Water On the Land: An Overview 

At our October 14th meeting we discussed how we guide water for usefulness.  The wise management of water saves energy, resources and money, protects the soil, conserves soil nutrients, promotes bountiful production and enhances wildlife habitat.

The Willamette Valley has the challenge of having very wet winters and desert like summers.  To my mind, utilizing large capacity storage systems is the most effective means for collection providing longer lasting summer availability.   It is recommended to keep any type of water storage systems as high on the land as possible for ease of gravity distribution.  Some of the ways to cultivate water retention on the land is through ponds, dams,  swales and holding tanks ( such as: barrels, dry wells, ferro-cement and earthen tanks).  Swales are broad shallow waterways intended to  first pool then drain in the surrounding soil.  Planting along the swales lower edges promote this water retention.   Utilizing rain run-off from roofs, hills and gray water is another way to recycle water (knowing what pollutants come from your roof or gray water will determine where the water can be used, for edibles vs. non-edibles). 

Keeping water in the soil is the optimum storage system.  This is  achieved by select planting's and through incorporating organic matter  in the soil.

We just skimmed the surface of this topic and look forward to future presentations and workshops.

Designing water loving plants into the landscape

As with introducing any plants into the landscape the right plant for the right place is most important.  Some of the plants listed below can handle extremely boggy conditions while other plants can handle more water in winter than in summer.  Looking up these plants in the numerous plant books available will give you the descriptions needed to know what to plant where.

Here are two examples of how to achieve a guild for a location that is wet in winter/dry in summer.

A guild is a grouping of plants that need similar growing requirements relative to sun, soil type, nutrient level, and water.   Guilds are stacked to incorporate as many plants as possible in the smallest area. Shade loving plants can be introduced after sun loving plants have matured.

Guilds are beneficial associations and/or communities.  (Hence the name of our group: The Eugene Permaculture Guild.)

Example one:

Listed below are some examples of plants that work well in moist to wet areas.  Many of these are medicinal plants or have edible parts, most attract birds.

Planting's for Wet Areas

Trees

Acer rubrum  Red Maple

Alnus rubra   Red Alder

Betula spp.    Birch

Fraxinus alnifolius   Ash

Larix decidua    European Larch

Metasequoia glyptostroboides Dawn Redwood

Nyssa sylvatica     Tupelo

Populus       Popular

Sambucus caerula      Blue Elderberry

   edible:  berry

Taxodium distichum     Bald Cypress

Thuja plicata       Western Red Cedar

Umbellularia californica     California bay laurel

 edible: leaf

Shrubs

Amelanchier         Serviceberry

Cornus stolonifera         Red-osier dogwood

Clethra  Summersweet

Douglas spirea          Steeplebush

Gaultheria shallon         Salal

Kalmia polifolia        Swampl laurel

Ledum glandulosum      Trapper's tea

   edible:  leaf

Lonicera involucrata      Twinberry

Myrica gale          Sweet gale

Oplopanax horridum    Devil's club

Physocarpus capitatus  Pacific Ninebark

Prunus virginiana         Chokecherry

   edible:  berry

Ribes sanguineum          Red Flowering currant

   edible:  berry

Rosa nutkana       Nootka Rose

   edible:  rose hip

Salix spp.  Willow

Viburnum opulus, lentageo

Vaccinium oxycoccus    Cranberry

   edible:  berry

Herbs/Perennial

Astilbe

Apium graveolens          Wild Celery

   edible: stem, leaf, root

Athyrium filix-femina        Lady fern

Carex spp.            Sedge

Cichorium intybus         Chicory

   edible: leaf, flower,root

Cornus canadensis         Bunchberry

Cyperus esclentus          Nut grass

   edible: tuber

Equistem spp.      Horsetail

   edible:  new shoots

Juncus spp.           Rush

Lysichitum americanum     Skunk Cabbage

Iris pseudacorus        Yellow iris

Mentha spp.         Mints

   edible: leaf

Mimulus guttatus          Monkey flower

Nymphaea odorata        White water lily

Rorippa spp.        Water cress

   edible:  leaf

Rumex scutatus         French Sorrel

   edible:  leaf

Sagittaria latifolia         Wapato arrowhead                  edible: tuber

Scirpus spp.         Bulrush

Symphytum officinale             Comfrey

   edible: leaf, root

Typha latifolia          Cattail

   edible :"tail" root

Urtica dioca         Nettle, stinging

   edible:  leaf

Misc.

Bambusa    Bamboo

   edible:  young shoots

Many of the above plants  are medicinal and have edible parts and most are bird attracting.

Resources:

Gardening with Northwest Native Plants of the PNW by Arthur Kruckeberg

Designing and Maintaining Your Edible Landscape Naturally by Robert Kourik

Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast by Polar and Mackinnon

Trees and Shrubs for Pacific NW Gardens by John and Carol Grant