This summer is the year we start landscape work! My friend Mike Johnson helped us plan and coordinate the front and side yards. He completed his Permaculture Design Course and wanted to get some practical experience. He told us how we can get the help of others wanting to assist with a permaculture "blitz," where volunteers come by and help out with the installation. And it was pretty good, even though the first blitz took place on Father's Day weekend.
So, we had a good group on Saturday: Shelaine, Janet, Kathie, Sharla, Chris & Dennis helped us dig a trench for the weeping tile that would bring water to the "keyhole" gardens. The clay on site was particularly brutal to dig through. And it didn't help that it rained off and on. I couldn't believe how people were still motivated to push on! Mike and I worked up until about 5pm. I was so sore...
The next day, we had Tara, Bon, Hank, Mimi and Duncan come by to finish up the keyhole gardens, start on the herb spiral and put in the mulch over the weeping tile in the trench. We began to put down some straw for the strawberry patch and put down some compost in select places. Unfortunately, the topsoil didn't show up until Monday, but we were too tired to have done any more work Sunday. What a good start!
We now have most of our foreseeable weekends trying to finish this crazy permaculture yard up.
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| keyhole gardens with herb spiral to the top left. |
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| Digging the trench! |
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| keyhole with cardboard weed barrier. |
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| Installed keyhole gardens (looking down from our balcony). |
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| filling the trench with mulch, covering the weeping tile. |
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| Creating the strawberry patch! |
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| So, this is strawberry spinach already growing in the yard. |
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| Mike puts his roof rack to good use! |
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| King of the compost heap! |
