Green Builders Blog

ragingclown asked:


Mom bought a house with a huge pond about 35×60′. This thing has loads of problems. It sits in a swampy area with a high water table. It’s a rectangular ditch with a circular tree island in the middle of it. It’s fed by a natural stream that dries out in dry months and drains from a single overflow pipe that can’t handle heavy rains and overflows the land bridge draining into another creek. The sides are eroding and it’s relatively shallow due to the erosion and presumably the stuff washed down by the stream. The mud within the pond acts like quicksand; it’s about 2-4′ deep. A slip or fall could end with a person drowning. There are serious issues with algae blooms and in the winter it freezes solid. While there are loads of animals in here and almost appears to be self sufficient I want to know what I can do to fix the above problems. Filling it in is not an option as it’s natural swamp land and in the path of 2 connecting creeks. I want a sustainable koi pond. Thanks!

Mel

stephmcu asked:


It is flat against the ground. Green removable cover says “Water master irrigation control system” inside there are two openings that look like they may be tubes under the ground, and the inside of this thing has a smaller cylinder on the inside that says “ICS” with a small hole in it. If anyone knows how to use this thing, please advise me.
I just looked outside and the thing actually reads “Water Irrigation Valve” There is no controller for it anywhere in the garage or on the house. the thing seems to stand alone. and everything connected to it is underground piping from what I can see inside of it.I want to fill it with water but am afraid I will break it if I do it wrong.

Bryon

bunkerfan asked:


I have noticed many plants growing around my house which produce small, circular berries with varied colors. I was looking on the internet and thought it was maybe deadly nightshade, but I found a map of the range of deadly nightshade and it says they don’t live in hio. This plant grows beside wood piles and buildings. Does anybody know what this is?

Johnnie

bei j asked:


In some major urban areas, building construction is taking away land for planting grass and trees. To make up for the scarce land resources, some buildings have grass and lightweight trees planted on their rooftops. The grass is not the typical kind we see on someone’s lawn, but rather a rugged, durable type of grass that doesn’t require artificial watering or fertilizing. It also acts as a natural air-conditioner for the top floors of a building, keeping them cooler during the summer and warmer in the winter. If done on a large scale, the environmental benefits seem effective. But is their a down side to this as well?
Some great answers so far. The reason I asked is because I’ve been asked to take part in a large-scale project for rooftop landscaping in China (mostly translating for them). They are using a type of grass (They call it Fojia grass - part of the sedum family) that only requires a finger digit’s length of soil to grow. The roots are non-penetrating so they don’t harm the roof structure. The grass doesn’t need cutting, and the older grass serves as fertilizer for the seedlings when it falls. Because of the dry temperatures in northern China, excess water on the rooftop is never a probelm. I’ve heard of several benefits but I want to be aware of any doubts people have so I can address them properly. Seems like a worthy cause, best to be prepared.

Alyce

sunnydays asked:


I have been told by many that my work is very beautiful and that I should go into business for myself. I love to design yards and I feel I am very good at it. I have never had my own business before so I really don’t even know where to start. Do I need a licence for this? When and If I did start do I pay for all the lawn design and then charge them for it afterwards? How much does ones usually charge for something like this? I know it cost me a pretty penny to do my own yard.LOL Plus all the time I had into it. I built my own ponds, bridges, flower pots, Large and small driftwood decor, painted what ever needed to be painted, had several decor water pumps running, Large stumps of wood for some of the water decor pumps to sit on. I halled in lava rocks, river rocks, large bolder rocks for design, many flower plants, wind chimes, tie kie torches, indoor outdoor rope lights that swirled through the ground plants, ground ornaments, ground lights, green viens through the back fencing,ect

Romeo