A Holistic Approach: From Your Community to Your Backyard

        On what seemed like truly the first day of fall, this October Jenny Wolff, Front Yard Initiative Program Manager, and I met with Mid-City homeowner Khai Nguyen nearly a year after the completion of his FYI project. While sitting on Khai’s patio in his backyard, we discussed the process of his project, the native plants he included, and his deep appreciation for community.

        As Program Manager of Community Development Corporation MQVN, co-founder of VEGGI Farmers Cooperative, and a New Orleans native, Khai was happy to talk with us about sustainability and the importance of being stewards of the New Orleans landscape.

Khai has been living in his home since 2014, an older single-family cottage, but he has lived in a few neighborhoods in New Orleans as an adult and spent his childhood in New Orleans East. When we asked Khai about his initial motivations for partaking in the Front Yard Initiative, he explained that his front yard was 100% concrete and unlevel; for Khai, even after a drizzle there would be standing water in front of his home as rainwater pooled in the lower areas, forcing him to step through or jump over the water to get into his home. Khai heard about our design workshop through friends and knew he would benefit. Khai even invited two of his friends to join him at the workshop who also had overpaving issues at their homes. 

Once at the workshop, Khai decided he should not only create a design for his front yard but one for his backyard, too: “The backyard was a mess. There was a lot of concrete everywhere and we barely spent any time outside.” He admitted that the neighbors who lived behind him sometimes experienced flooding due to all of the concrete on his property too. After four years of living in his home, Khai realized that his backyard was a source of stress where it could be a source of calm. Although the FYI program no longer funds backyard concrete removal, many homeowners have been inspired to remove concrete from their front, back, and side yards all at once and apply the knowledge they gain from the FYI design workshop to their entire properties. 

Khai decided to DIY his project, committing himself to working on his yard every weekend until it was finished. He drew inspiration and experience from a rain garden install he coordinated with the VEGGI Farmers Co-op. 

With help from a friend, Khai was able to remove 745 square feet of concrete and enjoyed the added benefit of exchanging ideas with his two friends also moving forward with their FYI project. In his front yard, Khai removed all of the concrete from the right of way, the area between the street and sidewalk, and a portion along the front of his home. 

Now, Khai has Muhly grass and a few types of ornamental flowers growing. In addition to these plants, a few months after he completed his project, he had two Little Gem Magnolias planted by SOUL. In his backyard, Khai removed just over 500 square feet of concrete. Where there was once a 200 square foot island of grass, Khai now has a string of native plants and trees planted along the perimeter of his backyard which protects his neighbors from flooding, a couple of garden beds, and a gravel area with a table and chairs for hosting activities with friends and family. Khai bought his materials, gravel, sand, sod, mulch, and plants, from a number of local gardening stores, including: Bantings, Jefferson Feed, Gomez Pine Straw, and Wood Materials.

As far as challenges with his project, Khai ran into a brick wall… literally. Like many homeowners who remove concrete from their yards, Khai found a number of buried layers of materials, most of which were bricks. Also like many homeowners who find bricks, Khai was able to salvage them in order to incorporate them into his design as a practical and attractive solution.

Khai has seen a number of improvements in the year since his project was completed: “Now my roommate, Sophie, spends a lot of time out here doing work, and when the weather’s nice we have people over.” Khai also agreed that the native plants proved helpful in periods of both heavy flooding and drought and that his Muhly grass especially is “very, very hardy.” 

Besides the two friends he went through FYI with, Khai mentioned that he has encouraged many others to go through the program because he believes FYI itself is“really encouraging folks to make the city more water friendly and more prepared.”

This kind of active stewardship is encouraging to us as well. It was exciting to hear that Khai is spreading the message about stormwater management and employing green infrastructure in some of his projects with his organization. Khai also remarked about how the reimbursement process was easy, but cost can prove to be a barrier for many who may not have the cash upfront. And while concrete removal is not necessary in all cases of improving stormwater management – Khai told us how in New Orleans East removing lawns and installing concrete to make room for more cars in multigenerational homes is more of the issue there – it is important to understand that stormwater management requires many perspectives to understand all the approaches necessary to tackle our collective issue: flooding.

Story and interview by Blake Allen.

Interested in going gray to green? Learn how here.

FYI Step by Step

When we host our annual workshops, we never know who’s going to come through the FYI program! Erica Johnson completed her FYI project in April 2019 and blogged about the process from workshop to completing construction. 

We wanted to share her insights and story with you and anyone who might be considering the Front Yard Initiative program.

Let’s Break it Down

Follow the links to read Erica’s blog posts.

Step One: The FYI Workshop

• Erica walks you through why stormwater management is an important issue in New Orleans and what you can expect from an FYI Workshop, as well as before photos from her project!

Planning Phase: Making a Design for FYI

• Oh, the trials and tribulations of creating a plan, picking plants, and finding a contractor! Read more to see how Erica handled all her decisions and see her hand drawn designs.

Almost there: Hardscaping Complete 

• Erica’s project is almost complete! The concrete is out, and the stormwater management features are in. Check out the details of her project from French drain to rain barrel.

Finished Project: From Paving to Permeable

• The plants are in and the final FYI inspection is complete! Erica passed her inspection with flying colors and can now sit back and enjoy her completed yard. You don’t want to miss these after photos!

Click here to see all of Erica’s posts in one place.

No Challenge (or front yard) Too Small

I want to do my part for our city’s water retention problem. The house that I bought has cement over the tiny strip of land available for front yard planting. I would like to plant bushes, ground cover, or a tree there instead. Our block has a few young trees, but eventually, I would like us to have more shade in general.

– Rhonda, FYI intake form

For this interview, we spoke with Rhonda Broussard, a homeowner in Central City, and Peteh Haroon of We Can Dig It, a contractor native to New Orleans. I walked up to find Peteh and Rhonda discussing the importance of ADA accessibility in front of her home. They were also planting varieties of angelonia, hibiscus, and lily in one of her two new garden beds. 

Originally from Lafayette, Rhonda has traveled for much of her life. In 2016, she moved to New Orleans, in 2017 she founded Beloved Community with an aim to provide organizations with the necessary tools to build diversity, inclusion, and equity. In 2018 she became a New Orleans homeowner.           

Once Rhonda’s father reminded her of the fact that “New Orleans is going to flood,” Rhonda felt more than ever the risks that stormwater can pose. Before the start of her project, Rhonda wondered, “as someone who doesn’t know anything about stormwater management, it’s not my area of expertise… what else can I do as an individual?”As a native to the Gulf Coast and now a new homeowner in New Orleans, she wanted to know what she could do on her own property to improve her relationship with water, the lives of those in her neighborhood, and the lives of those living in the Greater New Orleans community.

Rhonda’s journey to the Front Yard Initiative involved more than a little luck. Rhonda met her contractor Peteh Haroon of We Can Dig It through a mutual friend to clear out a number of invasive weeds that had taken over her backyard. During that project, Rhonda asked Peteh if he had any ideas about what she could do about all the concrete in her front yard.

Coincidentally that same day, Peteh spoke with FYI project manager Felice Lavergne, so pavement removal was fresh in his mind. Peteh had also recently been connected to Launch NOLA Green, a business and green sector training program, and was eager to implement a ‘green’ project. And so, Rhonda and Peteh turned their attention to her front yard.

Rhonda and Peteh had to work creatively to come up with a design that would manage water in a space that was less than 150 square feet. They also needed to honor the maintenance needs of a homeowner who travels a lot. This led to the compromise of a planter box outfitted with an innovative self-watering system.

The system is composed of an overflow drain in the surface of the bed that connects to a perforated hose. This hose collects rainwater and distributes it over time to plants as they need it. Plant choice is also important to a low maintenance, water loving garden. The Front Yard Initiative always encourages the use of native plants. Native plants are true to our specific environmental conditions and the critters that live here.

To find plants listed on the FYI Plant List, Peteh took Rhonda and her children to a Pelican Greenhouse monthly plant sale. They’re one of the best local sources for native plants and located near Grow Dat in City Park. The outing resulted in a photo-op as well: Peteh taking a photo with the “Native Plants” sign while wearing his “Native” hat.

Once the designs were in place and the plants chosen, it was time for the concrete removal.  As often happens in New Orleans, there were multiple layers of concrete to remove.

Once people pave land that used to absorb water, the clay soils underneath start to dry out and shrink, causing the area to sink, crack, and subside. To correct for this, people often lay down layer after layer of concrete, not knowing that the solution to the problem lies in removing it and recharging the dry soil with water. This is a common challenge FYIers have to face. Extra layers of concrete always increase a project’s budget and timeline. Planning for surprises and adding a bit of contingency to your budget can help keep your FYI project on track.

With all the paving removed, a plastic-grid and gravel permeable pavement system (Gravalock) was installed for the walkway and sidewalk. The duo also installed two raised garden beds on each side of the walkway to provide a gardening space.

Peteh works with two team members at his company We Can Dig It, Jahlil, Peteh’s son, and Jahi. Peteh has always been interested in rainwater retention, sustainable horticulture and green contracting, and employing practices with similar philosophies, but he voiced appreciation for the opportunities that connected him to Front Yard Initiative and LaunchNOLA Green. He‘s “thankful to be meeting people who have similar interests” in preserving our unique ecosystem and being dedicated to living with water.

Rhonda, like many FYIers, wants to continue incorporating lessons learned from her project in her neighborhood and beyond. Moving forward, Rhonda would love to plant trees in her backyard and around the neighborhood. “It hurts my heart how the sun beats down so hot in our neighborhood,” said Rhonda.

Peteh shares Rhonda’s optimism that the people of her Central City neighborhood are inspired, from her neighbors to the kids walking home from school, by Rhonda, Peteh, and their friends and family working together on her front yard. Both the team at FYI and Rhonda are glad that she put her trust in a local contractor, who is also a native of New Orleans, to cater to the unique needs of our city and be an example for the present and future of sustainable, green contracting.

The featured contractor We Can Dig It can be contacted by email at wecandigit504@gmail.com for help with your future projects!

Story and interview by Blake Allen.

Interested in going gray to green? Learn how here.

Launch NOLA Green – Native Plant Paradise

      Launch NOLA Green is designed to equip New Orleans’ minority-owned businesses with the skills and knowledge to be not just part of the workforce, but leaders in the water economy.  Over the course of the 4 month program, participants learned how to incorporate water management into residential landscaping projects to combat flooding and subsidence.

      As a city that requires a great deal of water management, Launch NOLA Green seeks to supply a network of green sector professionals to the property owners enrolled in the Urban Conservancy’s Front Yard Initiative and other residential scale projects. Eight dedicated students met every Thursday evening for fourteen weeks, many of them after a long day of work. George Toca, Arien Hall, Glenn Moore, Tarell McGowan, Luisa Abballe, Matthew Haynes, David Rodas, and Adrian Crawford  are all in the process of setting up their own businesses, or incorporating green infrastructure services into their existing businesses plans.

      One Thursday in April, just as the sun was beginning to set, Joe Evans of Evans + Lighter Landscape Architecture began one of the final classes at Delgado Community College. The attendees gathered at a U-shaped table facing a screen displaying a spreadsheet and an illustration of the yard they would be working on together for their first applied project. During the class, they constructed a design and helped each other calculate the total onsite water capture needed to handle all of the property’s runoff.  They also built out a complicated bid sheet detailing estimated time spent, equipment rental, materials, labor, plants, and more that would all fit into the homeowner’s budget.

      In the end, the LaunchNOLA Green crew was able to develop a bid that was within the homeowner’s budget; the team was even able to fit in a flagstone path the homeowner requested.  The project removed 500 SF of paving, so the project qualified for a Front Yard Initiative reimbursement of $1250.

      The class wrapped up with a discussion of all the benefits of the new yard including increasing the homeowner’s knowledge of stormwater management and the benefits of native plants to healthy habitats.  They all agreed, talking clients through the process in the same way they did in class is an essential part of client education and essential for a smooth project.

      Two weeks later at the graduation ceremony, Chuck Morse, Executive Director of Launch NOLA welcomed family and friends to watch loved ones become a part of the first graduating class of LaunchNOLA Green. Morse encouraged the graduates to think of the ceremony not as the culmination, but as the beginning of the next phase of their development as green sector professionals.

      A few weeks after graduation, Luisa, Adrien, and Matthew were prepping the yard they had developed the design and budget for throughout the course. They removed all of the 500 SF of concrete in the front yard and had already hit an unpleasant surprise. “There were two layers of concrete and a layer of brick underneath that, unfortunately,” explained Luisa. “So the excavation we thought would take a day actually took more like three.”  Because our city is sinking, this is a common occurrence. Homeowners pour layer after layer of concrete to counteract subsidence (land sinking) they see over the years, a response that actually exacerbates the issue.

      Once the concrete was removed  from the front and both sides of the house, the crew installed a rain garden filled with Louisiana iris and Muhly grass in the front yard, as well as a couple of water-loving cypress trees and palmettos. “I am passionate about trees,” says homeowner Tom Lasher. “If you look up and down this block there is no shade anywhere, so my neighbors have trouble finding anywhere to sit and be comfortable.” Permeable gravel and flagstone walkways leading from the sidewalk to the front stairs completed the look.  Within a week, and despite having to work through some days of record-breaking heat in May, the crew had transformed their Central City project from a concrete jungle to a water-loving oasis.

      Arien, a carpenter by trade, says she has learned a lot about residential contracting through working with SBP and Evans + Lighter, for whom she’s been working for over two years. “The LaunchNOLA Green program is so important, in that it educates people overall on the issue of stormwater management. But what makes it really special is that it is educating those of us working in contracting and construction because, honestly, we’re the ones who, if properly trained, can save New Orleans from its subsidence and flooding issues.”

      Property owner Tom Lasher agrees. “I’m thrilled with how this project turned out; working with these men and women was such a pleasure. Being able to do something to improve my lot’s curb appeal is nice, but when that improvement also reduces flooding, subsidence and the heat island effect and helps grow minority- and women-owned businesses to meet our city’s water management needs, it’s a win-win-win.”

LaunchNOLA Green is currently recruiting for its next 14-week program. For more information, please contact  Ben Shenk at shenk@launchnola.org.

Interview and story by Blake Allen. 

Central City Green

Next, Ponseti Landscaping removed all of the concrete in Linda’s front yard, created the brick path she wanted from the curb to the stairs of her front porch, planted the Little Gem Magnolias she wanted, and recommended an irrigation system that turned out to be one of the most rewarding parts of her project. “ My front yard is an inferno,” explains Linda. I used to come home on my lunch breaks and water my plants, I would have to water them multiple times a day, and now I don’t have to. They water themselves.”

Mid-City Makeover

For this homeowner story, we traveled to Mid-City on a mild March day to talk with Chris Freeman. Chris finished his DIY Front Yard Initiative (FYI) project a few days before we visited. Though the project is only 215 square feet, it has a big impact. Before, looking down from the porch, all you saw was paving and two seemingly out of place brick planters. Now colorful plantings and a winding path add interest as well as manage water onsite.  

Once Chris received notice that he had been accepted into the FYI program  in October, he began the search for a contractor. After some consideration, he decided the project was small and simple enough to complete on his own. He had a friend who gave him advice on his design and plant ideas and helped out with labor. In the end, they created a design that included a path from the street to his home and the plants he wanted.

One challenge Chris faced came about from his move from design to construction. Half way through, Chris realized the planters were not centered on the house. He originally intended to have a straight path, right in the middle of the house and planters. Having the path centered on the house made the planters look crooked, and having the path centered on the planters made it uncentered on the house. The compromise was a curved path that adds interest and movement to his design. Sometimes challenges can lead to unexpected successes!  

Chris spent some time researching the types of plants that best fit his garden. The multitude of choices was daunting, but he knew from the beginning that he wanted sweet olive trees: “They smell amazing when they bloom and the thought of sitting on the porch and smelling that was a big draw.” With some advice from his friend and FYI, the Freemans’ garden ended up containing sweet olives, azaleas, some blooming annuals, and muhly grass, all plants compatible with Louisiana’s climate.

All together Chris estimates his project cost $2000, including redoing the sidewalk in front of his house. His FYI reimbursement was $530 ($2.50 per square foot of paving removed). It took about 20 hours to complete the project because he worked on his yard during breaks between taking care of his daughter and freelancing.

 Riverbend Rain Garden 

Before she launched FYI, Dana Eness had to try it out herself…

In 2015, Dana Eness, the Executive Director of the Urban Conservancy, knew that excessive paving might be contributing to the yard flooding she was experiencing, so she decided to test the then budding concept of the Front Yard Initiative in her own yard. Each time it rained, she noticed standing water along the side of her home, a problem that was worsening over time.

Because of the impermeable, compacted dirt and clay that covered the ground, the rainwater found its way to the side of the house and stayed, making that side of the house inaccessible after even a moderate rain. The pooling water may have also been contributing to other, more serious issues as well. Dana and her husband began to have problems with a termite infestation on that side of the house. Because termites thrive where there is moisture, Dana said, “We were concerned about our biggest investment, which is our house.” Ready to take action, Dana began to dig on that side of the house. What she discovered led her to a remedy.

About 18” beneath the dirt, sand, and debris was an old, clogged terra cotta pipe. After talking with a few of the landscape architects in the Greater New Orleans Water Collaborative, they explained that she had unearthed an old piece of the lot’s earlier drainage system, but one that was no longer functional. While it wasn’t feasible to put the old terra cotta pipe back into service, she learned the most practical solution in such a long and narrow space was to install a French drain. The French drain consisted of a permeable trench excavated to about 18 inches with a gradual grade toward the street from the back of the house, so gravity pulls the water toward the front of the house.

Dana did not do her project through the Front Yard Initiative; she paid for it completely out of pocket. “I wanted to do this first and foremost because I had a serious problem to solve,” says Dana. “But I also thought doing it would help me better understand the experience of homeowners participating in the FYI program.”

Dana reports having no problems with flooding since the completion of her project, and maintenance has been minimal, requiring only periodic weeding.  “Knowing my own limited gardening skills, we requested plants that had a tolerance for dry spells and heavy rains as well as benign neglect.” Evans + Lighter planted an assortment of native and naturalized plants including Louisiana irises and Lantanas. The only problem Dana reports is that 

From Flooding to Flora  One Homeowner’s Front Yard Transformation 

Urban Conservancy’s Blake Allen sat down with Kristy to talk about her design decisions shortly before her “Porch Party” where neighbors and friends came to enjoy King Cake and coffee and to celebrate her new, charming yard.

 Kristy is enamored with her new green spaces, and recalls the times before the transformations: “I love being outdoors. Before I did this project it just wasn’t enjoyable to be out there, it wasn’t an inviting space. I found I was spending a lot of time sitting on the side gallery because it was where I had shade, rather than in the backyard.”

Kristy’s vision for her home and yard and her research and involvement in groups around the city are all reflections of her deep appreciation of New Orleans. “New Orleans has such an incredibly rich history, and has been such a beautiful and fascinating city,” says Kristy, “I think everything we can do to preserve that beauty in the architecture, in the green spaces, and everything else New Orleans has to offer should be done because we don’t want to lose all the other beauty we have.”