In life, it starts to become evident that God (nature) has a way of solving things with ingenious solutions which naturally use the least effort and produce the optimal results. When ever this happens in my gardening and landscaping, I do not take credit for coming up with ingenious ideas, rather wisdom has pointed out to me that if I give credit where is credit is due (the one from whom all good things flow – whom I think of as earth’s creator, and still may refer to as mother earth or nature) my creative process becomes enhanced and blessed as it were with things I would never have thought of solo. That is just how it works for me at any rate and that is how I came up with this basement window wells DIY natural splatter guard idea.
Basement Window Wells PROBLEM:
Basement window wells are awesome for letting in the light. But… when it rains mud splatters up onto them. You COULD go to Home Depot and spend money getting some rubber mulch or weed barrier liner. You COULD buy some fast spreading ground cover that likes shade. Or you could haul rocks and make a rock mulch, or rock garden in that spot. But, if you are like me you are saying NO to the heavy rocks. NO the the nursery’s non-native ground cover plants. And NO to fake, temporary, money-consuming solutions.
Basement Window Wells SOLUTION:
When coming up with ideas for my basement window well, I thought, let’s see what nature might have in “the outdoor store.” Upon going into the surrounding woods I noticed that there are ample supplies of moss and moss covered rocks. There are exotic looking Trilliums, native wildflowers, ferns and low-growing native grasses. Hello! This could get pretty cool. Let us investigate further.
DIY Natural Splatter Guard Supplies:
Gloves
Trowel
Old Cardboard Box (or other container to collect your moss in)
How To Make DIY Natural Splatter Guards For Your Basement Window Wells
1. Find an abundant spot to collect the moss.
2. Loosen the moss, keeping a nice chunk of the soil it is growing on. Do not over harvest any one area.
3. Place the moss in the box or container of your choice. You can layer the chunks until your box is full.
4. Prepare your soil that is directly below the basement well windows by loosening the soil. This gives the moss transplants something to grab onto as they grow into their new home.
5. Gently place the moss transplants snug to the wall below the windows. Keep the transplants snug up against each other, forming a tightly placed carpet of moss which will deflect rain and mud from splattering. And that is how you make DIY splatter guards for your basement well windows!
BENEFITS of The Basement Window Wells DIY Natural Splatter Guard
Here are the benefits of these basement window well splatter guards:
- FREE landscaping.
- Native plants bring healthy soil with them full of beneficial microbes and insects.
- Native plants are naturally drought resistant and acclimated to your climate, requiring little to no maintenance.
- Effective protection for your windows and exterior walls.
- Native Moss transplants will bring with them native grasses, ferns, and tiny wildflowers and seeds of other natives which are pretty and fun to watch grow.
- Conversation piece, these plants have interesting natural history and biology to educate your kids, friends and neighbors about nature.
TIPS: When taking moss out of its natural habitat, don’t be shy to collect also the bonus plants that come with a clump of moss. Look for sections that have ferns, flowers and low-growing native grasses. Welcome the insects and worms that come with healthy soil, as they help maintain the health of the soil. Collect a nice chunk of healthy nature-infused soil along with your transplants, it makes your job a lot easier as you place the transplants into their new location.
Enjoy your new NATIVE PLANT and MOSS SPLASH GUARDS and watch them spread generously on their own. Over time they will “take” to the new location and give new life and beauty to the areas you have enriched with nature’s solutions. I hope you enjoy these diy splash guards for basement well windows.
Related Posts:
Basement Design Ideas For An Organized Multi-Purpose Family Space
Ann Williams says
Good idea. I have window wells–I wonder if they would work there. I am going to try it.