Monday, April 24, 2017

Stormwater management — done decoratively — at the Portland Expo Center


Not wanting to eat the hot-dog and hamburger fare on offer at the Expo Center last weekend (what with shopping the HPSO plant sale in the morning and volunteering in the afternoon I was there all day) I planned ahead and packed a lunch. Wanting to enjoy the sunny day while eating, I ventured over to a part of the Expo Center I hadn't explored previously, and was rewarded with this...

The fine print reads: "Pacific Northwest's rainfall totals nearly 40 inches each year. The Stormwater Green Wall is designed to manage the stormwater that collects on Expo's Hall E exhibt roof, diverting it away from roads and sewers to healthy plants and vegetation..."

Some of the plants were just waking up.

The hexagon shapes are part of the Expo Center's logo. I love this! Then again I am a sucker for shiny metal and plants. They're speaking my language for sure. Maybe I'll have to venture back later in the season, to see how it looks then...after all stormwater is plentiful most, but not all, of the year. What do they do in the hot, dry, summer months? Do the plants go dormant?...

Weather Diary, April 23: Hi 56, Low 47/ Precip .24"

All material © 2009-2017 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

18 comments:

  1. A great idea, but you are right to wonder about other times of year. It will be well worth a visit later.

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    1. Someone commented on my "about me" page telling me about a green wall in Phoenix that's watered with the a/c "runoff"...perhaps the same thing happens here?

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  2. This is so awesome. Happy belated Earth Day!

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    1. And happy even-more-belated Earth Day to you!

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  3. I'm also interested in seeing how things are doing during the summer when it's hot and dry. Sword ferns are supposed to be drought-tolerant, but I did lose some through not watering last year.

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    1. I should have got on the ball yesterday and edited my post to reflect this comment but...someone commented on my "about me" page telling me about a green wall in Phoenix that's watered with the a/c "runoff" ...perhaps the same thing happens here?

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  4. My first thought was: "Why don't buildings in LA try something like this?" Along the lines of your own train of thought, my second was: "LA doesn't get half that much water most years and ours is mostly restricted to the winter months, so which plants could manage in that setting?" Still, any effort to manage rainwater would be applauded.

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    1. Someone commented on my "about me" page telling me of a green wall in Phoenix that's watered with the a/c "runoff"...I have a watering can that collects our a/c condensation and I use it to water things around the front garden. It's amazing what just our one unit creates. Perhaps L.A. is missing an opportunity?

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  5. That's pretty darn cool. Ok, it wouldn't be half as cool without those fabulous fern crosiers; but still, great idea. It would be fun to see how it performs through the seasons.

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    1. The ferns were at optimal cool photo time.

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  6. Pretty cool idea and design. As soon as I saw those troughs, my first thought was, "What about summer?" I see I'm not the only one. Looking forward to seeing your summer update on this installation. That first photo is amazing, btw.

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    1. Thanks! And like I mentioned above (thanks to a comment on another page), maybe the a/c runoff is used? They must have to use a/c during the summer right?

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  7. A great idea. Do you suppose there's any storage of water for when it's hot and dry and the plants are in active growth and need irrigation?

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    1. That's a good question too, perhaps. I did take a photo of the runoff being collected (but didn't use it). Perhaps they do store it for use in the dry season.

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  8. Nice. I wonder how much of the stormater is diverted to the planters. Can't imagine they would absorb it all.

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    1. There seemed to be a catchment basin at the bottom, so what isn't absorbed might be saved for later? And it is from just a single roof, not the entire complex.

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  9. What a great concept! Will have to follow this garden and see how it progresses in a few years' time. Good for them for creativity in solving problems. I'm sorry to have missed it.

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