Our new front yard, part 2: theory

...rd had so much appeal. When garden design books bother to address hillside gardens, they always feature much bigger hills than ours, and these hills feature expensive hardscaping, like artfully arranged imported boulders, fancy staircases which sweep along the contour of the hill, or dazzling water features. Nobody designs in 15 foot wide spaces stuffed between a staircase and a garage. There’s just not a lot of room in our yard for sweeping gestu...

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Our new front yard, part 5: Constructing a meadow community

...the furthest from the street and stairs. (As one of my aunts once said of gardening, “I finally have gardening figured out: tall stuff goes in back!”) This way it doesn’t block other plants, and it will be pretty when backlit by afternoon sun. It also serves to hide the retaining walls and other ugly bits of infrastructure. It falls under the structural category because it is striking, more of a diva than a backgrounder. The second is Aristida pu...

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Saturday Tweets: Let’s Get That Triforium Working Again!

...reetsblogNet — Root Simple (@rootsimple) December 5, 2015 Protein from the Garden | Garden Rant https://t.co/0tp95oUgiE — Root Simple (@rootsimple) December 5, 2015 What is the Triforium, and why should we rehabilitate it? https://t.co/PidixDxKDI via @KPCCofframp pic.twitter.com/HoC8Bfm8UX — 89.3 KPCC (@KPCC) December 5, 2015 Urban+Transport+Without+the+Hot+Air:+confusing+the+issue+with+relevant+facts!+https://t.co/XlSybNCpY0 — Root Simple (@roots...

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Kickstart the North Memphis Farmers Collective

...empest involved Adam Guerrero, a high school math teacher in Memphis whose garden got him in trouble in 2011 (and whose cat allegedly damaged a neighbor’s 1991 Cadillac Seville–the horrors!). As often is the case in these stories, there’s a happy ending. What began in one yard has grown into an urban farming movement transforming vacant lots into sources of food and jobs. There’s a Kickstarter: The City of Memphis faces many challenges. Among them...

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Saturday Tweets: Pigeon Wigs and Chainsaws

...simple) December 10, 2015 Exposed: Academics-for-hire agree not to disclose fossil fuel funding https://t.co/d48G97piTg via @energydesk — Root Simple (@rootsimple) December 9, 2015 Six Ways to Use Fallen Leaves in Your Garden | Garden Rant https://t.co/QwFJ1u1FEE — Root Simple (@rootsimple) December 12, 2015 Tips from the Chainsaw Experts https://t.co/PL6NksoMCj via @wordpressdotcom — Root Simple (@rootsimple) December 12, 2015...

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