Hollis Conway

Finally found my people!  We live in suburban neighborhood on .75 of acre backed up to a creek.  At this point our landscaping is mostly large pine and fir trees.  I stated ripping out the landscape of roses and over sized evergreens to create a dwarf orchard in our front yard.  We have twins who are only two so I’m limited to the work I can actually get done during daylight hours.  I’ve decide to go more with a permanent food forest along the edges of the property where the pine and for trees are established.  Our city just passed an ordinance for chickens but only as a trial for 20 properties at this point.  We choose to support local CSA and purchase our meat and dairy as local as we can.  Once the kids are older we are planning to have producing trees and bushes.  I think supporting the local food producers is as important as producing as much as you can.  In turn we will share our harvest when we are able.  I think in urban areas it all about sharing the wealth and creating a community of productive land and partnerships with your neighbors.

I live on the edge of zone 5 very close to zone 6.  We have a creek that floods pretty regularly in the spring.  A section is pretty much wetland and when it floods the plants are completely submerged.  I usually forage for plants in the area.  Mostly skunk cabbage, stinging nettles, and cattails grow in the really wet places.  Trees that grow there are larch and willows.  There are also wild raspberries but I think they are higher up on the hillside.

-Hollis

Hi Donald,

I was researching this topic as well.  We have a Creek lined with railroad ties that have been there for over 50 years. I’m concerned about the arsinic and of her toxic chemicals that have leached into the shoreline as well as the water. I found that some they are using ferns to clean up arsinic.  I’m not sure it would work for my climate.

http://www.genomenewsnetwork.org/articles/2004/08/06/fern.php

-Hollis