One year in Norris

This month marks one year for me as a resident at the New Norris House. As a previous resident of various apartments near the center of Knoxville, one of the most interesting aspects of living in Norris has been the increase in time I’ve spent outdoors and the animals I’ve happily encountered along the way.

One frequent visitor is the brown snake. I’ve seen several of these (or maybe it is the same one?) around the landscape this summer. They are friendly snakes and don’t mind to be picked up and relocated away from the main walkways to the terraced gardens.

Brown snake, Storeia dekayi

While weeding the perennial bed this nest of small eggs was discovered. I had noticed several dozen juvenile five-lined skinks in the area. A little online research indicates that these are five-lined skink eggs.

Five-lined skink (Plestiodon fasciatus) nest

A juvenile skink found nearby sunning on top of the retaining wall.

Everyday, hundreds of bees, flies, dragonflies, and butterflies visit the rainwater and greywater beds and the meadows and perennial beds. The black-eyed susan’s and purple coneflowers are a favorite as well as the nodding onions and the passionflower vines, which are frequented by big, buzzing bumblebees.

The animals seen on a regular basis in the New Norris House landscape are not rare or threatened in East Tennessee, but every time I see one of them it brings a sense of joy and wonder to my day. However, it seems that it is becoming increasingly difficult to find these animals in many urban and suburban residential yards. Additionally, there is a growing body of research indicating that humans, especially young people, are not spending enough time outside engaged with plants and animals.

Fortunately, landscape methods, such as pesticide-free gardening with native plants and establishing small patches of native grass meadows as a lawn alternative, can create habitat for these and other species in urban and suburban yards. Native plantings are easier to care for than many non-natives because natives have evolved defenses against local predators and adaptations to thrive under local weather patterns. The reason native plants attract so many beneficial species of wildlife is also because they evolved together – with the plants providing food and shelter in return for species-specific relationships with the animals that pollinate or spread their seeds.

The New Norris House landscape is an example of how alive a suburban residential yard can feel.

Meadow Planting Day and landscape photos

This weekend we planted the first half of our native grass meadow. The plan goes like this: 1) to suppress weeds, spread cardboard and staple to the ground with landscape staples 2) mark the plant locations on 2' centers 3) dig, dig, dig 4) plant, water and wait.

This is a slightly experimental meadow project. We are in a residential area, so the typical preparation of burning the plot of land to be planted with meadow grass seeds was out of the question. We will keep you posted on the (hopeful) success of this project!

Digging through the cardboard. It rained that morning which helped make the cardboard easier to cut through.

We are planting the meadow on the steeper parts of the site to help control erosion.

The volunteers are making great progress installing River Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) in the shadier parts of the site. Isn't the cabbage getting big?

River Oats planted along the shady plinth edge.

Before leaving for the day we made sure to water everything, including the vegetable garden we planted a few weeks ago. Phil is using harvested rainwater to fill up the watering can.

The tomatoes in the raised vegetable beds are doing great.

The plants in the greywater bed are HUGE and it is only May. I think they must be happy.

Thank you so much to all the volunteers that came out to help this weekend! We planted over 400 plants and couldn't have done it with out you!

Phase IV Landscape

In East Tennessee, the last expected freeze date is April 15, but it already feels like spring! With the warmer weather approaching it's time to start making preparations for the installation of the Phase IV landscape - the native grass meadows. Be sure to look for an upcoming post outlining the process we will use to establish the meadow (item number 6 on the site design plan below). For now, let's take a look at where we've been and where we are going with the New Norris House Landscape. 

BEFORE: Existing Site Conditions

While the existing house sat on an original Norris Cottage foundation, several remodels and years of vacancy left the house in poor condition. Original to the 1930’s town plan, two drainage swales, one stonelined (01) and one vegetated (14), flank the site. Our goal of treating stormwater onsite involves capturing and infiltrating water before it enters the swales.

AFTER: Site Design Plan

The site design responds to the linear site with a series of parallel interventions reflected in the plantings, community path, and raised vegetable beds. The steep slope is addressed with five terraced bioretention beds that treat greywater and rainwater. Native grass meadows and spreading shrubs are planted for erosion control and provide stormwater infiltration zones. The retaining wall delineates the previous homes footprint, and provides a pre-compacted area for the gravel parking court.

Site Design Section

The site section reveals the various ecological functions of the design such as infiltrating stormwater, treating greywater and rainwater, and restoring native habitat. The section also communicates the visible and physical connections between inside and outside. The program includes raised vegetable beds for producing fresh vegetables, level lawn area for recreation, and the forest edge plinth and fire pit, a retreat.

View of vegetable beds and gravel plinth from community path. Photo credit: Ken McCown

Fall Volunteer Planting Day

When it comes to adding new plants to your landscape, most people think spring is the best time to plant. While some plants do well when planted in the spring, many plants, including trees and woody shrubs, benefit from fall planting. Trees and shrubs that are installed in the fall ultimately grow better because they have better conditions for root growth. In the fall, cooler atmospheric temperatures and decreased daylight hours signal the plant to stop growing above ground. Because the plant is not using as much energy to grow leaves and stems it has more energy to invest in root growth. Even though fall air is chilly, the ground remains relatively warm, and this further encourages root development. The roots continue to grow until the ground freezes, and in the spring root growth resumes or increases at an accelerated rate. Spring installed plants are at a disadvantage because their initial root growth is occurring in cool soils, while fall installed plants already have a well developed root structure. Well developed roots become increasingly important as cool, rainy spring weather gives way to hot, dry summer - a plant with well developed roots is much better equipped to deal with heat and drought then a plant that has a short and shallow root structure.

This past weekend we held a volunteer fall planting day at the New Norris House to complete the Phase II planting of trees and shrubs. We installed 55 shrubs to stabilize the slopes and provide food and habitat for wildlife.


We also planted 9 trees to provide buffer zones between our property and the adjacent properties. We planted 1 large dogwood in the front lawn as an accent tree. As the dogwood grows taller it will develop a horizontal branch structure that will frame the front large window.


The weather was perfect for digging and planting, and we had about 20 volunteers come to help. The day was a great success and we were able to install all the plants before lunchtime!

Thank you to all of the volunteers and Little River Nursery for providing the plant materials and donating the dogwood tree!

Sponsor Spotlight: Overhill Gardens

Our friends at Overhill Gardens provided the native plants in the New Norris House landscape. This Saturday Overhill Gardens is hosting an open house where you can tour their nursery and learn more about the benefits of gardening with native plants.

Summer Landscape Mini-Term Recap

What a summer! Even though it was a HOT, muddy, dirty process the time spent building the New Norris House landscape is one that I will always remember fondly. I even miss the manual labor, but maybe that's because I'm in an air conditioned room right now...

During the landscape mini-term we accomplished so much. We finished building and installed plants on the terraced bioretention beds.

We excavated for, and built, the raised vegetable beds and installed the 200 gallon irrigation cistern.


We successfully installed the stormwater overflow from the irrigation cistern to the bioretention beds and installed the pipe that brings the house's greywater into the greywater bioretention bed. We also built a gravel plinth for forest-side seating, installed over 200 linear feet of aluminum bed edging, dug beds for the perennial plantings, worked with a local contractor to finish the site grading, installed a stepping stone path connecting the sidewalk to the existing walking trails behind our property, weeded, watered and installed erosion control measures.


Some of us even got a lesson in how to operate landscape machinery!


So far, the plants are doing fantastic. The bioretention beds are lush and the perennial beds are off to a great start. We have plans for native shrub and tree planting in the fall, but for now it is so nice to be able to see what started as just an idea on paper growing and thriving in reality. Thank you to everyone who helped make the mini-term such a huge success!

Mini-Term, week 1 Recap

The New Norris mini-term course (5 days a week intensive course for 3 weeks) is under way and made considerable progress this past week.

On the bio-retention bed front, the five beds have now been planted full of native water loving goodness! The greywater bed is piped in, but can't be turned on until city ordinances allowing it have passed in June. The rainwater beds (beds 2-5) have all been planted, but won't be piped in until next week. Currently our rainwater is being diverted into a pile of gravel in the yard, but once the system is all put together all excess rainwater will eventually make it's way to through these beds!

The vegetable beds have also begun, though are progressing slower than expected. Thanks to Blake French for doing the primary excavating last weekend and to Mark Whitson (neighbor) for helping with manual excavation. We have dug quite a hole in the ground (to say the least) and the 200-gallon garden cistern fits perfectly. We are excited to see it put to use soon!

Many thanks to all parties involved! We solider on!

Changes to the Planting Plan

The primary ideology behind the design and construction of the Norris House is that of sustainability. In regards to the landscape, this umbrella term addresses three important concepts:

• minimal maintenance
• ecological integrity
• preservation of resources on site

In previous design iterations, the West flank of the property was designated as a meadow restoration era. Far more than just a "field", a meadow is a wonderland of biodiversity and an important aspect of many biomes. In our area, meadow areas are generally products of disturbance by man, grazing herbivores, or wildfire. Occasionally, they may be found over poor, thin, calcareous soils or in areas of frequent flooding. For our purposes, a meadow is a wise design choice if sustainability is the mantra. Although there is a certain degree of maintenance required to establish a meadow, the end result requires very little attention. Selecting native plant species, which are better adapted to extremes of temperature and moisture, ensures success in establishment and eliminates watering need thereafter. A typical lawn area requires frequent watering in hot, dry spells and a repeated need for mowing. Meadows only need to be mowed or cut back once a year. This makes a huge difference! Aside from minimal maintenance requirements, meadows also add to, and function within, the surrounding ecology. Containing a diverse array of native grasses and perennial forbs, meadows provide diverse food (seed, nectar, foliage) and cover options for a variety of micro- and megafauna. Establishing a functional meadow contributes to the local seed bank as well, serving as a source for early successional species that can readily spread into newly disturbed areas. Furthermore, a meadow can preserve on-site resources through the uptake of rainwater, filtration of sediment in sheet flow, and holding soil on slopes with extensive, intertwined root systems.

Sustainability is not the only reason why the establishment of meadow areas in a residential landscape is desirable; there is a certain aesthetic character achieved. Meadows are an excellent way to bring bold textural statements and seasonal interest to the landscape. These qualities, coupled with the sustainable attributes listed above, more than justify our decision to establish meadow swaths. Potential issues relating to steep slopes on the North and East ends of the property now present opportunities to establish even more meadow areas on site.

The chartreuse color represents the areas previously alloted for meadow establishment. The area highlighted in green represents the recent decision to extend the meadow across the path to wrap around the steep slopes on the North and East ends of the property.

Yesterday, following our meeting with TDEC officials regarding grey water usage, the landscape team took a good look at the area along the North property boundary. Taking into consideration the likelihood of ample Summer shade and consistent soil moisture, we once again discussed refining the design. From the fire pit plinth and rain gardens northward, the site conditions are less than ideal for meadow. Instead, we are considering the establishment of more shade and moisture tolerant species. A rich and visually striking mixture of Spring ephemeral wildflowers, woodland ground covers, and texturally bold fern species comes to mind.

The area highlighted in dark green, roughly corresponding to the tree line, represents where woodland plantings would be more appropriate than meadow plantings.

Another recent change to the planting plan is the addition of new shrub plantings. On the Eastern edge of the property, between the rain garden beds and the existing retaining wall, the slope is rather precipitous. The ideal way to address the problem is to plant something which roots deeply, suckers, and covers the ground quickly. One species (or a cultivar thereof) comes to mind: Gro-Low Fragrant Sumac (Rhus aromatica 'Gro-low'). Not only does it cover the aforementioned bases, it is also visually striking throughout three seasons. In the Spring, its terminal branches are covered in showy yellow flower clusters. Come Summer, its fuzzy red berries provide a visual contrast with the glossy compound foliage. In the Fall, the leaves are ablaze with a striking spectrum of red, orange, and yellow. Somewhat like taking the hues of a maple-rich woodland and painting them across the ground plane. On the North end of the property, at the edge of the adjoining woodland, the landscape team has decided it to best to add scattered groupings of native shrub species. Repeating the same shrubs as are planted in the front-Itea, Oakleaf Hydrangea, and Mapleleaf Viburnum-provides unity throughout the landscape and brings more visual interest to the back yard. Adding a middle layer between the ground plane and the tree canopy above softens the look of the woodland edge, bringing a human scale element to the transition. Wildlife will delight in the additional cover opportunities; the onlooker will delight in the additional visual interest. Aside from the species repeated from the front of the property, we have decided to add some Sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus) to the planting scheme. Not the most showy plant, its merits are still notable. It is an excellent choice for erosion-prone areas (a steep slope with a drainage swale running through it?) because it colonizes like crazy. Sweetshrub's real claim to fame is its olfactory majesty. Indeed, one specimen can fill a patch of woodland with the most delightful apple cider-meets-strawberry scent in the Spring as its unusual maroon blooms unfurl. For this reason, it was named "boobybush" by distinguished Southern ladies during the Victorian era, due to the placement of the flowers within certain undergarments (an early version of "sustainable" deodorant).

The shrubs highlighted in the front were previously designed into the landscape. New shrub plantings are in darker green along the East end of the property (Fragrant Sumac) or shown beneath the tree line on the North End of the property.

The Saxons of the Plant Kingdom

The dormant vines of Kudzu (Pueraria montana var. lobata)

amongst Chinese Privet (Ligustrum sinense) and Leatherleaf

Mahonia (Mahonia bealei) along the tree line behind the house

Since an antiquity we can only subtly recall or guess at, the lives of humans have been fully intertwined with those of plants. The botanical myriad is undoubtedly the more generous factor in the relationship, providing our species with almost all of our basic physical needs. Shelter, food, heat, medicine, and clothing are but a few. Plants literally take the light of the sun, the air from the atmosphere, and the elements of the Earth and process them into something we can consume or use, a very powerful and respectable feat. Humans, on the other hand, rarely give back any sort of appreciation and seem to forget that our survival is wholly dependent upon the alchemy of botany. Most generosity on our part comes in the form of planting, watering, cultivating-essentially nurturing plants so that they can continue to harvest them in order to meet the demand for the satisfaction of a physical need. This is sort of a Catch-22, considering that a whole host of plants were probably destroyed for the sake of cultivating a plant or implementing its usage.

As a result of our clever manipulation of the plant world, we have been able to explode our population and subsequently destroy more plants as we expand. We then replace the destroyed species with those plants which we have chosen to supply our physical needs or satisfy our aesthetic desires. These particular species have sojourned with us for a long time and many seem to have adopted our behavior patterns, traveling with us across oceans and invading the lands that have been disturbed. Like us, they have moved out of sync with ecology and taken advantage of the natural world without so much as a thank you. Merciless, tenacious, and allelopathic-our exotic invasive species like to bully the more delicate species and establish dominance in systems that do not know how to adjust to their presence. At the turning point of our relationship with nature, when we have failed in our separation from the ecological web, we have almost exhausted that very botanical myriad that supported our lives to begin with. Now, we are turning back towards an appreciation of the natural world, remembering its importance, and making efforts to preserve and restore its integrity. A new question arises: what do we do with these rebellious plants, these foreign invaders who have ridden our coattails and colonized and plundered new frontiers? The answer is simple: we must direct the remaining aspects of our own destructive tendencies and KILL THEM WITHOUT MERCY.

***

Historical disturbance, gardening trends, and distribution by government agencies can all be linked to the presence of the naturalized exotic plant species in and around the present landscape of the Norris property. Any time an area of forest is cleared, the resulting abundance of light, available soil moisture, and open (competition-free) ground allows for the rapid colonization of early successional plants. Natural succession within a plant community of indigenous species takes a long time to progress through stages. You first have a hodgepodge of grasses and annual weeds, followed by herbaceous perennials, later by shrubs and saplings, which eventually become large and shade out the ground layer. The early successional tree species then form a dense canopy, which is eventually penetrated by more long-lived climax species who then retain dominance for a long, long time until a new disturbance arrives. Problematic invasive species do not heed these rules. The woody species seed into disturbed areas quickly and grow very fast, outcompeting native species and forming monocultures within a period of a few years. What remains is a low level of biodiversity, a habitat which indigenous fauna has not evolved to exist within, an impenetrable tangled mess, and a whole new crop of seed or spreading roots poised to invade the next disturbed area.

Several of the exotic plants in the Norris area were once widely used for ornamental or structural purposes. Chinese Privet makes a great hedge, as it is both evergreen and fine-textured. Privet also responds well to heavy pruning, which causes the branching structure to become more dense creating a wall of foliage. The notions of property and privacy have given this plant a major role to play in the human landscape. Another tough ornamental plant is the Leatherleaf Mahonia, a shade-tolerant evergreen Asiatic plant. It was (and still is) often planted below windows, where its yellow flowers provided olfactory enjoyment and its spiny leaves deterred would-be burglars from entering. Perhaps the most well-known of the exotic species on the Norris property is the Japanese Honeysuckle, whose profuse sweet-scented flowers bloom from Spring well into Fall. Appreciated by many a child and a longstanding element of pastoral America, it is by far the most destructive of all exotic plants. Its seed is carried in the gut of birds far into remote reaches, where it takes root in sun or shade, choking out everything in its path from the ground plane to the tops of canopies. Its shrubby cousin, Amur Bush Honeysuckle, is also common in the area. Equally as tenacious, this species dominates the shrub layer and leaves the ground plane vacant.

An incorrect assumption that Kudzu was the answer for erosion control issues caused it to be widely promoted and planted by government agencies in the early to mid-20th century. It has clearly not served its purpose or displayed mild-mannered behavior. Its random taproots do little to hold the soil among its heaps of vines, and its quest for sunlight pushes it up and over the tops of trees, suffocating them and toppling them with the shear weight of its mass.

Why such a thorough investigation of the nature of exotic invasive plants? Two reasons: one, to illustrate the importance of why we must remove them when creating a new landscape; and two, to show how the actions of man upon the environment have disrupted the ecological balance even when man itself is no longer administering the affectation. As we rethink how we live in, interact with, and take from the world around us, we must be ever cognizant of the kaleidoscopic effects of our decisions. It is then truly up to us to at least attempt some sort of restorative process within places were the fruits of this labor can be seen. I think we have that in the small chunk of land at Norris. We begin with the removal of the invasive species, ensuring success for the what is planted thereafter and expanding our canvas. Secondly, we will begin to establish a mosaic of plantings that will bring back biodiversity, suitable habitat, and potentially a perpetual balance of species interactions. The return of indigenous vegetation, along with some well-mannered historically popular ornamentals, will most certainly address the functional needs (privacy, water filtration, erosion control). Also, our innate desire for sensual experience within a place to call home will be satiated with color, fragrance, form, texture, and a whole host of diminutive creatures ready to call it home as well.

***

Last Thursday, January 27th, three of my fellow Masters of Landscape Architecture students and I visited the site. Valerie Friedmann has been working with the project for over a year and has done a superb job of bringing the rest of us up to speed. Her and I visited the site the first week of the semester and began to formulate a list of tasks that will bring us closer to completion of the landscape. The Thursday visit was the first time that Justin Allen and Corrin Breeding were introduced to the site, and I was elated that both shared in the excitement over the opportunity to apply our skills to such a (excuse my use of a pop culture adjective) COOL project. I have worked with both gentlemen before on the Zero Energy House project, and am more than confident in their knowledge of landscape construction, physical strength, work ethic, and ability to produce superior results. After introducing them to the landscape and painting a picture of the proposed layout, we got to try our hands at a little surveying. A need to locate the outflow pipe from the rainwater cistern and understand its grade change had us doing something we had not done in a while: surveying. The 'riding the bike' analogy is an appropriate parallel to the process of shooting azimuths and calculating distances via stadia readings. We were a little rusty at first, got the hang of it again, and before we knew it, we were coasting with the information needed to make sure that a two-dimensional plan was going to be feasible in a three-dimensional interface. As we begin to prepare for the installation of the landscape infrastructure, there is another task to address:

KILL SOME EXOTIC INVASIVE PLANTS.