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Brad Lancaster: “Planting the Rain,” A One-Day Integrated Water-Harvesting Design Class, April 21, 2017 — Denver CO
April 21, 2017 @ 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Join Brad for this one-day workshop, hosted by Denver Botanic Gardens as part of their Bonfils-Stanton Series:
PLANTING THE RAIN:
Principles, Practices, and Tips to Design and Implement Thriving Integrated Water-Harvesting Systems at Home &/or Throughout Your Neighborhood
Date: Friday, April 21, 2017
Time: 9 am – 4 pm
Cost: $59 (for DBG members: $56)
Class description:
Plant the rain before you plant your trees and other vegetation and you will boost production, enhance soil fertility, reduce flooding, conserve water, and create sustainable oases around your home and community infrastructure. Existing landscapes can be retrofitted to achieve similar benefits. Rain gardens and other small-scale water-harvesting earthworks are legal in Colorado and always have been—and they don’t cost any more than the price of a shovel. These rain-garden earthworks quickly infiltrate rainfall into the soil—where less moisture is lost to evaporation—while also reducing erosion. Living ‘pumps’ of vegetation then enable us the access that water. Now that Coloradans can legally harvest rainwater in tanks, too, we’ll show you how to integrate your tanks with your rain gardens to get the biggest bang for your buck. Come learn simple principles and tips to leverage greater success as you implement these highly effective systems.
During the class you will learn:
- 8 guiding principles for successful water harvesting
- How to calculate how much water you can harvest
- Many different options for the harvest of that water, and how to choose the best strategies for your site
- How to integrate water-harvesting tanks with water-harvesting earthworks or rain gardens
- Key elevation relationships for successful rain gardens
- How to get your elevations right with a simple DIY water level
- How to select and place the best multi-use plants within the three zones of your rain gardens to maximize success
- Super-cheap and easy alternatives to drip irrigation to get your plants established
- How to integrate greywater harvesting with your rain gardens
- How to place your trees and shrubs to maximize your home’s free harvest of both winter sun (i.e., heat, power, and light) and summer shade (i.e., cooling)