Helpful Links

TYN Website 

Does Your Yard Measure Up?

We call it a Tennessee Yard Done Right -- a yard that is in harmony with Tennessee's native flora, soil and topography. You don't have to be an expert gardener or landscaper to create a Tennessee Yard Done Right. All it takes is a willingness to learn and a desire to build a yard that is based on the nine principles found in our TYN handbook:

Right Plant, Right Place

Manage Soils and Mulch

Appropriate Turf Grass Management

Water Efficiently

Use Fertilizer Appropriately

Manage Yard Pests

Reduce Storm Water Runoff and it's Pollutants

Provide for Wildlife

Protect Water's Edge

To find out more information download our free

 Alternative Pavement Designs (Part 3)

by Chris Masin, P.E.

Most driveways, sidewalks and patios are constructed with impervious materials like asphalt, concrete and grouted bricks.  These impervious surfaces cause rainwater to immediately runoff instead of absorbing into the ground.  This extra water can cause ponding in your yard and can mean increased pollution and reduced groundwater supplies for your community.  This, the third article exploring alternative pavement designs, focuses on Porous Paver Systems.

Example of interlocking blocks with spaces.

Paver systems are impermeable blocks made of brick, stone or concrete, but unlike typical paver installation the joints are not grouted in.  The pavers typically come one of two ways.  Interlocking blocks have spaces or holes within the individual pavers themselves and fit together in a pattern.  Standard pavers are just individual blocks that are laid in a pattern with larger spaces between them.

Example of individual blocks with space between.

As with all of our porous pavement options the base must be able to infiltrate the water coming through.  A typical installation would use a base of 4" deep course washed stone (3/4" dia. or TDOT Grade E) with a 1" deep layer of masonry sand on top.  If the area is large or is expected to collect run-on from other areas, an under drain of 4" plastic perforated pipe can be used below the sub-grade.  If the grid is to be filled with soil or sand for grass, a layer of filter fabric should be placed over the base to stop the base from clogging.  The joints on individual solid pavers should be at two to three times wider than typical grouted joints.  Interlocking blocks are designed to be placed touching each other.  Infiltrate rates for this kind of system are less than pervious concrete or the plastic reinforcing grid pavements covered in articles 1 and 2, but will handle flows of one to three inches per hour.  Maintenance is minimal and requires periodic sweeping or blowing of leaves and grass clipping off the surface and refilling of the voids every few years.

Beautiful examples of porous paver system options.

If you use store-bought pavers, this system will cost a little more than pervious concrete or plastic reinforcing grid for the surface, but will save you money using less materials and time preparing the base.  Typical installation cost would range from $5 to $10 a square foot.  The greatest advantage to this system is that a variety of shapes, colors and patterns can be incorporated into the surface to tailor the look from highly formal to a casual garden.  Let your imagination run wild and check back in the spring when I will cover Hollywood Drives and other aggregate surfaces. 

Holiday ornament made from Iris leaves

Holiday Gifts made from Spent Iris Leaves!

It's that time of year again, the Holiday Season!! Looking for some fun craft or gift ideas for this holiday? Well we have one that is fun, functional and benefits your garden. This year we are trying our hand at making ornaments and baskets out of....spent iris leaves! These leaves

The dreaded Iris borer

are incredibly strong. When they die back in the fall and winter, it is the perfect time to harvest. Clearing these dead leaves away has the benefit of removing the dreaded Iris borer eggs that hatch in the spring. Also, keeping the dead leaves away from the rhizomes keeps other iris damaging pests away like slugs and snails. Not only is it a great practice to remove these leaves but, hey, you can use them to make nifty festive gifts!

Left: Irises before maintenance; Right: Irises after brown leaf removal

Collected Irises

Step One: Collect spent iris leaves 

Any type of iris will work; I collected mostly Bearded Iris and Siberian Iris leaves. Just make sure they are tan or brown. They should be fairly easy to pull off of the base of the iris or you can cut them off. The Siberian Iris leaves are much thinner and allow for a little more ease in weaving but they are so small I just clipped them off about an inch from the base.

Soaking Iris Leaves

Step Two: Soak iris leaves in a mild bleach water solution

Soaking the iris leaves keeps them flexible and easy to use for weaving. You don't need to add bleach, but I decided to go ahead an add a little bleach to the water to help with some disinfection. The leaves seemed to have quite a bit of dirt and some mildew on them that made for a very earthy smell. Using a little bleach did not seem to harm the leaves at all and it helped clean off some of the mildew and dirt. After soaking in a mild bleach solution, rinse the leaves off and you are ready to start weaving.

Step Three: Find a substrate 

Left Image: Bamboo shoots   Right Image: Wire

 
A substrate is just what you would use to create the initial structure of the basket or ornament. I tried a couple of items: thin bamboo shoots, rosemary branches and morning glory vines. I also thought it would be cool to just get some wire and use that as well. Really anything that is flexible and can be tied together to form the base of the basket will work. I enjoyed poking around my yard and considering different items.

Step Four: Creating the structure  

Example of using bamboo shoots as a substrate.

Tie two of the spokes together for easier weaving.

 
Step Five: Weaving  

There are many options when weaving. I stuck with

Example of weaving

a nice easy over and under method. Start by tying together where everything intersects in the middle. Then begin at that point and alternate weaving over and under each spoke. For a super strong basket, braid the iris leaves together in a long strand and use that to weave. Continue this process until you have the desired shape. If you are trying to make a bowl, weave a flat base and then start tightening each layer to pull the sides into a bowl shape. The wet leaves make it very malleable so it's fairly easy to squish into shape.

Step Six: The handle

After you have gotten the bowl to the desired size, it is time to add in the

Example of wrapping the handle

handle if you want one. Take a piece of your substrate (i.e. bamboo, wire, etc.) and gently insert it alongside one of the spokes still sticking out on opposite sides of the basket.

A completed basket with handle

When the handle seems like it is in the correct place, take a wide iris leaf and begin wrapping it around the entire handle from one

Example of finishing off the handle at the top of the basket

end to the other. Leave some extra leaf on each end to finish off the part where the base of the handle meets the basket.

Once you have the handle completely wrapped, take the extra iris leaf and stitch it in a cris-cross fashion over-top the base of the handle and the first top rows. (See illustration to left)

Step Seven: Finishing the rim of the basket  

When you get your basket or ornament to the desired shape you will have to finish off the edges. Take the excess spokes or substrate and carefully bend them over(see example below). Then take a nice wide iris leaf and wrap it over and under the last row you completed holding down the bent spoke. Continue this until the entire edge is completed and then tuck in or tie off any excess leaves. Note: When you start to run out of leaf, add in another on top of the leaf that has almost run out. This will allow you to keep stitching until you have finished the rim. I usually start adding in a new one when I have about 4 inches left.

Example of finishing the edge of the basket or ornament

Viola!! Now have at it! Feel free to decorate with beads or any other festive adornments, get creative and play with shapes and sizes too. I had way too much fun playing around with this project. Here are some ornaments I made.

And Baskets!!!

A variety of basket sizes and materials

It gets pretty addictive!! Have fun and remember, mistakes add character! :) Happy Holidays