards moving towards "soft" with all of the Santa Fe gravel have been diligently removed by hand with a shovel, no machinery! A lovely man came several times a week for about six (6) weeks with his pickup. He moved 11.5 tons, yes tons!, to his 1000' dirt driveway. I am happy to have the gravel gone and he is happy to no longer have a long muddy driveway to negotiate during monsoon season.

As sections of the front and back are sheet mulched, softness is the prevalent energy. The Santa Fe gravel was definitely "zingy." This area known as Casa Alegre was farmed by the Spaniards evidenced by the acequias which provided water to irrigate the crops. While water was provided to the crops, it seems soil regeneration was not practiced. The soil, both sand and adobe, is sorely in need of nutrients which sheet mulching will provide. Cardboard, tattered natural fiber clothing, wood chips delivered by Coates Tree Service are the ingredients for this process.

From the get go Permaculture was practiced at MuRefuge with sheet mulching top and center. This practice was the backbone of rehabilitating the raped ground. Soil regeneration is practiced at Singing Frogs Farm in Sebastopol since its inception and the annual Soil Not Oil International Conference in Point Richmond, California has become increasingly popular and features speakers on the topic. This year I so wish I could attend since Starhawk (author of the Fifth Sacred Thing in which she touts soil regeneration before it had its now popular name) is one of the speakers.  I feel ever so blessed to have had personal experience with all of the above while living in California. Techniques learned during this time are now used here at 6790' MuRefuge, located in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Urban living has provided many inquiries about what is happening, the purpose, how to replicate, where to get wood chips. The questions seem endless while the work progresses; moving the energy away from zingy towards soft.

As at the original MuRefuge, native perennials, shrubs and trees have been planted at 6790' MuRefuge in the front and side yards for native habitat restoration. When the previous owners "flipped" this house and property, the landscaping was done by a "professional landscaper' who put in irrigation that was necessary for the what was planted amidst the black landscape "cloth" (really plastic fabric) and 11.5 tons of Santa Fe gravel. All of the plants with the exception of the well established Pinon Pine in the front have been dug up and moved to four different homes. Oh yes, also the Oregon Grape aka Creeping Mahonia (Berberis repens) along the North walkway remains and is flourishing. Below is a picture taken in April when the flowers were spectacular and invited bees.

Now that the berries are ripe and drying, a plethora of birds can be found joyfully foraging for them. The happy sounds made mostly by finches are a joy to hear!

6790' MuRefuge is located in the Pinon-Juniper Woodland/Sage Scrub habitats.
In light of that reality plants that thrive in both habitats have been planted in the side and front yards. Two Pinon Pines, two One Seed Junipers and four Gambel Oaks have been planted as the backbone of mostly West facing yards, the hottest locations on the property. There is prickly space designed primarily to attract the Sage Thrasher, my new favorite bird, to eventually nest.

A plant list will be available during the Winter when out of doors Work will be limited thus allowing time for this project.

"Soft" . . . note the apricot tree next to the wall between
the green bench and the bird feeders that was in the zingy picture.
Now mulch and plants soften the dinginess
Shasta was so uncomfortable with.

As the Work at 6790' MuRefuge progresses and Shasta feels more comfortable in her new home, may I and each of you as well,