This month I interviewed a really interesting couple from Sayalonga, Dave and Anna. Seven years ago they moved to Sayalonga. Anna is from Zimbabwe and Dave is from America. They came here and decided to retire in Spain. Despite being well traveled, Spain was somewhere they had never considered living in actual fact they were regular visitors to Italy. However, after their first visit to Spain they were hooked! They enjoyed the people, the lifestyle, the standard of living, the wine and food, along with prices to match. They found their villa in the campo of Sayalonga and it was already appropriately named Casa Anna. Over the last 7 years they have beautifully developed and reformed the house and garden.
When they terraced their garden they were faced with an erosion problem on one of the terraces. The entire terrace was slipping. After extensive research to find an easy and cost effective solution to the problem Anna came across Vetiver Grass. Both of them were keen not to have retaining walls, as they believed not only that they would be expensive but also not an attractive feature amongst all the beautiful and different garden settings they were creating.
Initially, Anna tried to find the Vetiver grass in Spain but the representative never returned her call. Anna, finally found the grass with a supplier in Italy and ordered 100 plants. The plants cost them 1 euro each and the shipping from Italy was 40 euro. When she received the plants they did look half dead but despite that she still planted them about 30 cm apart in the crack that was forming on one of the terraces. To get the plants established they did lay some irrigation and now these plants have been growing for over 3 years. They have no erosion problems at all on that initial terrace and they no longer need to water the grass. After 3 years of growth the plants are now ready for harvesting and as a result they are now selling the plants to individuals with great success. They sell the plants for 1 euro each. The grass needs no special soil, fertilizer, or care. To plant a slip (one stalk) you just make a small hole, and put the slip in and water it to get it started. There is nothing labor intensive. The plants are planted approximately 25-30 cm apart depending on the amount of erosion. So the approximate cost for 30 meters is between 100 and 125 Euros, a very cost effective way of stopping erosion.
The Vetiver Grass can handle a great deal of water, no water at all, and even salt water once established. The roots grow 3 meters deep in one year and the roots have the strength of 1.6 mil steel. The Vetiver Grass will resolve an erosion problem anywhere.
Dave and Anna have been growing these for approximately 3 years and have over 50,000 plants with new plantings every week. They have no erosion where the plants are. They are selling these plants not because they need the money but because it simply does work and they are excited about it and want to help those that have any type of erosion problems. Also, interesting to note, since the recent fire around Competa, the Vetiver grass is fire tolerant; it is almost indestructible, as it has the ability to withhold extreme environmental conditions.
If you would like to find out more see the advert opposite, visit their website www.vetiverspain.com or give Dave or Anna a call to see the grass in their gardens, they would be more than happy for you to pop around.
Dave’s 692 288 657
Anna’s 695 263 594
