We've weathered the storm

Once the last bands of Hurricane Irene cleared out yesterday, I headed down to the Capitol Riverfront to assess how our garden fared. Weather statements suggested that recently planted trees were at a high risk of being uprooted, so I was mostly concerned about the overall condition of the garden, and with a secondary interest in seeing how well the space captured rain water. National Airport officially received 3.83" of rain on Saturday and Sunday morning, and wind gusts reached up to 60 mph (with sustained winds briefly up to 41 mph).

I'm pleased to report that all the trees are in place, and looking great. The grass has come in nicely around the berms, and it's an attractive space.

The rain garden (swale) sections had all taken on water, with most of them still holding water and the other two quite soft. The plants there haven't taken off quite as well but there is some grass and other greenery growing and keeping the soil porous.

The two rain gardens at the eastern side are still holding onto water longer than they should. We'll assess later this week and work to fix it.

The overall site didn't show any signs of erosion or major runoff into the street and storm drains. That's great news! Some of our remaining materials are still on the paved lot and got blown around. We'll get that cleaned up when we are there later this week.

And as an aside, I also got to take a look at our new sign, identifying the project and giving passersby a quick education about low-impact design, plus information about how to learn more. Thanks to Signs By Tomorrow in Springfield, Virginia, for the great work, and Norcross Wildlife Foundation for financial support.

We want to give you a tour too! Email dcchapter@surfrider.org to schedule one for your group.

Did any neighbors observe anything at the garden during the storm? Tell us what you saw in the comments.

Now Award Winning!

Our rain garden just received third place in the 2011 Greenscape Challenge, sponsored by Cali Bamboo! This is super exciting.

Here is an excerpt from the press release:

“We received a huge response for this contest which demonstrates that a lot of people are already taking steps to make a difference with their yards. We saw everything from the use of drought tolerant plants and permeable surfaces to expansive bamboo decking projects,” says Jeff Goldberg, CEO and President of Cali Bamboo. “It was fun to see the various projects submitted throughout the U.S. on our interactive map...”

Inspired by the Surfrider Foundation’s Ocean Friendly Gardens program, the contest asked participants to submit their sustainable landscaping projects. ...

“This was an ideal contest to raise awareness for our Ocean Friendly Gardens program and the issues surrounding ocean pollution. It provided great examples of how others can create an eco-friendly garden to reduce excessive watering, and we hope it will be a stepping stone to get others involved,” said Matt McClain, Surfrider Foundation’s Director of Marketing and Communications.

We won a $250 gift certificate from Cali Bamboo for green building materials. Thanks to all the volunteers to helped make it happen!

In the News

As I mentioned before, WAMU reporter Jessica Gould stopped by our garden work day on June 30, and did some interviews with volunteers. Her story aired on July 7! Read or listen to the story and see photos here.