- This is an Australian website - Contact Margaret RainbowWebPERMACULTURE GARDEN - Adelaide South Australia.
Location: Corner block on narrow access lane in Inner metropolitan area, approx. 500 metres from River Torrens.
2 kms.from main P.O.
Total size of block: 17 metres x 12.35 metres plus and minus corners
Alignment and Aspects:Long sides N.E. and S.W. Short sides N.W. and S.E.(Front - N.E.)
Dwelling: 3 roomed S.A.Housing Trust cottage of a little under 5Osq.metres
Area under cultivation: approx. 130 square metres
Areas not cultivated: Area beneath rainwater tank, & area beneath clothes line.
75 sq.metres of concrete surrounding dwelling
Driveway running length of N.W. side of block.
Commenced cultivation: September 1989 - block as left by builders upon completion
of dwelling.
Soil: Alluvial silt, partly covered by landfill. Tends to be alkaline. Poaches when sodden.
Drainage: Moderate.
Sub-soil constantly moist, because of regular irrigation to
school oval approx. 8 metres S.E. Water drains back to river
through sub-soil. River water used presumably also rich in
nutrients.
Special conditions: Size of block restricts active implementation of design to Zones 0 & 1 only
Back garden incorporates N.W. side of block & surrounded by
high corrugated iron fence. Also partially shaded by house.
Front garden has low corrugated iron fence, is sheltered/shaded on
S.E. by two-storey dwellings, & on N.E. by single storey
dwellings. Lit all night
by adjacent street lamps.
Large eucalypts about 40 metres due West give broken shade late
on summer afternoons - house many birds, giving them a good
view of garden, which they search for food.
Placement of trees and alterations to dwelling & fences must
be approved by S.A.Housing Trust. Tenant may be required to
restore dwelling to original state upon leaving.
Initial treatment: Applied 50 kg. gypsum, then sheet mulched, mainly with untreated
seagrass, but also with stuffing from numerous mattresses( springs
were used for trellis) and leaves from street trees.
Basis of design:
No lawn.
No compost heap
Wide variety of productive trees, vines, & shrubs.
Perennial understorey, and some self-seeding annuals.
Deep mulch all year round.
All fences covered with trellis to support productive plants.
Small water garden at back, placed to supply cool air to
house on summer nights.
Driveway area enclosed & used for wood-sawing & storage, also
general work area & collection of mulching materials.
Close interaction between dwelling & cultivated areas.
Basis of Maintenance
Mulch
Reduces surface evaporation almost to nil while allowing
ventilation. Interacts with soil surface to release nutrients.
Water
Plants encouraged to put roots into moist rich subsoil
unique to this area. Concrete surrounding dwelling angled to
run off onto garden. Mulch ensures all rain enters soil - no
runoff even after long dry spells. All waste water from house
applied to garden - mostly to plants being established, to the
bananas, and to annuals.
Fertilizer
No artificial fertilizers used. Nutrients obtained
from mulch; excreta & bodies of insects & birds; from sub-
soil, using deep-rooted plants; and the occasional application of liquid manure, especially
when sawdust or wood chips are added to the mulch.
Weeds
Occasional incursions of Kikuyu grass on boundaries
treated with ‘Zero’ - very carefully. Soursobs are mulched over.
If they break through in deep mulch they can be pulled by hand & bulbs
removed from mulch. Doubtful if they can be eradicated, but are
tolerable if controlled. Are a useful plant. Grasses hand-pulled
before seed forms, as are other weeds. Mulch reduces weeds
dramatically, and makes them easy to remove in any weather. If
removed before flowers form, can be left on top of mulch to dry.
Good plant identification skills, & knowledge of the uses of
plants ensures that very few plants are counted as genuine weeds.
Insects
Very few measures taken to control them - most are part
of the cycle, and useful in some way. Attention paid to health
of plants, & mixed plantings. Birds encouraged. Snails are edible and
used as food, excess collected on damp days, squashed, and used
as fertilizer. Furry caterpillars also collected & treated the
same way, but only when numbers look threatening. I often think that
I feel more threatened than the plants - have noticed that most
pests prefer unhealthy or decaying plant matter. In time the
system will stabilize & require little or no intervention.
Other pests
Cats I plan to use unstable wire mesh on top of
high fences, already proven effective with possums. In the front yard, sprinkling urine
where they are likely to sleep or crap works moderately well,
but I use physical means of discouragement whenever I see a cat,
like yelling, or throwing plastic bottles at them.
Mice So far I have not found these any bother - when they gnawed
the stem of my passionfruit, I covered it with aluminium foil.
If they get in the house I trap them, & add to the mulch.
Mosquitos Fish are kept in the pond, gutters regularly maintained,
all drains & entrance to rainwater tank covered or screened. No
saucers under pot plants. No watering of foliage, water does not
collect on surface of mulch.
People Mainly just throw rubbish in the garden. I check
mulch is kept moist underneath in hot dry weather, in case of cigarette
butts. Visitors sometimes plough off into the garden without
looking what they are stepping on, unless escorted - they seem
to find the lack of lawn or paths an invitation to go where they
please. This problem will lessen with time - as plants become
established they will be less vulnerable to occasional damage.
Neighbours sometimes spray on windy days, & burn rubbish.
Getting to know the neighbours, & subtly educating them is the
best way to deal with this - often successful when accompanied
by gifts of produce. If spray drifts into the garden in spite
of this, I hose the plants thoroughly straight away. Burnt foliage
is better than dead plants or major interruption of the
cycles being established by the insects & their predators.
Fruit fly It needs to be assumed that this area will be baited
for fruit fly in most years by the DPI. Co-operation
is the best plan, but it is necessary to know when the operative
is going to call, so that baiting can be closely supervised.
All fallen fruit should be picked up every morning, and what is
not used treated either by immersion for three days with NO
ACCESS to air - that means kerosene on top of the water, or a
completely full container with an airtight lid - or by cooking,
before being added to the mulch.
European wasps A few have been discovered in the area. Leaflets
are available, though Poms like me soon recognize them. The
garden is under constant observation, and I would observe attempts
to nest and discourage them. However, with enclosed eaves, no
ventilated bricks, hollow logs, patches of bare earth, or old trees, there are at present
no nesting sites for either European wasps, wild bees, or possums in the
garden.
Rats These are endemic, especially on the banks of the Torrens. Have had no
problems so far, but at first sign would use traps or baits.
Possums Again, no sign so far, but they are indigenous to area,
and as fruit trees mature may prove a problem, as they have for
some of my neighbours. Unstable wire netting on high fences has
proved effective, and branches need to be made inaccessible by
keeping away from boundaries & telephone lines. However, I feel
the need to develop a philosophical approach, as I do not wish
to keep a dog or cat to keep them away. The front garden will be
more vulnerable than the back. I just hope they don’t discover it.
In spite of the various pests of civilisation, I expect
to be able to leave the garden to itself for long periods once it
is fully established. This is always a long-term proposition with
Permaculture, and will probably take at least another five years,
as some plants still have to be put in & established.
Miscellaneous:
Snails are considered a garden product - well-prepared
they are delicious, & very high quality protein.
Mushrooms & other edible fungi occasionally appear in season,
but have not been sown.
Future possibilities:
If the cat menace can be brought under control, quail might be
successfully run in the back garden, for eggs & meat, also as
miniature tractors, some insect control, & manure.
There would be room for a beehive & two supers when the fig
tree has matured, & if the neighbours have no objections.
Bringing in a load of mushroom compost to add to the mulch at
the end of summer may increase mushroom production.
Another future possibility is a solar panel on N.E. roof, to reduce use of gas by
hot water system.
Educational potential:
Although the garden is not on a main road, it has attracted considerable
attention in the neighbourhood. It was featured in the local
paper only six months after its commencement. For this reason
I am reluctant to put a high fence at the front.
I am happy to show very small groups of people the whole garden, and to talk to them about
urban Permaculture design, if they first make an appointment.
ANALYSIS OF ZONE INTERACTION
Zones 0 & 1 - Dwelling & everything else within block boundary.
All biodegradable waste from both zones is reduced to mulch. (A proportion of this waste is imported from
Zones 4 & 6, the remainder generated from within the system.) Faeces & urine are flushed down the toilet, using 1/2 flush only. Average 2 flushes per day.
(Because they present a health hazard either in mulch or landfill, toilet paper &
paper tissues are not used in zone 0.)
A 3,300 litre rainwater tank provides water for all purposes in Zone 0, & supplies
the water garden. Tap water is used only for showers. All water is recycled onto
Zone 1. Grey water quality is excellent - no soapless detergents, shampoos, conditioners
commercial cleansers, disinfectants, deodorants, bleaches, toothpaste, chemical dyes
or mordants, insecticides, borax, or other contaminants are used in Zone 0. Use of
soap, vinegar or lemon juice, soda, bicarb., & ammonia are minimal, as is the use of oil & fat in cooking.
Winter overflow is directed to roots of pussy willow near boundary. The tank is set
on porous pavers set on sand - no stand could be used because of low roof. Tank
supports & is shaded by a banana passionfruit. Another tank may be installed on
concrete surrounding house at a later date. Overflow could be directed to a swamp
garden planned for front of Zone 1. The area under clothes line is not sealed, but
covered with coconut fibre from an old mattress, to allow maximum absorption of rainfall.
Concrete surrounding house angled to direct all rain onto garden.
House has white roof, insulation, & low ceilings, but poor eave design & large S.W.
facing glass doors in kitchen reduce energy efficiency. Arundo provides some
shade on summer afternoons, is cut back in winter. Other plantings will increase
natural shade as they mature, but cane blinds outside glass considerably reduce heat
& glare entering house in the meantime. Deciduous vines have been planted N.W. of work
area & will shade this & N.W, wall when mature. Further insulation to lower wall
provided by stacked firewood. Flowering vines & 7 year beans give privacy to porch,
& prolific growth in summer shades N.E.wall & bedroom window. Climbing annuals may
be used to shade remaining portion of N.W. wall.
In Zone 0, cooking (gas) & use of gas
hot water system is minimised in summer, to reduce heat output, & save energy.
Fluorescent lights are used where possible for same reason. The 140litre single-door refrigerator has an unsealed unit, and draws only 100w. It is placed in utility room, under the
window with plenty of air space between wall & coil, This significantly reduces heat escaping into Zone 0 from cooling unit, &
'fridge runs more efficiently. There is also a noise reduction, & defrosting is less
of a chore in a ‘wet’ area.
Unshaded concrete surrounding house is covered during
summer, to prevent heat reflection & absorption during day, & re-radiation of heat
at night into air close to Zone 0. Plants in containers placed on concrete under
windows reduces temperature of air needed for ventilation.
At night, sliding doors in kitchen are opened, & cool air from the water garden is
drawn into house by opening windows above waist level. Future plans may include
windows opening at floor level to draw in cool air from front, & a louvred dormer
window, facing S.E. to provide hot air escape & extra light in living room.
Abundant indoor plants & an old-fashioned fire bucket instead of a fire-extinguisher,increase humidity.
In very
hot weather, no clothes are worn, & an electric fan increases air movement.
All these factors combine to make what was originally a hot-box into a comfortable
summer living space, & no air conditioning is needed. Cooling at night is very
rapid, & perfume from the flowering plants enters the house with the night air.
A very efficient ‘pot belly’ stove provides heating, cooking, & hot water in
cold weather. The small amount of wood required is scavenged from Zone 4 & hand-sawn
in work area, providing excercise, & sawdust & scraps for mulch. The wood ash is
leached for potash lye, & some sifted very finely for scouring powder. Residue goes
into mulch. Gates on driveway were moved forward in line with front of house, & re-hung
to open outwards, maximising work area & privacy, & reducing noise from lane.
In winter the concrete surround is uncovered, & with the unshaded walls, absorbs heat
during clear weather, re-radiating it into Zone I at night, minimising frost risk.
Plants in containers placed against N.E. & N.W. walls really appreciate this warmth.
Zones 4 & X to & from Zones 0 & I.
zone X is my designation for the local community.
It includes neighbours, friends, community centres
& activities, & L.E.T.S.
Zone 4 comprises surrounding streets, gardens & parks within walking (carrying)
distance, & overlaps substantially with Zone X.
Inputs
Local bees cross-pollinate the almonds & peaches after visiting neighbouring trees.
Birds droppings. Horse manure
Cuttings & seeds.
Mulching materials, mainly fallen
leaves from street trees, & grass & clover clippings from local parks & ovals.
Irrigation water
from neighbouring properties, as it flows back to the river through the sub-soil.
Firewood.
Miscellaneous discarded items
for re-use - stone, bricks, broken paving, bottles & jars, large tins with handles,
wire, wire netting, washing machine tubs, old mattresses (for mulch, coconut fibre, &
trellis), cardboard cartons, old newspapers.
In season - Carob, almonds, crabapples, linden blossom, olives, plums,
peaches, pears, pomegranates, grapefruit, lemons, feijoas, cherry guavas, cuaquata,
grapes, a variety of edible fungi, & edible weeds.
Pest species, like pigeons,
sparrows & starlings could be caught & used for meat.
Outputs
Excess produce to ‘Share the Harvest’ scheme, for barter, gifts, & fund-
raising.
Distribution of seeds & cuttings.
Time spent regularly cleaning up a local
section of Torrens river & keeping an eye on new tree plantings.
Raising community
awareness of L.E.T.S. & environmental issues, also knowledge of Permaculture , by
example, by displaying publicity material locally.
Education: running groups & workshops;
also writing & distributing pamphlets.
Neighbourhood Watch - local Police; Graffiti
& Vandal Watch - local Council.
Zone 6 to and from Zones 0 & 1.
Zone 6 is my designation for commercial & financial trans-
actions not connected directly with ZoneV666. It includes
small business, employment by small business, essential
services & Credit Unions. It requires further refinement,
& is, I admit, bard to dissect completely from Zone 666
Inputs
Money
Water - rain and mains
Electricity
Gas
Telephone
Mail
services
Public transport
Credit Union services
Goods from mainly local
small businesses (includes some plants & seeds)
unavoidable packaging.
Wherever possible I supply my own recycled packaging for purchases, and I
refuse wrapping when unnecessary. The rest is either recycled or mulched.
I rtry to select clothing & household linen made from natural fibres so they can be
shredded into mulch when discarded.
Outputs
Cash in exchange for above services & goods
Zone 666
Big corporations, most financial institutions, & the whole concept of
economic rationalism.
Interactions
Contact with this zone is avoided wherever possible by strict purchasing policy.
1. Use Credit Union or Building Society, not Bank
2. Buy locally made or produced goods
3. Use L.E.T.S. & barter systems
4. Buy secondhand where possible
5. Buy from & use small business
6. Buy from Community Aid Abroad, Oxfam, & Global Education Centre.
Active subversion is practised & promulgated.
See Australian Non-buyer’s
Guide, or plug into Pegasus Computer Network for details.
L.E.T.S. (Local Employment Trading Scheme or Local Exchange Trading System)
is designed to facilitate the exchange & provision of goods & services within
a community using Units instead of money.
Design update 1995 .......Garden Description
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