Sometimes it’s the little things that stand out the most: the small, bubbling fountain that hides a handful of goldfish and attracts thirsty bees, a welcome pollinator for gardeners.
Then there was the “keyhole” garden busting out with tender green beans.
And the clean smell of an outdoor composting toilet.
Surprised? A well-managed composting toilet doesn’t stink like those pit toilets found at our nation’s campgrounds.
Tucsonans on the cutting edge of desert-lands conservation opened their yards and businesses last weekend to show off their water harvesting systems, solar energy features, outdoor showers and even their composting toilets.
Watershed Management Group’s annual Homescape Harvest Tour was an inspiration for people who dream of adding green features to their homes. Now in its fourth year, the tour didn’t disappoint, offering participants the chance to glean some pretty cool conservation ideas from those who have been there and done that.
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From the Foothills to midtown and over to the west side, tour visitors also checked out solar ovens, street-side storm water basins, gray water systems, composting bins, rainwater storage tanks, plus sustainable vegetable gardens, flower beds and fruit trees.
And sometimes it’s the little things that all add up to one big thing: people who take pride in living more lightly on the earth.
Susan Billings writes “All Things Green In Tucson,” a blog about gardening in Tucson. Contact her at onesnowpea@tucson.com