WEBVTT 00:00.900 --> 00:02.133 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% - Hi, there, I'm Tom Spencer. 00:02.133 --> 00:04.233 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% This week, discover how urban prairies matter 00:04.233 --> 00:06.400 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% to our long-term ecology. 00:06.400 --> 00:08.533 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% John Hart Asher, environmental designer 00:08.533 --> 00:10.766 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, 00:10.766 --> 00:12.900 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% explains what we can do at home. 00:12.900 --> 00:15.300 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% On tour, a living wall pilot project 00:15.300 --> 00:18.166 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% explores success under harsh conditions. 00:18.166 --> 00:20.166 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% Daphne answers your top question, 00:20.166 --> 00:22.466 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% and John has your Backyard Basics tip. 00:22.466 --> 00:25.700 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% So, let's get growing, right here, right now! 00:25.700 --> 00:27.200 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - [Announcer] Central Texas Gardener 00:27.200 --> 00:29.900 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% is made possible in part by Austin Area Garden Center, 00:29.900 --> 00:32.266 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% sharing the joys of gardening for over 50 years 00:32.266 --> 00:34.033 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% in Zilker Botanical Garden, 00:34.033 --> 00:35.533 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% home of 32 garden clubs 00:35.533 --> 00:37.466 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80% and Zilker Garden Festival. 00:37.466 --> 00:40.233 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70% zilkergarden.org. 00:40.233 --> 00:42.533 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% And from the University of Texas at Austin 00:42.533 --> 00:44.433 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, 00:44.433 --> 00:47.433 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% displaying Texas native plants in sustainable gardens. 00:48.966 --> 00:51.800 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% And with the generous support from Lisa & Desi Rhoden. 00:53.300 --> 00:55.433 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% Support for this and other KLRU productions 00:55.433 --> 00:57.300 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% made possible by the Producers Circle, 00:57.300 --> 00:58.566 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% ensuring local programming 00:58.566 --> 01:00.166 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% that reflects the character and interests 01:00.166 --> 01:02.633 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% of the Greater Austin, Texas community. 01:02.633 --> 01:06.033 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% (upbeat whimsical music) 01:17.500 --> 01:19.300 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80% - What exactly is a living wall, 01:19.300 --> 01:20.833 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70% and how can it change our future? 01:20.833 --> 01:23.333 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70% The University of Texas School of Architecture 01:23.333 --> 01:25.633 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center 01:25.633 --> 01:30.033 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% collaborated to explore techniques in harsh conditions. 01:30.033 --> 01:32.066 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - [Reporter] To explore living wall ecology 01:32.066 --> 01:33.466 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% in a harsh environment, 01:33.466 --> 01:35.333 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% the University of Texas at Austin 01:35.333 --> 01:37.566 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center 01:37.566 --> 01:38.800 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% partnered in a project 01:38.800 --> 01:41.400 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% that takes education outside the walls. 01:41.400 --> 01:45.600 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Planted in June 2016, its roots started with an idea. 01:45.600 --> 01:48.533 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80% - The project really started in 01:48.533 --> 01:50.166 align:left position:40%,start line:5% size:50% 2010 01:50.166 --> 01:52.233 align:left position:40%,start line:5% size:50% when I 01:52.233 --> 01:53.733 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% became a faculty member 01:53.733 --> 01:55.900 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% in the School of Architecture here in Austin, 01:55.900 --> 01:59.333 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and came across a wonderful man named Mark Simmons, 01:59.333 --> 02:02.533 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% who is the Director of Ecology at the Wildflower Center, 02:02.533 --> 02:04.533 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. 02:05.500 --> 02:07.533 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% He was directing 02:07.533 --> 02:10.633 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% and doing some major research on green roofs, 02:10.633 --> 02:14.133 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and I was super excited to see that that was taking place 02:14.133 --> 02:16.666 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% at the Wildflower Center, and my thinking was, 02:16.666 --> 02:18.900 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% "Why aren't we doing this in the vertical dimension 02:18.900 --> 02:20.433 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% "with architecture?" 02:20.433 --> 02:22.233 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% And I approached Mark and said, 02:22.233 --> 02:25.500 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% "Look, I've got some sketches, and I've got ideas 02:25.500 --> 02:27.866 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% "about the architecture side to this, 02:27.866 --> 02:31.766 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% "but my love of plants only goes so far." 02:31.766 --> 02:34.900 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70% And so, we started imagining what that 02:34.900 --> 02:39.000 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70% architecture and ecology incubator could be like. 02:39.000 --> 02:40.766 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% And then wanting it to be 02:40.766 --> 02:43.900 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% around the School of Architecture in some capacity because, 02:43.900 --> 02:45.400 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% from my perspective, 02:45.400 --> 02:46.833 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% that's where we're trying to change the thinking, 02:46.833 --> 02:49.333 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% is that we're not just building with 02:49.333 --> 02:51.433 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% steel and concrete and glass anymore; 02:51.433 --> 02:52.900 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% we're building with plants 02:52.900 --> 02:55.366 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and trying to integrate landscape in a different way, 02:55.366 --> 02:56.966 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% in the vertical dimension. 02:56.966 --> 02:59.300 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% We wanted to 02:59.300 --> 03:02.933 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% replicate or test the western facade 03:02.933 --> 03:04.533 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% that is the most challenging, 03:04.533 --> 03:07.433 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% and so this is the northwest corner of the 03:07.433 --> 03:10.400 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% Goldsmith Hall for the UT Architecture School. 03:10.400 --> 03:12.900 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80% - We planted all the units at the Wildflower Center. 03:12.900 --> 03:14.400 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70% With our volunteers, 03:14.400 --> 03:17.033 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80% and with our staff tying in with our space, which was, 03:17.033 --> 03:19.266 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% it was really beautiful and fun to do because 03:19.266 --> 03:20.933 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% a lot of the volunteers hadn't... 03:20.933 --> 03:23.200 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% They were very curious about this particular pot 03:23.200 --> 03:24.533 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% we were using and why, 03:24.533 --> 03:25.900 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% and so, there was a lot of questions, 03:25.900 --> 03:28.533 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% which I think was really, really lovely. 03:28.533 --> 03:30.266 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - [Reporter] Danelle designed and fabricated 03:30.266 --> 03:34.833 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% the 148 plant cells on a 10 x 25-foot structure. 03:34.833 --> 03:37.000 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% - It is sized to be not only 03:37.000 --> 03:40.233 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% the right sort of capacity for a plant to 03:40.233 --> 03:42.300 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% be able to grow into. 03:42.300 --> 03:44.833 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% It's not huge, because it needs to be able to be 03:44.833 --> 03:46.066 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% held up by a wall. 03:46.066 --> 03:48.000 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - [Danelle] Our pilot project is actually 03:48.000 --> 03:49.466 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% cantilevered out of the ground. 03:49.466 --> 03:52.300 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% It's not touching Goldsmith Hall because 03:52.300 --> 03:54.066 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% in effect it is temporary. 03:54.066 --> 03:57.366 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% It's just a folded thin metal plate 03:57.366 --> 04:02.333 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% that has this hexagonal honeycomb pattern cut out of it. 04:02.333 --> 04:04.033 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - [Reporter] The soil blend's also a result 04:04.033 --> 04:05.566 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% of years of testing. 04:05.566 --> 04:07.300 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - The soil that we use at the Wildflower Center, 04:07.300 --> 04:11.566 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% what we've found, that if there's particulates and sized 04:11.566 --> 04:13.033 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% the same amount, 04:13.033 --> 04:15.433 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% that kind of pack in there, they hold a lot of heat. 04:15.433 --> 04:17.100 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% So, we've developed a media 04:17.100 --> 04:19.566 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% that has different particulate sizes, 04:19.566 --> 04:21.633 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% and so, air can move through it easily, 04:21.633 --> 04:23.700 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% and the plant can actually root easily. 04:23.700 --> 04:25.266 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% But it still holds on to water. 04:25.266 --> 04:27.933 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% It has a certain amount of organic material in it. 04:27.933 --> 04:29.333 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% But it's not an organic material 04:29.333 --> 04:30.900 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% that's going to break down immediately. 04:30.900 --> 04:34.633 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% It's a slower material that'll break down slowly. 04:34.633 --> 04:37.100 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% We actually use things like pecan husks. 04:37.100 --> 04:38.966 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% Then, when we installed it in the wall, 04:38.966 --> 04:41.733 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% we had one or two big rain events. 04:41.733 --> 04:44.766 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% And yeah, it's been a struggle for some of our species. 04:44.766 --> 04:48.133 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% False aloe is just not liking the rain at all. 04:48.133 --> 04:51.533 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% We also put the wall on the most extreme condition, 04:51.533 --> 04:53.833 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% which is on a west-facing surface. 04:53.833 --> 04:57.766 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% So, getting a very specialist plant might not be 04:57.766 --> 05:01.333 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% the best thing to do for this particular situation. 05:01.333 --> 05:02.833 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60% So, choosing the plants for here, 05:02.833 --> 05:06.633 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% we looked at eco-regions around Texas. 05:06.633 --> 05:09.200 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80% And some of the eco-regions we even choose 05:09.200 --> 05:12.033 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70% areas that were out in the Trans-Pecos, 05:12.033 --> 05:13.600 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80% because cities tend to be 05:13.600 --> 05:18.533 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% five to 10 degrees hotter than the surrounding rural areas. 05:18.533 --> 05:21.233 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% So, we knew we might have to have some hardier, 05:21.233 --> 05:24.066 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% heat-tolerant species on this wall. 05:24.066 --> 05:25.333 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% So that's what we looked at. 05:25.333 --> 05:27.966 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% We looked at species in Edwards Plateau, 05:27.966 --> 05:30.500 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% and the Balcones Canyonlands. 05:30.500 --> 05:32.666 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70% We looked also to the Chihuahua Desert 05:32.666 --> 05:34.300 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80% for a few different things. 05:34.300 --> 05:36.433 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80% And then there's a few things from the east as well, 05:36.433 --> 05:38.333 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70% and in the Blackland Prairie zones. 05:38.333 --> 05:40.600 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% A lot of the grasses we chose are very 05:40.600 --> 05:42.166 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% hardy and kind of generalists, 05:42.166 --> 05:45.133 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% so they live in many different habitats across Texas. 05:45.133 --> 05:47.300 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70% Two of those being sideoats grama, 05:47.300 --> 05:49.533 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80% which is the Texas state grass. 05:49.533 --> 05:52.100 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% And then, we also use little bluestem. 05:52.100 --> 05:53.633 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% Some of the other species that are really 05:53.633 --> 05:57.866 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% tidy and nice are red yucca, which just keeps its form. 05:57.866 --> 05:59.366 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% It's not overly fussy. 05:59.366 --> 06:01.833 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% It hasn't lost a lot of dead material. 06:01.833 --> 06:04.133 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% We're doing seasonal maintenance trips, 06:04.133 --> 06:08.066 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% where we go in and we record everything we do in each pot. 06:08.066 --> 06:09.733 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% I know how much dead biomass 06:09.733 --> 06:11.300 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% needs to be picked from these things. 06:11.300 --> 06:13.400 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% I know the amount of time it takes for 06:13.400 --> 06:17.466 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% one person to kind of handle this whole particular site, 06:17.466 --> 06:20.300 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% so that if we were to create a larger 06:21.533 --> 06:23.000 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% wall in the future, 06:23.000 --> 06:25.666 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% we'll know what type of time it takes to put in 06:25.666 --> 06:27.333 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% to this particular system. 06:27.333 --> 06:29.500 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% We're also keeping soil moisture, 06:29.500 --> 06:32.233 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% pH, and salinity information. 06:32.233 --> 06:34.466 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% So, let's talk a little bit about irrigation, too. 06:34.466 --> 06:38.266 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% So, one of the reasons we do a certain amount of soil volume 06:38.266 --> 06:43.066 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% is so that the plant can hold moisture within that volume. 06:43.066 --> 06:47.433 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - Each component has its own irrigation drip line, 06:47.433 --> 06:50.133 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70% which is, in some effect, redundant 06:50.133 --> 06:53.133 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80% because we could imagine that 06:55.100 --> 06:56.833 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% one could drip all the way down. 06:56.833 --> 07:00.566 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% But we really want to understand, at a granular level, 07:00.566 --> 07:04.233 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% what water is being given to each plant, 07:04.233 --> 07:06.733 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and the variety of plants that we've chosen, 07:06.733 --> 07:11.166 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and how we can reduce water usage as much as possible. 07:11.166 --> 07:12.966 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% It's a 07:12.966 --> 07:15.500 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% research side to what we're doing, 07:15.500 --> 07:18.466 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% that's been directed by Markus Hogue from Facilities. 07:18.466 --> 07:20.366 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% He's really in charge of 07:20.366 --> 07:23.966 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% the smart-watering system initiative that's on campus. 07:23.966 --> 07:26.666 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% And so, any water that is going into the wall 07:26.666 --> 07:30.333 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% is being data-driven and data-monitored, 07:30.333 --> 07:33.533 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and it doesn't get watered on days that it's raining. 07:33.533 --> 07:37.233 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% We're monitoring the water distribution, 07:37.233 --> 07:38.733 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% the thermal heat gain 07:38.733 --> 07:41.566 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% in both the front and the back of the wall, and in between. 07:41.566 --> 07:43.633 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% We're monitoring motion 07:43.633 --> 07:44.433 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% and 07:44.433 --> 07:45.366 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% light. 07:45.366 --> 07:47.766 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% And so, temperatures of the day 07:47.766 --> 07:50.566 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and everything to do with the environment that is 07:50.566 --> 07:53.333 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% very local here is all being captured. 07:53.333 --> 07:55.033 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% We're not only considering 07:55.033 --> 07:58.700 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% the benefits of plants for such a living wall system, 07:58.700 --> 08:01.866 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% but also the habitats that we've included 08:01.866 --> 08:04.100 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% on the four corners of the wall. 08:04.100 --> 08:06.633 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70% - We have four different habitat units 08:06.633 --> 08:08.766 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70% on this particular wall, 08:08.766 --> 08:11.266 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% and they're all for different species. 08:11.266 --> 08:12.733 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% Two of them, 08:12.733 --> 08:14.066 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% we got really specific with how we designed them. 08:14.066 --> 08:15.633 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% One of them was a wren house. 08:16.766 --> 08:18.666 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% The other thing that we did specifically for 08:18.666 --> 08:21.866 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% a particular species is the native bee house. 08:21.866 --> 08:24.333 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - And then the cork habitat that you see in the corner 08:24.333 --> 08:25.233 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% is the bask. 08:25.233 --> 08:26.866 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% We're just providing 08:26.866 --> 08:30.333 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% a kind of scratching, exfoliation surface that lizards like. 08:30.333 --> 08:33.366 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% There are actually sort of insects and bees and bugs 08:33.366 --> 08:36.433 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% sort of adapting to what is here, because 08:36.433 --> 08:39.600 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% before there was just stone and concrete, 08:39.600 --> 08:41.066 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% which is nice, 08:41.066 --> 08:42.933 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% but I think that we've given them a bit of relief 08:42.933 --> 08:45.766 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% that's different from what they might find out here 08:45.766 --> 08:49.433 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% in the lawn and oak tree scenario. 08:49.433 --> 08:52.033 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% People who have nothing to do with architecture, 08:52.033 --> 08:55.066 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% or the Wildflower Center, are stopping and asking, 08:55.066 --> 08:59.733 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% "What is this, and why is it here, and what is it made of?" 08:59.733 --> 09:02.366 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% And so, we're sparking a lot of interest from people who 09:02.366 --> 09:03.666 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% just were unaware. 09:03.666 --> 09:06.133 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% You know, as much as we think that living walls 09:06.133 --> 09:09.466 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% are becoming ubiquitous, there are some out there that, 09:09.466 --> 09:13.166 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% this is completely new, and I'm happy that 09:13.166 --> 09:15.833 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% we're changing the way people think about architecture 09:15.833 --> 09:17.933 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% and think about our future development. 09:19.100 --> 09:21.400 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - All right, well that unique exhibit 09:21.400 --> 09:23.633 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% from the Hanging Gardens of Babylon 09:23.633 --> 09:26.133 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% to the vertical gardens on the UT campus, 09:26.133 --> 09:27.266 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% it's very cool. 09:27.266 --> 09:28.433 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% Thanks for sharing it with us. 09:28.433 --> 09:30.700 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% Right now, we're gonna be talking about 09:30.700 --> 09:34.000 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% ecological design, and my guest is John Hart Asher 09:34.000 --> 09:35.800 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% from the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, 09:35.800 --> 09:38.433 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and John, what the heck is an ecological designer? 09:38.433 --> 09:42.000 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - That's a good question, and it's one that's asked a lot. 09:42.900 --> 09:44.300 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% Our group is 09:44.300 --> 09:46.133 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% the Department of Ecological Research and Design, 09:48.300 --> 09:51.233 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and we're really a niche sort of group in that we bring 09:51.233 --> 09:54.000 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% ecology, so we have ecologist biologists on staff, 09:54.000 --> 09:55.733 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70% and landscape architects on staff, 09:55.733 --> 09:57.233 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70% which my background is. 09:57.233 --> 10:01.333 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80% I'm a Longhorn that was trained here at the UTSOA. 10:01.333 --> 10:04.233 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% And we bring those two worlds of thought together 10:04.233 --> 10:06.166 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% so that we get fully functional landscape. 10:06.166 --> 10:09.433 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% So, it's not just about beauty, but it's really about 10:09.433 --> 10:11.500 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% cleaning air, cleaning water, sequestering carbon, 10:11.500 --> 10:12.800 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% all of those benefits you get. 10:12.800 --> 10:14.000 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - [Tom] And how the plants work together 10:14.000 --> 10:15.200 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% to do all of that. - Absolutely. 10:15.200 --> 10:18.333 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - It's a very cool piece of science that's 10:18.333 --> 10:21.333 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% a cutting edge right now. - Absolutely. 10:21.333 --> 10:23.666 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - I'm very excited about the work being done. 10:25.066 --> 10:27.700 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% A lot of these sites that you're working on are urban sites, 10:27.700 --> 10:29.233 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60% aren't they? - Yes, so, 10:29.233 --> 10:32.066 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% when we started about 2000, 10:32.066 --> 10:34.733 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% a majority of our projects were more rural. 10:34.733 --> 10:37.833 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% There were ranch owners that wanted to know 10:37.833 --> 10:41.366 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% how to revert their land back to a prairie. 10:41.366 --> 10:44.233 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% But now, the further as we go along, 2018, 10:44.233 --> 10:46.966 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% almost two decades, a pretty much of a majority, 10:46.966 --> 10:50.300 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% if not all of our projects, are urban 10:50.300 --> 10:52.000 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% designs. 10:52.000 --> 10:54.733 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% And it really is a big commentary on how important it is 10:54.733 --> 10:56.900 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% to thread nature through our cities, 10:56.900 --> 10:58.733 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% but also again, it always comes back to 10:58.733 --> 11:00.766 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% we get all that wonderful function. 11:00.766 --> 11:02.166 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60% - Exactly. - Yep. 11:02.166 --> 11:04.400 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - There are ecological benefits to all these things. 11:04.400 --> 11:06.700 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% In the past, we were taught, 11:06.700 --> 11:09.533 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% urban streams, dangerous, bad, put it in a culvert, 11:09.533 --> 11:11.800 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% that was actually destructive. 11:11.800 --> 11:15.700 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% And actually, more harmful floodwise to a lot of other 11:15.700 --> 11:17.100 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% communities downstream. 11:17.100 --> 11:21.100 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - Absolutely, and we shouldn't expect that nature is 11:21.100 --> 11:22.366 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% over here, 11:22.366 --> 11:25.733 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% and then where we live is sort of 11:27.200 --> 11:28.466 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% adverse conditions. 11:28.466 --> 11:30.800 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% We should expect the flora in abundance. 11:30.800 --> 11:33.766 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% We should expect the health benefits from nature 11:33.766 --> 11:35.600 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% where we live every single day. 11:35.600 --> 11:37.933 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - Well, there's some examples you're working on in Austin. 11:37.933 --> 11:40.066 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% One of them has to do with Waller Creek. 11:40.066 --> 11:41.333 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% What is that project about? 11:41.333 --> 11:43.366 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - So, the Waller Creek restoration project, 11:43.366 --> 11:46.500 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% we're with Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates. 11:46.500 --> 11:47.733 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% It's really exciting. 11:47.733 --> 11:50.133 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% We're helping turn essentially a degraded 11:50.133 --> 11:53.000 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% water shed back into a thriving ecosystem. 11:53.000 --> 11:57.433 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Now, it won't be a complete 100% restoration of what it was, 11:57.433 --> 12:00.100 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% but it's going to be something very close to that, 12:00.100 --> 12:02.400 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% and it's gonna be an amenity for the city, 12:02.400 --> 12:04.433 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% and really something nationally that I think 12:04.433 --> 12:06.133 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% will be a wonderful example. - Yeah. 12:06.133 --> 12:08.900 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% And homeowners can play a role in that by 12:08.900 --> 12:10.466 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% catching stormwater on their properties. 12:10.466 --> 12:13.366 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - Absolutely, the more water we can keep in the Uplands, 12:13.366 --> 12:14.733 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% so that would be people's yards, 12:14.733 --> 12:16.233 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% you don't think about that. - Right. 12:16.233 --> 12:18.833 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - But the more water we can keep up there and let that 12:18.833 --> 12:20.633 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% slowly infiltrate through the soils, 12:20.633 --> 12:22.900 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% the less that our creeks have to do. 12:22.900 --> 12:25.466 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - That's gonna be a project to watch. 12:25.466 --> 12:28.100 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% There's another that you've been working on, 12:28.100 --> 12:30.133 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% which is very high profile. 12:30.133 --> 12:32.533 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% It's the Bush Presidential Library in Dallas 12:32.533 --> 12:34.033 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% on the SMU campus. - Yes. 12:34.033 --> 12:37.933 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% So, that was a really exciting project that we worked on 12:37.933 --> 12:39.700 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% for a number of years ago. 12:39.700 --> 12:42.066 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% This is actually the 5th-year anniversary 12:42.066 --> 12:43.233 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% of its installation. 12:44.900 --> 12:47.533 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Mrs. Bush will be hosting a big ceremony up their 12:47.533 --> 12:50.000 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% for everybody come and look at the prairie. 12:50.000 --> 12:52.066 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% It's really, really exciting, in that 12:53.566 --> 12:55.500 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% President Bush and Mrs. Bush 12:55.500 --> 12:57.866 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% really wanted to bring 12:57.866 --> 13:00.133 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% nature back into the middle of Dallas as well. 13:00.133 --> 13:03.233 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% So, we designed about a 14- to 16-acre prairie 13:03.233 --> 13:04.800 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% right alongside SMU campus. 13:04.800 --> 13:07.033 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - And there's so many benefits to prairie gardens. 13:07.033 --> 13:10.833 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% I mean, you have reverence cleaning of the water, 13:10.833 --> 13:14.266 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% you know, slowing the filtration, reducing flooding. 13:14.266 --> 13:17.733 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% One thing I learned recently is that an acre of prairie 13:17.733 --> 13:19.500 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% sequesters as much carbon 13:19.500 --> 13:21.466 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% as an acre of the Amazon rainforest. 13:21.466 --> 13:22.766 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% That blew me away. - Yeah. 13:22.766 --> 13:24.233 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% The grasslands are 13:24.233 --> 13:26.866 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% some of the most endangered eco-types in the world, 13:28.166 --> 13:29.833 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% but a lot of people see them as nothing. 13:29.833 --> 13:32.333 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% They see them as sort of barren wastelands. 13:32.333 --> 13:35.766 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% But, grasslands are only behind 13:35.766 --> 13:40.066 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% peat bogs and permafrost in terms of carbon sequestration. 13:40.066 --> 13:41.966 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% So, they're a wonderful tool for us. 13:41.966 --> 13:44.133 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - Yeah, well, amazing tool, really. 13:44.133 --> 13:45.566 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% - Absolutely. 13:45.566 --> 13:47.533 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - Real quickly, there's another project you're working on 13:47.533 --> 13:48.933 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% which has to do with Hill Country, 13:48.933 --> 13:50.933 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% and that's Blanco River restoration. 13:50.933 --> 13:54.700 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - Absolutely, after the 2015 Memorial Day flood, 13:54.700 --> 13:56.966 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% we heard a lot of residents in that area wanting to 13:56.966 --> 13:58.666 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% fix their landscape. 13:58.666 --> 14:01.966 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% And unfortunately, they had, with good intentions, 14:01.966 --> 14:03.733 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% had contractors coming in with heaving equipment 14:03.733 --> 14:06.100 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% down into the river, 14:06.100 --> 14:08.600 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% and they're actually exacerbating some of the problems, 14:08.600 --> 14:10.400 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% and primarily erosion. 14:10.400 --> 14:13.433 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% And so, we got together with Texas Parks and Wildlife, 14:13.433 --> 14:14.900 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% created a 14:14.900 --> 14:18.000 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% 137-page booklet called the Blanco River Design Guidelines. 14:18.000 --> 14:20.133 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% It's a free resource 14:20.133 --> 14:21.633 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% for everybody. 14:21.633 --> 14:22.833 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% You can access it at the Wildflower Center website, 14:22.833 --> 14:25.100 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% and also the Parks and Wildlife website, 14:25.100 --> 14:27.300 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% and it really walks you through the nitty-gritty 14:27.300 --> 14:29.000 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% of all the components to what you need to do 14:29.000 --> 14:30.533 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% to restore your land. 14:30.533 --> 14:33.566 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - Well, you're doing this at a kind of a macroscale. 14:33.566 --> 14:36.000 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% People at home can do it on a microscale. 14:36.000 --> 14:38.066 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - Absolutely. - And they can adopt 14:38.066 --> 14:40.766 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% certain techniques you know, the creating of rain gardens, 14:40.766 --> 14:44.066 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% other ways to slow the flow, planting of native plants. 14:44.066 --> 14:46.700 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% One of the things that we wanted to talk about today 14:46.700 --> 14:48.366 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% is the planting of native grasses, 14:48.366 --> 14:51.533 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% which are an essential piece of the designing 14:51.533 --> 14:53.200 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% of our local ecology. - Absolutely. 14:53.200 --> 14:55.733 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70% They are the workforce of the prairie. 14:55.733 --> 14:59.600 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80% They put in these extension root, fibrous root systems 14:59.600 --> 15:01.333 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% that can go down 20 feet or so. 15:01.333 --> 15:02.866 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% That's where we get our drought resistance. 15:02.866 --> 15:06.566 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - Even 30 feet, I've seen it. - Absolutely, absolutely. 15:06.566 --> 15:08.766 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80% They're beautiful, and they're something that I think 15:08.766 --> 15:10.433 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70% a lot of people are scared of because 15:10.433 --> 15:13.700 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80% how do you identify a grass? - Sure, it's tough. 15:13.700 --> 15:15.200 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60% - Yeah. - It is tough. 15:15.200 --> 15:18.633 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70% - When I got into this sort of work, 15:18.633 --> 15:19.666 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% grasses were the thing. 15:19.666 --> 15:21.200 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% You just gotta sort of jump in, 15:21.200 --> 15:25.300 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and over time you sort of build your knowledge base. 15:26.166 --> 15:27.733 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% Grasses are beautiful. 15:27.733 --> 15:30.166 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% They inflouresce, they have flowers 15:30.166 --> 15:32.733 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% that people don't appreciate as much. 15:32.733 --> 15:33.933 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - [Tom] They're stunning actually. 15:33.933 --> 15:35.800 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% People have really begun to adopt 15:35.800 --> 15:38.033 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% some of these plants very avidly, you know. 15:38.033 --> 15:39.500 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% - Absolutely. 15:39.500 --> 15:41.000 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% There are varieties-- - Gulf muhly, for example. 15:41.000 --> 15:43.066 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - There are varieties being developed at many gardens, 15:43.066 --> 15:46.133 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% but the sheer number that were in our prairies 15:46.133 --> 15:50.466 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% offers gardeners at home a wonderful palette to pick from 15:50.466 --> 15:51.900 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% for their properties. 15:51.900 --> 15:53.900 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - [Tom] And they're great companion plants for wildflowers 15:53.900 --> 15:56.433 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% and shrubs and other kinds of things as well. 15:56.433 --> 15:58.833 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% And there are grasses that will adapt 15:58.833 --> 16:01.000 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% even to shady situations. - Absolutely. 16:01.000 --> 16:02.266 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - [Tom] Not as many, but they will. 16:02.266 --> 16:04.133 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% - Yeah, we don't have it's... 16:04.133 --> 16:06.433 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% When you get in the shade, you sort of reduce your palette 16:06.433 --> 16:10.100 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% by a good amount, but there's things like Inland sea oats, 16:10.100 --> 16:10.933 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% there's some of those. 16:10.933 --> 16:12.633 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% Texas Bluegrass 16:12.633 --> 16:13.700 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% is a wonderful 16:14.866 --> 16:17.733 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% grass, and also even our state grass of Texas, 16:18.666 --> 16:19.933 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60% sideoats grama. 16:19.933 --> 16:21.433 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70% It preforms pretty well in the shade. 16:21.433 --> 16:25.300 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80% - Okay, well, spring is the time to plant grasses, 16:25.300 --> 16:27.933 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% and what is the appropriate technique? 16:27.933 --> 16:31.033 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% Are you advocating for starting from seed? 16:31.033 --> 16:33.033 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - I like to go with seed personally, 16:33.033 --> 16:34.466 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% because it's pretty cheap, 16:34.466 --> 16:36.233 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% and if you're covering a larger area, 16:36.233 --> 16:39.866 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% it's the most economical way, and it's pretty easy. 16:39.866 --> 16:42.400 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% You can also do some plugs. 16:42.400 --> 16:43.600 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% It depends on what your budget. 16:43.600 --> 16:45.233 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% You can really sort of design it. 16:45.233 --> 16:47.566 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% It depends on what your parameters are. 16:47.566 --> 16:50.433 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - Yeah, and I think a mix of the two actually 16:50.433 --> 16:53.233 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% in the areas where you might have drainage issues, 16:53.233 --> 16:55.366 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% and you need a more established plant. 16:55.366 --> 16:57.400 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% That would be a good place for the plugs, 16:57.400 --> 17:01.033 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% but at seed, the others out elsewhere. 17:01.033 --> 17:02.633 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% Site preparation for seeding though. 17:02.633 --> 17:04.066 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60% What's that? - Yeah, so, 17:04.066 --> 17:05.333 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% you wanna take your time. 17:05.333 --> 17:06.833 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% It depends on what's been growing there. 17:06.833 --> 17:08.966 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% If you have something like St. Augustine, or something, 17:08.966 --> 17:10.166 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% well, that's not a big deal. 17:10.166 --> 17:11.966 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% You can sort of get that out pretty easily. 17:11.966 --> 17:15.633 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% But if you have invasives like Bermuda grass or brome, 17:15.633 --> 17:16.433 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% you wanna take your time. 17:16.433 --> 17:17.966 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% So, I like to put down 17:17.966 --> 17:21.166 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% in a six millimeter, you don't do anything thinner than that 17:21.166 --> 17:22.166 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% 'cause the sun'll break down, 17:22.166 --> 17:23.700 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60% but you put down a plastic sheet, 17:23.700 --> 17:26.366 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and solarize it for a year because you wanna address 17:26.366 --> 17:29.700 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% cool season and warm season invasive species. 17:31.100 --> 17:32.500 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% - Once they're grown, 17:33.666 --> 17:35.933 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% you can also transplant them relatively easy. 17:35.933 --> 17:38.233 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - I think your yes and method of seeding and plugging 17:38.233 --> 17:39.766 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% is right on because 17:39.766 --> 17:41.666 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% there's some of the later successional species like 17:41.666 --> 17:44.833 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Indian grass, or little bluestem that if you seed out, 17:44.833 --> 17:46.100 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% they won't necessarily come up 17:46.100 --> 17:48.433 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% unless that soil is just right for them. 17:48.433 --> 17:50.466 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% There are the microbes that are there, 17:50.466 --> 17:53.333 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% that it's essentially evolved enough to where they can grow, 17:53.333 --> 17:54.933 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% and it's conducive for their growth. 17:54.933 --> 17:56.366 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% So, it's sometimes it's really great 17:56.366 --> 17:58.100 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% to get some of those later successional species 17:58.100 --> 18:00.866 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% and plug those in so you get a really diverse 18:00.866 --> 18:02.966 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% palette growing for you. 18:02.966 --> 18:04.433 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% - At your field, 18:04.433 --> 18:06.133 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% there's something that's real exciting that's happening. 18:06.133 --> 18:08.200 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% It's a sustainable sites initiative. 18:08.200 --> 18:10.166 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% Real briefly, tell us about that is, 18:10.166 --> 18:13.100 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% because it's real, again, ground-breaking stuff. 18:13.100 --> 18:17.300 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80% - Absolutely, the American Study of Landscape Architects, 18:17.300 --> 18:19.266 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80% the Wildflower Center, and the U.S. Botanic Garden 18:19.266 --> 18:22.433 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80% got together after there was a big emphasis in designers 18:22.433 --> 18:24.133 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% in terms of the performance of building. 18:24.133 --> 18:25.800 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% You might have heard of lead 18:27.133 --> 18:28.433 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% performance rating systems. - Of course, right. 18:28.433 --> 18:30.700 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - Absolutely, and so we really thought that 18:30.700 --> 18:33.666 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% we needed something that would ensure that 18:33.666 --> 18:36.233 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% there was a sustainable practice for the landscape. 18:36.233 --> 18:38.733 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% And that's what Sites really does, is help 18:38.733 --> 18:41.166 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% guide designers and developers 18:41.166 --> 18:42.733 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% so that they can look at a site 18:44.766 --> 18:47.066 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% and design it in a way that you don't 18:47.066 --> 18:48.533 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% reduce any of that performance. 18:48.533 --> 18:50.600 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% It's so important for our urban areas. 18:50.600 --> 18:53.100 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - Yeah, this is, again, something that I 18:53.100 --> 18:54.333 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% just wanna encourage. 18:54.333 --> 18:55.566 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% I know that we have a lot of really interested 18:55.566 --> 18:57.066 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% viewers out there. 18:57.066 --> 19:00.166 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% This is being done at a kind of an institutional scale, 19:00.166 --> 19:02.233 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% but it can also be done at a residential scale? 19:02.233 --> 19:03.700 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% - Right. 19:03.700 --> 19:04.933 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - And one good way to participate in all of that 19:04.933 --> 19:06.800 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% is to go to the Wildflower Center 19:06.800 --> 19:09.000 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% for a special event. - That's right. 19:10.200 --> 19:12.266 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% Weekend of April 13th, but also twice a year, 19:12.266 --> 19:14.000 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% in the spring and fall of every year 19:14.000 --> 19:15.333 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% we have native plant sales. 19:15.333 --> 19:16.600 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% So, we'll have grasses, 19:16.600 --> 19:18.866 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% and we have a lot of wildflowers as well. 19:18.866 --> 19:22.333 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% And again, the spring is the time you want to plant grasses, 19:22.333 --> 19:24.400 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% especially seeding, and you wanna sort of seed 19:24.400 --> 19:26.033 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% wildflowers in the fall, 19:26.033 --> 19:28.333 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% but you can pick up some wildflowers that are already grown. 19:28.333 --> 19:30.166 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% - John Hart, it's been great. 19:30.166 --> 19:32.666 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% I really commend you for the work you're doing, 19:32.666 --> 19:34.100 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% and thank you for being a guest 19:34.100 --> 19:35.366 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% on Central Texas Gardener. - Thank you so much. 19:35.366 --> 19:36.300 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% It's a pleasure to be here. - All right. 19:36.300 --> 19:37.933 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% And coming up next, it's Daphne. 19:37.933 --> 19:41.333 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% (upbeat whimsical music) 19:42.666 --> 19:44.633 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80% - Hi, I'm Daphne Richards, and this is Augie. 19:44.633 --> 19:46.500 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70% Our question this week comes from John 19:46.500 --> 19:48.066 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70% in Southern California. 19:48.066 --> 19:51.933 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% What's going on with his Palo Verde Desert Museum? 19:51.933 --> 19:56.100 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% The bark on the trunk has square chunks neatly carved out. 19:56.100 --> 19:58.433 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Since we knew this wasn't caused by disease, 19:58.433 --> 20:00.466 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% and it didn't look like deer damage, 20:00.466 --> 20:02.566 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% we consulted David Cristiani, 20:02.566 --> 20:04.900 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% a landscape architect in New Mexico. 20:04.900 --> 20:08.433 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% He tells us that this appears to be rabbit damage, 20:08.433 --> 20:11.800 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% which he's seen on smooth tree trunks like this one, 20:11.800 --> 20:14.266 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% usually during winter and during drought, 20:14.266 --> 20:17.500 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% when moisture is in short supply for all living creatures. 20:17.500 --> 20:19.233 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% He says the damage seems to be 20:19.233 --> 20:22.366 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% about the animal trying to get moisture out of the trunk, 20:22.366 --> 20:26.000 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% eventually girdling and killing the tree, if it continues. 20:26.000 --> 20:28.266 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% David also says that he's observed young, 20:28.266 --> 20:29.900 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% smooth-barked trees 20:29.900 --> 20:32.966 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% such as desert willow, ash, and pistachio being gnawed 20:32.966 --> 20:35.200 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% by multiple cottontail and jackrabbits 20:35.200 --> 20:36.800 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% for several days in a row. 20:36.800 --> 20:38.533 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% Then the trees are dead. 20:38.533 --> 20:41.100 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% While nearby older rougher-barked young trees 20:41.100 --> 20:44.500 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% like mesquite, oak, and juniper are left alone. 20:44.500 --> 20:47.266 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% When we got back in touch with John about his Palo Verde, 20:47.266 --> 20:49.333 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% he reported back that he has indeed 20:49.333 --> 20:51.700 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% started noticing rabbits last year, 20:51.700 --> 20:54.033 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and that even though rabbits had always been around, 20:54.033 --> 20:56.033 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% they've never been so visible. 20:56.033 --> 20:57.633 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% To further illustrate the point, 20:57.633 --> 21:01.066 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% David also sent us pictures of an Opuntia macrocentra 21:01.066 --> 21:03.766 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% that had been chomped by jackrabbits or cottontails, 21:03.766 --> 21:05.133 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% or maybe pack rats. 21:05.133 --> 21:07.066 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% He says that usually the pack rats 21:07.066 --> 21:09.300 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% eat cacti from burrowing under the roots 21:09.300 --> 21:12.000 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and getting their moisture and roughage that way, 21:12.000 --> 21:14.166 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% in order to avoid the spines. 21:14.166 --> 21:16.933 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70% Our plant of the week is blackfoot daisy, 21:16.933 --> 21:18.833 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70% Melampodium leucanthum, 21:18.833 --> 21:22.366 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80% a delicate-looking perennial that's actually quite tough. 21:22.366 --> 21:23.900 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70% This lovely little plant 21:23.900 --> 21:27.133 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% is native to regions from Oklahoma south to Mexico, 21:27.133 --> 21:30.966 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and from Central Texas west through Colorado and Arizona. 21:30.966 --> 21:34.833 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% As another of its common names, rock daisy, implies, 21:34.833 --> 21:37.466 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% it does quite well in rocky, poor soils 21:37.466 --> 21:39.700 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% and loves the heat and full sun. 21:39.700 --> 21:41.666 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% Water sparingly, once established, 21:41.666 --> 21:45.233 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and be sure to plant in loose, well-drained soils, 21:45.233 --> 21:46.966 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% or even tucked among the rocks 21:46.966 --> 21:49.500 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% of an alpine or cactus garden. 21:49.500 --> 21:53.200 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Growing to only six inches tall, but at least twice as wide, 21:53.200 --> 21:56.366 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% blackfoot daisy will be covered in bright white flowers 21:56.366 --> 21:57.666 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% from early spring 21:57.666 --> 22:00.533 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% all the way through late autumn in most regions. 22:00.533 --> 22:02.266 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% Plant in swaths along borders 22:02.266 --> 22:04.600 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% to create waves of white in your garden, 22:04.600 --> 22:08.166 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% or singly, tucked in among other xeric species. 22:08.166 --> 22:11.433 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% The delicate, deep green leaves contrast nicely 22:11.433 --> 22:13.300 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% with the bright white of the flowers 22:13.300 --> 22:17.133 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and will attract bees and butterflies of all kinds. 22:17.133 --> 22:18.633 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% Our viewer picture this week 22:18.633 --> 22:21.633 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80% comes from Mary and Rick Trujillo in New Braunfels, 22:21.633 --> 22:24.133 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70% of their beautiful variegated agaves 22:24.133 --> 22:25.733 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% and spineless prickly pear, 22:25.733 --> 22:29.133 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% against the backdrop of their majestic live oak tree. 22:29.133 --> 22:30.433 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% We'd love to hear from you! 22:30.433 --> 22:33.466 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% Head over to klru.org/ctg 22:33.466 --> 22:37.300 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% to send us your questions, pictures, and videos! 22:37.300 --> 22:40.266 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - Thanks, Daphne, now let's check out Backyard Basics. 22:40.266 --> 22:44.200 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% (upbeat whimsical music) 22:44.200 --> 22:46.900 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80% - Hello gardening friends, welcome to Backyard Basics. 22:46.900 --> 22:48.166 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70% I'm John Dromgoole. 22:48.166 --> 22:49.733 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70% Well, a lot of folks are 22:49.733 --> 22:51.733 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% living in apartments and condos these days, 22:51.733 --> 22:53.533 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% and a lot of other folks in their homes 22:53.533 --> 22:55.100 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% don't have a lot of light 22:55.100 --> 22:57.333 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% in the backyard where they might be growing a garden. 22:57.333 --> 22:59.000 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% So, there's alternatives. 22:59.000 --> 23:01.733 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Container gardening is probably one of the best ways 23:01.733 --> 23:03.133 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% of doing something like that. 23:03.133 --> 23:04.933 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% There are many great containers. 23:04.933 --> 23:07.666 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Even if you're a beginner, there's some that help you out, 23:07.666 --> 23:09.566 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% like these containers right here. 23:09.566 --> 23:11.600 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% Today there are small plants 23:11.600 --> 23:14.066 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% that are designed to fit in some of these containers. 23:14.066 --> 23:16.133 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% You don't have to use a great big old tomato 23:16.133 --> 23:17.233 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% or some of those. 23:17.233 --> 23:18.566 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% You can use some small stuff 23:18.566 --> 23:20.766 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% designed for container gardening. 23:20.766 --> 23:22.400 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% So, this kind right here 23:22.400 --> 23:24.133 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% allows you to go out of town for a few days, 23:24.133 --> 23:26.533 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% because it's a self-watering container, 23:26.533 --> 23:27.800 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% and in the bottom of this 23:27.800 --> 23:29.666 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% where the water goes there's a reservoir, 23:29.666 --> 23:31.933 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% and the water siphons up into the container 23:31.933 --> 23:32.933 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% where the plants are growing, 23:32.933 --> 23:34.433 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% and the roots grow down there. 23:34.433 --> 23:37.200 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% So, you don't have to be a great gardener at first 23:37.200 --> 23:38.533 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% in order to be successful. 23:38.533 --> 23:41.400 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% There's small ones you can grow herbs in them, 23:41.400 --> 23:44.500 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% or spinach in the winter time, things of that nature, 23:44.500 --> 23:46.866 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% or some of the bigger ones right here for some 23:46.866 --> 23:49.566 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% chard that you would be cutting on a regular basis. 23:49.566 --> 23:50.933 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% So, that's a great container. 23:50.933 --> 23:52.433 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% An easy one to grow. 23:52.433 --> 23:54.833 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% They're not expensive, and they'll last a lifetime. 23:54.833 --> 23:57.033 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% There are other containers like these right here. 23:57.033 --> 23:59.433 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% These round ones have the same benefit 23:59.433 --> 24:01.433 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% that they also 24:01.433 --> 24:03.033 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% water themselves. 24:03.033 --> 24:04.900 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% And so you start them out, and you prime it 24:04.900 --> 24:06.700 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% by putting the water in there, 24:06.700 --> 24:09.533 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% and then there's a little hole on one side 24:09.533 --> 24:11.900 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% where you can refill it along the way. 24:11.900 --> 24:13.566 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% These are great too. 24:13.566 --> 24:15.200 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% Some of the plants, they can grow in there. 24:15.200 --> 24:17.333 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% There's even small cucumbers, 24:17.333 --> 24:18.566 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% dwarf plants. 24:18.566 --> 24:20.166 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% And then there are these real nice ones 24:20.166 --> 24:21.800 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% that are made out of terra cotta. 24:21.800 --> 24:23.600 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% Now you could hang this on the balcony. 24:23.600 --> 24:24.866 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80% Look at this nice little wire. 24:24.866 --> 24:26.400 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70% It's cut from the orchid industry, 24:26.400 --> 24:28.566 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70% but it works very well for homeowners. 24:28.566 --> 24:30.233 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70% You know one of the things I don't like 24:30.233 --> 24:32.833 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70% is to look up there and see an old plastic pot. 24:32.833 --> 24:36.066 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80% So, these terra cotta ones are really, really nice. 24:37.266 --> 24:39.000 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% And one of the other things I like to do, 24:39.000 --> 24:41.433 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% because the terra cotta usually has a big hole, 24:41.433 --> 24:42.866 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% I like to put that over it, 24:42.866 --> 24:44.700 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% especially when they're sitting on the ground, 24:44.700 --> 24:46.100 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% like this one right here. 24:46.100 --> 24:48.166 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% This is a great one for, 24:48.166 --> 24:49.600 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% well, for windy spots. 24:49.600 --> 24:52.133 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% They weigh a lot, and they won't blow over, 24:52.133 --> 24:54.100 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% so you don't have that kind of a problem. 24:54.100 --> 24:56.700 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Also, there are many different types of gardens 24:56.700 --> 24:58.833 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% that are larger than the pots these days, 24:58.833 --> 25:01.266 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% and some of these fiber ones are great. 25:01.266 --> 25:03.466 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% You can put it out in the middle of the driveway. 25:03.466 --> 25:05.433 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% There are several different sizes of them, 25:05.433 --> 25:08.033 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% and I think that when it gets down to it, 25:08.033 --> 25:10.733 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% you can garden just the way everybody else does 25:10.733 --> 25:12.533 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% by using one of these containers. 25:12.533 --> 25:14.666 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% So, whether it's this soft fabric, 25:14.666 --> 25:17.933 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% the clay, or these self-watering pots right here, 25:17.933 --> 25:20.600 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% you will be very successful in that garden of yours 25:20.600 --> 25:21.866 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% with containers. 25:21.866 --> 25:24.433 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% I'm John Dromgoole for Backyard Basics. 25:24.433 --> 25:25.933 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% I'll see you next time. 25:25.933 --> 25:30.466 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80% - Find out more and watch online at klru.org/ctg. 25:30.466 --> 25:33.833 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% And follow CTG on Facebook and Instagram, too. 25:33.833 --> 25:36.366 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% Until next week, I'll see you in the garden. 25:36.366 --> 25:39.866 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% (upbeat whimsical music) 26:06.433 --> 26:07.933 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - [Announcer] Central Texas Gardener 26:07.933 --> 26:10.600 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% is made possible in part by Austin Area Garden Center, 26:10.600 --> 26:12.933 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% sharing the joys of gardening for over 50 years 26:12.933 --> 26:14.700 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% in Zilker Botanical Garden, 26:14.700 --> 26:16.233 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% home of 32 garden clubs 26:16.233 --> 26:18.133 align:left position:10%,start line:5% size:80% and Zilker Garden Festival. 26:18.133 --> 26:20.933 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70% zilkergarden.org. 26:20.933 --> 26:23.200 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% And from the University of Texas at Austin 26:23.200 --> 26:25.100 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, 26:25.100 --> 26:28.100 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% displaying Texas native plants in sustainable gardens. 26:29.666 --> 26:32.466 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% And with the generous support from Lisa & Desi Rhoden. 26:33.966 --> 26:36.066 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% Support for this and other KLRU productions 26:36.066 --> 26:37.966 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% made possible by the Producers Circle, 26:37.966 --> 26:39.233 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% ensuring local programming 26:39.233 --> 26:40.800 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% that reflects the character and interests 26:40.800 --> 26:43.500 align:left position:20%,start line:5% size:70% of the Greater Austin, Texas community. 26:43.500 --> 26:45.900 align:left position:30%,start line:5% size:60% (bells chime)