Climate Reality and Permaculture

Two photos of the same bed of hostas. One in 2023 an the other in 2024.

This is a tale of two years and one plant bed at Mezzacello Urban Farm. We believe in sticking to our claims of sustainability and working to build resilient ecosystems. All of the beds at Mezzacello are planted with good soil and manure, as well as built in permaculture features like swales and hugelkultur. But with a level 4 drought, that is just not enough.

A Tale of Two Hostas

Healthy and vibrant hostas in October, 2023

Let’s call the hostas at the pond ecosystem an indicator species. They both never get watered, but rely on built in resilience swales to help keep their roots wet. In 2023 there was plenty of moisture by October on the SAME date they were in luscious late season bloom! But the evry next year, after a brutal 41 day drought, those same hostas are decimated - literally, not 10% of their vitality remains.

Those same hostas in October 2024. We won’t even mention the hibiscus plants behind them…

This will have an impact moving forward. Not only will those swales need extra water to recover, but the interdependent webs of life that depend on them will need to die off and recover as well, The microrganisms in the soil, the insects - good and bad - and the pollinators are all taking a mid-fall hit on available pollen here at Mezzacello Urban Farm.

My food gardens are still being watered with reserve water from the bioreactor but it is not enough for the rest of my ecologies. It was a bust year here at Mezzacello. I will be saving as much water as I can to replenish depleted systems.