Heat wave

The past week in Norris has been sizzling hot, along with many areas of the country that have been experiencing excessive heat and drought-like conditions. We’ve had heat advisories almost every day for the past four days; temperatures have been in the low 100s, and humidity has hovered around 30% during the hottest time of the day. According to Norris Dam TVA rain gauge data, June has received only 1.9” of rain; typical rainfall is around 4” to 5” in June. (Click here for UT’s Climate Data resource page where you can explore links to weather information.)

hot temperatures and hot peppers from the garden

The heat and lack of rain have had an impact on some of the trees and shrubs that were planted last fall. The dogwood and witch hazel trees, along with the hydrangeas, are exhibiting signs of distress—signs that I didn’t pick up on, but can now see (thank you to Valerie for pointing them out). They’re getting extra water until temperatures reach normal levels again.  

witch hazel and hydrangeas

The meadow that was planted in May is holding up well. Some areas (like the sloped sections in the backyard) were a bit drier before the heat wave started, so I was already watering them. The rest of the meadow plants will be watered every few days for the next couple weeks. 

meadow in backyard (with Emmet chairs courtesy of Room & Board, and fire pit)

The garden soil is dry, but that hasn’t slowed the garden plants down at all. The tomatoes, peppers, and chard are healthy and producing quite a bit. Carrots are big enough to be pulled, there are several eggplants that will be ready soon, and zucchini plants are blossoming. Unfortunately, the cauliflower was overtaken by bugs that ate through all the leaves, so I had to pull those out. I’m guessing that the organically rich soil has made a difference in the garden; without such good soil, perhaps the garden wouldn’t be faring so well during the heat. 

eggplant

zucchini plant in bloom

abundance of tomatoes

The good news is there’s a 30% chance of thunderstorms on Tuesday and Wednesday this week. Even if it only rains for a short time, it will bring relief to the dry earth and help replenish the cistern as well.

How does your garden grow?

The garden was planted a little over a month ago, and I’m amazed at how fast things have grown. Since this is the first garden I’ve ever had, I don’t have a point of reference for plant growth patterns; I suppose they’re growing at typical rates that just seem fast to me.

The arugula is ready for harvesting, so last week we had a peppery arugula salad with pear, prosciutto, goat cheese, olive oil, and honey. It was great to be able to pick a few dollars worth of produce that started out from a $2.00 seed packet.

The red cabbage and cauliflower leaves are as big as my hand; they’re in the front of the first box. Carrots and rainbow chard, also in the first box, will probably be ready in two to three weeks.

There are five tomato plants, and one has about six tomatoes growing on it. The others are starting to bud and should be bearing fruit soon. One of my favorite scents is a tomato plant (or a tomato fresh off the vine); I find myself lingering by the tomatoes when I water the garden, and will rub one of the leaves to help release the scent.

I’m excited about the fennel. A single organic bulb is around $4.00 at the grocery store, so growing it in the garden saves money. The fronds look like a miniature forest right now.

The cucumber plants are flowering, and one of the pepper plants has flowers and the start of a promised mammoth jalapeno, according to the plant name tag.

The zinnias are getting taller, and are even more vibrant than ever.

I use a watering can and water from the cistern at the bottom of the raised beds to water the plants. Reusing rainwater in the garden means less fresh water is used outside (as long as the cistern contains water; the hose has been used as backup a couple times). I’ve come to enjoy being outside watering and tending to the garden--it’s calming and has made me pay attention to the soil, the progress of plant growth and the condition of leaves/vegetables, and insects that inhabit the raised beds. It's a whole new ecosystem to learn about and explore!

Very Local Produce

Clearing the community path and separating seedlings

Nothing feels more like Spring than planting a garden, and at the New Norris House that's exactly what happened this weekend. Mary, Eric, and I spent some time doing general yard maintenance, and we also planted the raised vegetable beds. The beds were designed and built by students last summer, and we used stockpiled dirt from the house foundation excavation to fill the beds. We also added any vegetative waste produced from clearing the invasive plants, and let the soil sit all winter long. Now it is a beautiful, rich soil filled with worms and ready to produce!

We planted rainbow swiss chard, red cabbage, cauliflower, heirloom tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, carrots, fennel, arugula, gourds, and cucumbers. We also planted zinnias for cut flowers and to attract pollinators. In a few months we should have a huge harvest. Keep your fingers crossed and maybe we can add a County Fair Biggest Vegetable Award to our accomplishments!

We began by properly spacing all the plants before digging any holes

See the rich, dark soil under the hay?

As part of our efforts to collect and re-use the rainwater that falls on our site, our vegetable beds will be irrigated via a 200 gallon cistern located at the low end of the beds. The irrigation cistern is currently full of rainwater and ready to be used. We're looking forward to a summer of sustainable farming - right in the backyard!

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

Happy New Year!

The year 2011 is drawing to a close, and a short reflection back on our first few months in the New Norris House reveals what we learned and what happened during that time. Similar to any new residence, there was a period of familiarizing ourselves to the house and the systems inside it. Some things in the house were brand new to us (the heating and cooling units, the rainwater cisterns, the solar hot water, and the small refrigerator and freezer), while others were familiar but required an adjustment (low flow faucets and shower, cabinet and storage configurations, and the furniture).

rainwater cistern in backyard (on flickr)

The house was ready for occupancy on July 1, and the finishing touches were completed throughout July and August. We set up our post office box and internet service, and enjoyed meeting people who came by for house tours over the 4th of July weekend. Students wrapped up their work on the yard and rainwater garden, and seeded the lawn. Kinks with fluctuating water temperature in the shower were worked out, and the solar hot water heater was installed. Railings on the deck and entry were leveled and secured. Temperature and humidity sensors were installed throughout the house. We became familiar with the air conditioning unit manual as we figured out the ideal way to run the systems in the summer heat.

the house in december (on flickr)

The official ribbon cutting ceremony for the house was in August, and hundreds of people attended and toured the house. Also that month, there were multiple media events to promote the finished project within the Norris and Knoxville areas, and at the University of Tennessee as well. Professors Tricia Stuth and Bob French, along with the student researchers and other student participants, have been a pleasure to work with during this experience. We've appreciated their patience with us while we went through learning about the house.

In the next six months, we’re looking forward to some new activities, including starting a garden in the raised beds in the backyard and exploring more of the Norris area. Until then, we wish you a Happy New Year!