317 Project: Herron-Morton couple has created a 'carbon sink' brimming with trees, flowers
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On about an acre in Herron-Morton Place, the Mausts operate what Rod calls a carbon sink. Surrounding their six-bedroom 1898 home are carpets of grass that wind around flowers, garden beds and trees. Definitely trees.
Cherry, persimmon, pawpaw, peach ... and Rod Maust and Martha Yoder Maust can keep listing more.
They're "actually sucking carbon dioxide out of the air in a small way," Rod said.
"We're not going to save the planet with our trees," Martha continued. "One drop in the ocean," Rod added, "but at least it's one drop.”
Their landscaping combines practicality, upbringing and faith. Rod was raised on a Goshen, Indiana, farm. Martha grew up in Elkhart. Now retired, they married in 1981 after meeting through First Mennonite Church.
The couple moved to Herron-Morton in 1983 as they built careers downtown — he as a psychologist and she as a family practice doctor.
But with the proximity to work came challenges. Their new home required plumbing, wiring, insulation and drywall, and they had to live nearby during renovations. The soil contained debris from residences that had been torn down.
"Martha's dad came down … and saw it,” Rod said, “and he said to her, 'Don't show it to your mother until it's finished,'" Martha continued as they laughed.
In 1990, the couple and their first two children moved in. Two more arrived later.
In the decades since, Rod and Martha have established their gardens, now punctuated by toys for their four grandchildren. Arugula, peas and radishes are growing so far. Tomatoes will be a companion to Martha's French vinaigrette.
Rod grafts fruit and nut trees, using rubber bands and foil to fuse twigs from desired varieties onto existing branches — and sometimes even seedlings squirrels planted. On one, the twigs are in place to produce Grimes Golden, Red Free and Honeycrisp apples.
"We want to be good stewards of the earth," Rod said.
Contact the reporter at 317-444-7339.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: A Herron-Morton couple has created a 'carbon sink' brimming with trees
