I build wall gardens out of material I find and save from going in the dump. I take something old and turn into a new productive garden. You can plant succulents or edibles in the wall but it needs to root in before it sits upright on a wall.
Sunday, September 20, 2015
About Marie (the fairy garden mother)
Marie
McClain
Sustainability
and Garden Specialist
805.990.0381
www.OrganicFairyGardenMother.com
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About Marie
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· My background is graphic design but my passion has always been nature and gardening. When I was in high school I studied horticulture, floraculture and got certified in floral design. I have been following this passion for sustainable gardening for 8 years. It all started when my kids were babies and I wanted to grow healthy organic food. I learned how to compost and build brand new soil by using layers of organic material. I also up-cycle material to build raised garden beds and wall gardens.
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Current Projects
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I work
as the garden specialist and
volunteer as the garden leader
at Bridges Charter School. I ignited the garden program three years
ago and we now have ongoing productive gardens built by students and parent
volunteers. As a result, the students’
community snacks are fruits and vegetables grown by them in their own gardens.
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The home
school garden program that I teach planted a native butterfly garden for
a beatification project. I helped work
on the grant that funded the project (from the City of Thousand Oaks) I am in
the process of planting more native / drought tolerant gardens and restoring
the natural habitat in our out-door classroom and in our gardens by the
playground.
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I am
also in discussions with Yerba Buena Elementary School about starting
up their sustainable garden program.
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Process
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I
bridge the gap from composting to organic gardening. I have several
successful clients who are now using sustainable practices and building
successful gardens as a result. I am passionate about teaching
sustainability, organic gardening and native/drought tolerant landscapes. I coach organic gardening and composting to
individuals, schools and facilities.
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I
demonstrate how to take organic material then turn it into a healthy
productive organic garden with the end result being the best soil in the
world. To accomplish this, I use a method called sheet composting. Once your compost is full I harvest all the
compost and layer it with other organic material e.g., dried leaves, mulch
and manure. After two months all the layers decompose into healthy living
soil. I have the children do scavenger hunts for this process.
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Some of the sustainability benefits
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Statistics
show that 40% of the trash that ends up in land-fills can be composted. Establishing sustainable practices
throughout your facility by composting and building gardens is a win-win for
everyone.
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Building
brand new soil will be low maintenance without all of the pre-existing weed
seeds.
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The
soil retains water for a longer period of time making it more drought
tolerant.
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The
living organisms in the soil decompose the layers and create a balanced ecosystem
to attract the good bugs that eat the bad bugs.
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The
soil is rich in nutrients and can be used for more than one growing season.
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You
will grow food.
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You will
harvest the compost into the garden beds making composting clean and
efficient.
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I welcome
new schools, clients and opportunities to teach in our community. Please
contact me and/or let me know how I can apply for garden/sustainability
opportunities in the district.
Thank you for taking the time.
Best Regards,
Marie, The Organic Fairy Gardenmother (a name lovingly given to me by a teacher)
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