9.03.2009

Permaculture Adventure

The new job at the nursery is going great! The biggest challenge is to not spend my paycheck every day. My green thumb is glowing neon being around all these plants, and the new plants we get three days a week leave me drooling, "Ooooh, we could put THAT on the porch, and THAT in the side yard, and THAT in the flower beds..."

The main things that keep me level-headed is the realization that whatever I buy, #1 it has to be protected from the geese & chickens, and #2 it has to work in the overall scheme of the property. So, I'm in negotiations with a local permaculturist to come up with a sustainable design plan for the land. We have plenty of challenges at our place, but also much potential. I'd like to install a medicinal & kitchen herb garden, several raised beds for vegetables, and trellises for vining plants (grapes? Passion fruit? Or just flowers?) to help keep the house cool in the summer. Areas of pasture grass for the geese and hens. Then there's the fruit trees, too. I also want to keep a privacy buffer of trees & vegetation around the property, but also thin out the invasive cedars a bit. All in all, it's overwhelming, and therefor the desire for an actual plan. Another project, but with professional assistance this time. Nice!

P.S. pics of the completed goose pool will be up either Friday or Saturday, once we have the pump in & working.

[pic: almost "farm dirty" - feet after day of work at nursery]

2 comments:

  1. Ah yes, the company discount - I do miss that part of my job at the nursery. I agree with you about the overwhelming nature of dealing with acreage, especially when you have high expectations for yourself. I used to do garden design in Houston, for small suburban lots, but that in NO way prepared me for dealing with this!

    ReplyDelete
  2. look forward to hearing the permaculture report. I learned a lot in the Master Naturalists about the importance of restoring native grasses to rebalance land. It's amazing (or not, really) how much depends on dirt, grass and water.

    ReplyDelete

Of Mice and Various Snakes and new Duck Feed Station

As mentioned in the previous post, our region is experiencing a near-Biblical plague of mice. "It's due to all the moisture we had...