Day 2, and I've been thinking about some possible changes to our backyard. We've been saying for ages that we need to do something with it but something always seems to distract us from dong it. So in an attempt to move this forward, today I took a photo of our backyard on the iPad then used an app called ProCreate to add some layers and sketch a couple of ideas for the yard over the top of the photo. I'm not really sure if they will lead to the final design or not, but it's a start in thinking about it. And it's creation number 2 for Day 2.
Got any suggestions for me? What would you do with the yard?
Nowadays I'm very much into designing outdoor spaces for Permaculture - so when I look at an empty yard like that all I can think about is food production!
ReplyDeleteI'm listening.... go on. More information?
DeletePermaculture is much bigger than gardens, but you can easily use concepts from it for a garden on it's own.
DeleteIt all depends on lots of things about your backyard, like the slope, aspect and the amount of sunlight you get.
Permaculture solutions often use trenches (called swales) to capture and hold water better, intelligently place groups of plants together to confuse bad bugs and maximise sunlight, and involve composting and mulching to provide the mineral needs for the plants.
It's all to make it easier for the plants to look after themselves - less watering, no need for fertiliser, no need for pesticides, etc.
This is an example of a design someone's done for an urban-sized plot (but is on the edge of "hardcore").
I rather like this blog - this lady from Sydney documents her experiences of how people have interpreted permaculture in an urban setting. (It can get a little airy-fairy at times though, I think)
There's tonnes more info you can find on the net - it's a whole movement full of dreadful politics (like any movement), but if you google "permaculture garden" or "permaculture backyard" you can find good stuff!
Ever since I've studied Permaculture - I've never been able to look at gardens the same way again!