This is the first in a series of guest posts from our volunteer Amanda. Interested in volunteering too? Learn more and sign up.
My name is Amanda and I’m a volunteer with the Tacoma Tool Library and this year, using tools from the Tacoma Tool Library (TTL) and funded by the Pierce Conservation District (PCD) Green Stormwater Mini Grant program, I will be converting over 75% of the existing landscaping around my house into a native garden and sharing my progress here along the way.
For some background on this incredible program from PCD, the Green Stormwater Mini Grant provides:
Both technical and financial support to create a project that captures and absorbs stormwater runoff. Grant recipients can receive up to $4,000 to plant rain gardens, remove excessive pavement, create urban habitat, or collect rainwater in large tanks.
For my project, I will take all the existing grass around my home and transform it into native landscaping, in addition to installing a large-scale rain barrel (but that piece is going to be left to the professionals). There are several steps involved to prepare the area before anything can even be planted and this is where the Tool Library comes in.
I have a lot of work to just prepare our current landscaping so that it’s ready to become a native garden. First, I have to take down a cedar bush wrapped in an invasive holly and pull out any weeds in the area. Next comes mowing the existing grass and trimming the edges along the sidewalk, so it’s nice and neat before it gets covered in cardboard and burlap. Once every inch is covered, a layer of woodchips gets placed on top of the cardboard and burlap. After this is complete, we’re ready for PCD to come back and help us decide what plants will make up our new native landscaping.
Over the course of this project, I will be sharing blog posts here outlining each step as I complete them and how the tools from TTL are used every step of the way, so stay tuned!
Here are some photos taken before starting the work.
