The Sustainable Sites Initiative recently released the nation’s first rating system for the design, construction and maintenance of sustainable landscapes, with or without buildings. The Initiative’s rating system represents four years of work from dozens of the country’s leading sustainability experts, scientists and design professionals, as well as public input from hundreds of individuals and dozens of organizations to create this essential missing link in green design.

Recycle asphalt roofing shingles, window glass, concrete, bricks and other masonry.
Affiliated with Black Lake Landscaping Supply.

Work done on 1004 Central:
Excavation for and backfill of the foundation. Sitework/landscaping prep.

The property at 1004 Central is almost entirely covered with grass. Having been left untended for a long time it’s developed an impressive root system. Removing it is… ugh… hard. In addition, the soil in the area is a poorly draining clay, increasingly nutrient deprived because it’s been growing grass. One approach to removing this unwanted grass and enriching the soil is sheet mulching.

Wowzers! We have been productive during our first week as owners of 1004 Central. Okay, so it helped that we had seven weeks of closing to devise our plan of attack.

Work done on 1004 Central:
Removal of two trees from the property and trimming of the rest. We have used them for years on our current home and have always been pleased with their work.

The City of Seattle’s Department of Planning and Development has an entire web site devoted to green building, created and maintained by the City Green Building program.

Step 1: Clear the ginormous grass, weeds and blackberry brambles on the property. The property at 1004 Central is approximately 1/3 of an acre and boy is it lush!

The Native Plant Salvage Foundation is a non-profit charitable organization, formed to support the hands-on educational work of the WSU Native Plant Salvage Project, which includes:

Preserving native vegetation
Protecting water resources & wildlife habitat
Recovering & replanting native plants to restore habitat and promote the benefits of native plants

The Thurston Conservation District promotes voluntary stewardship among private landowners in Thurston County. Conservation Districts (CDs) are legal subdivisions of state government that administer programs to conserve natural resources.  Under RCW 90.08, each District is self-governed by volunteers who establish priorities and set policy.  CDs are a form of a local government special purpose district, like [...]