re-designing the garden

This is a recent photo of the front yard.

25 AUGUST, 2013

The garden has been left to go wild over the winter - in good ways and not so good ways.

I really think installing swales will help here and more sowing of seeds and putting down of mulch. With Spring fast approaching, the time has come to redesign the garden to bring it more in line with permaculture practices. I would like to be able to utilise all the rain we are getting that will hopefully continue over the coming months, and to prepare the garden for another hot summer, so am thinking of adding some swales to slow down the water as it moves around the trees and hedge. It would also be possible to install water tanks down the side of the house where the chicken run is currently.

In the backyard the soil is very poor with some evergreen trees surrounding it, including palms and conifers. Chemicals from the pool and salt etc have increased its acidity over time to where nothing really seems to be able to grow in the soil. I would like to move the chicken coop to the far end of the yard up into the back left hand corner under the large silky oak tree and to place a Warre bee hive that I have next to it. There is already a compost heap up the back on the left so those three elements would tie in well together.

I would also like to utilise the shady aspects by planting natives that enjoy less sun and don’t need rich soil to grow. I would also like to plant more sun loving natives on the verge where there is plenty of room. I would plant more local species with tall shrubs and trees in the centre and low shrubs along the foot path and on the road side.

SITE EVALUATION

These are some pigeon peas I was given by permaculture award winning gardener, Tim Lang, who lives in Cooran, Queensland. I will plant them amongst the hedge along the front of the block and around the pool at the back to improve the soil and as pioneer plants.