- Posted at great expense from my iPhone
2010-05-27
Artichoke season
The artichokes in my front yard are sure ugly from a distance, but parts of it are excellent.
- Posted at great expense from my iPhone
- Posted at great expense from my iPhone
2010-05-19
0.03" rain; 14.67" season total
A late storm passed through and gave us 0.03" of rain in my backyard. Actually, it was a "fat" 0.02" in my rain gauge but I'm rounding up due to evaporative losses. 14.94" is the third quartile of Los Angeles' rainfall (using statistics going back to 1945), so despite appearances it's not a particularly wet rain year.
2010-05-18
Rain in May
Everyone seems surprised at the recent rain. I know that I was. There is a definite chance of rainfall in May - the median rainfall amount is 0.02" in Los Angeles and the third quartile is 0.11" (meaning that statistically speaking there's a 75% chance of up to 0.11").
In fact, since 2000, we've had measurable May rainfall in 9 of 11 years.
2009 0.00"
2008 0.12
2007 0.36
2006 0.62
2005 0.34
2004 0.04
2003 0.98
2002 0.12
2001 0.04
2000 0.00
1998 and 1977 had about 2 inches of rain in May! However, as I look over the May rainfall figures it seems that there are quite a few more 0.00's in years prior to 2000 than in years subsequent to it. The following graph shows a moving average of May rainfall and it appears that we're actually in an increasing trend. There are are decade-long or longer trends in weather, but one can always hypothesize global warming as the culprit.
Or it could just be the weather.
In fact, since 2000, we've had measurable May rainfall in 9 of 11 years.
2009 0.00"
2008 0.12
2007 0.36
2006 0.62
2005 0.34
2004 0.04
2003 0.98
2002 0.12
2001 0.04
2000 0.00
1998 and 1977 had about 2 inches of rain in May! However, as I look over the May rainfall figures it seems that there are quite a few more 0.00's in years prior to 2000 than in years subsequent to it. The following graph shows a moving average of May rainfall and it appears that we're actually in an increasing trend. There are are decade-long or longer trends in weather, but one can always hypothesize global warming as the culprit.
Or it could just be the weather.
2010-05-16
Bulb
A bulb in my garden. I ought to know the name, but it's slipped mind. It's a California native, of course.
- Posted at great expense from my iPhone
- Posted at great expense from my iPhone
2010-05-12
2010-04-27
0.01" rain; 14.64" season total
Threatening storms decided not to give us much more rain, and we picked up only 1/100th of an inch over the course of a couple days.
Embedded water II
Recently, I linked to a BBC article that quantified the amount of water embodied in production of a variety of goods (hidden or embedded water). National Geographic reports a similar analysis of U.S. products. Their article is on the high water costs of pet food, but a related app (Flash required) lets the user click and compare the hidden water in many foods.
I didn't like the way they presented their data, so here's a little table that I made to compare hidden or embedded water in beverages. Wine leads the list of beverages that require high amounts of hidden/embedded water. They attribute this to water used on the grapes. I wonder how they separated grapes produced for the table from grapes produced for wine from grapes produced for grape juice. The cultivation practices and prime growing climates can be very different. It's not unheard of to dry farm grapes for wine but that practice wouldn't get you very far if you wanted to sell dry farmed grapes for the table.
Beverage / liters of water to produce one liter of beverage
Wine / 1004
Apple juice / 949
Milk / 876
Coffee / 876
Orange juice / 848
Beer / 686
Tea / 127
I didn't like the way they presented their data, so here's a little table that I made to compare hidden or embedded water in beverages. Wine leads the list of beverages that require high amounts of hidden/embedded water. They attribute this to water used on the grapes. I wonder how they separated grapes produced for the table from grapes produced for wine from grapes produced for grape juice. The cultivation practices and prime growing climates can be very different. It's not unheard of to dry farm grapes for wine but that practice wouldn't get you very far if you wanted to sell dry farmed grapes for the table.
Beverage / liters of water to produce one liter of beverage
Wine / 1004
Apple juice / 949
Milk / 876
Coffee / 876
Orange juice / 848
Beer / 686
Tea / 127
2010-04-21
PV native garden tour
Juli and I went on a garden tour sponsored by the South Coast chapter of the California Native Plant Society in Palos Verdes Estates last weekend. The tour was of two gardens. One extended down into an easterly canyon, the other was on the edge of some land conservancy property overlooking the coast and had experienced fire in the past year that burned right up to the house.
Link to photos
Link to photos
2010-04-20
0.05" rain; 14.63" season total
On 4/19 we had 0.05" of rain. I held off reporting this rainfall since two more days of rain were predicted. However, despite a little bit of drizzle, we didn't get a recordable amount of rain.
Statistically speaking, there is a 75% chance of getting about 1.25" or less rainfall in April. We've had only 0.93", so the present amount of rain in April is "normal", though we have exceeded the median April rainfall of 0.45".
More storms were predicted, but the threat of rain seems to have diminished as of today's weather report. If the rainfall total for the year exceeds about 15", then I'm willing to call it as a wet year (the third quartile of annual LA rainfall is 14.94"), but chances of significant storms from here on out are very low.
Statistically speaking, there is a 75% chance of getting about 1.25" or less rainfall in April. We've had only 0.93", so the present amount of rain in April is "normal", though we have exceeded the median April rainfall of 0.45".
More storms were predicted, but the threat of rain seems to have diminished as of today's weather report. If the rainfall total for the year exceeds about 15", then I'm willing to call it as a wet year (the third quartile of annual LA rainfall is 14.94"), but chances of significant storms from here on out are very low.
Backpacking Point Dume
I went backpacking with the Boy Scouts to Point Dume back in March.
I'm happy to report that the wildflowers were magnificent! There were more Giant Coreopsis that I could have imagined, all in the prime of bloom. Ceanothus was just past prime bloom. The particular variety that grows in the canyons we hiked had a pale blue color to the flowers. Some were almost white. It's not hard to imagine one of the white garden selections having these particular plants as ancestors. Mimulus was growing in profusion - I think it was the dominant plant in several areas, and I saw several Venegasia Carpesioides (Canyon sunflower), a plant that I found almost impossible to find in the trade but that was right here in our backyard. Some bulbs that I couldn't identify and Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja affinis)rounded out the flowers.
I'll try a slide show of selected photos below:
For those without Flash, here's link: direct link
I'm happy to report that the wildflowers were magnificent! There were more Giant Coreopsis that I could have imagined, all in the prime of bloom. Ceanothus was just past prime bloom. The particular variety that grows in the canyons we hiked had a pale blue color to the flowers. Some were almost white. It's not hard to imagine one of the white garden selections having these particular plants as ancestors. Mimulus was growing in profusion - I think it was the dominant plant in several areas, and I saw several Venegasia Carpesioides (Canyon sunflower), a plant that I found almost impossible to find in the trade but that was right here in our backyard. Some bulbs that I couldn't identify and Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja affinis)rounded out the flowers.
I'll try a slide show of selected photos below:
For those without Flash, here's link: direct link
2010-04-19
Embedded water
An article that I read today on BBC News summarizes a report by Engineering the Future alliance of professional engineering bodies which discusses a potential problem of Britain's import of water by proxy. Through the import of crops and good manufactured in developing countries, two-thirds of the water used to make UK imports is used outside its borders. The concept of "embedded water" is developed to account for all the water input into various goods.
Embedded in a pint of beer, for example, is about 130 pints (74 litres) of water - the total amount needed to grow the ingredients and run all the processes that make the pint of beer.
A cup of coffee embeds about 140 litres (246 pints) of water, a cotton T-shirt about 2,000 litres, and a kilogram of steak 15,000 litres.
This isn't a new concept, but I don't recall seeing firm figures attached to so many different foods before: 10 liters for a sheet of paper, 140 liters for a cup of coffee, up to jeans at 10,850 liters per pair, and so forth.
The article suggests that the fresh understanding of where water is used in the manufacture or consumption of imported goods may affect public policy.
Embedded in a pint of beer, for example, is about 130 pints (74 litres) of water - the total amount needed to grow the ingredients and run all the processes that make the pint of beer.
A cup of coffee embeds about 140 litres (246 pints) of water, a cotton T-shirt about 2,000 litres, and a kilogram of steak 15,000 litres.
This isn't a new concept, but I don't recall seeing firm figures attached to so many different foods before: 10 liters for a sheet of paper, 140 liters for a cup of coffee, up to jeans at 10,850 liters per pair, and so forth.
The article suggests that the fresh understanding of where water is used in the manufacture or consumption of imported goods may affect public policy.
2010-04-17
Margaret's mallow
Margaret's mallow is getting large! She writes that the trash can is in view because of some nearby cleanup.
2010-04-15
City of Los Angeles low impact development
LA Team Effort is the blog site that serves as community outreach and a focal point for to City of LA's effort to publicize best practices and methods of compliance with the soon-to-be adopted low impact development (LID) ordinance.
Beginning with a May 20th launch meeting, the City of Los Angeles will coordinate the volunteer efforts of LA residents, stakeholders and non-profits in the formulation of a LID Handbook. While the Handbook itself will be technically oriented, we have a few different roles so that you can get involved in this critical process regardless of your level of LID expertise
Once more reminding us that all environmental concerns return to water, the focus of LID is heavy on water:
LID can be described as the use of practices that encourage site sustainability and smart growth in a manner that respects and preserves the characteristics of the City’s watersheds, drainage paths, water supplies, and natural resources. Or in simpler wording: bringing nature back to our City to help with urban runoff management, water conservation, and improving the quality of the City’s waters. LID reduces the impact from urban development and provides the benefits of:
Beginning with a May 20th launch meeting, the City of Los Angeles will coordinate the volunteer efforts of LA residents, stakeholders and non-profits in the formulation of a LID Handbook. While the Handbook itself will be technically oriented, we have a few different roles so that you can get involved in this critical process regardless of your level of LID expertise
Once more reminding us that all environmental concerns return to water, the focus of LID is heavy on water:
LID can be described as the use of practices that encourage site sustainability and smart growth in a manner that respects and preserves the characteristics of the City’s watersheds, drainage paths, water supplies, and natural resources. Or in simpler wording: bringing nature back to our City to help with urban runoff management, water conservation, and improving the quality of the City’s waters. LID reduces the impact from urban development and provides the benefits of:
 | Replenishing groundwater supplies | |
| Improving the quality of surface water runoff | |
| Stabilizing natural stream characteristics | |
| Preserving natural site characteristics, and | |
| Minimizing downstream impacts. | |
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