Reflections in an Enchanted Garden

- Permaculture Raw Feast July 14th, 2009

Once upon a time, there was an ordinary patch of ground surrounding an ordinary townhouse and then Lucinda moved in.

Mirror mirror on the hedge who is the fairest veg of all? Hanging pots, trailing vines, mandalas, flags, trickling water features, ponds of shiny new water ready for frogs and lizards – all flowing together in an enchanted garden.

Hanging pots, trellis, vines	Mirror mirror on the wall…

Mirrors reflect the sun, radiating warmth into shady corners where plants bask in the glow. While not necessarily a permaculture principle the plants seem to thrive on the reflected warmth. A dozen or more mirrors placed in specific positions around the garden create a fairytale effect like Alice in Wonderland through the looking glass. Our own reflections looked back at us from a hedge, ‘windows’ into another dimension.

Lucinda offered to share her passion for permaculture with us, not only her knowledge but a tour of her delightfully laid out garden surrounds.

‘Permaculture is about the harmonious integration of landscape and people, providing their food, energy, shelter and other material and non-material needs in a sustainable way.’
Geoff Lawton, Permaculture Research Institute

‘What permaculturists are doing is the most important activity that any group is doing on the planet. We don’t know what the details of a truly sustainable future are going to look like, but we need options; we need people experimenting in all kinds of ways, and permaculturists are one of the critical gangs that are doing that.’
David Suzuki, International environmental activist

We all had a 25 page handout and Lucinda took us through ‘starting our new Permaculture garden – observing sun & shade, sector & zone analysis, composting and ongoing maintenance. Advance preparation of the garden site is really worth the effort. 2-5 years down the track, an established living area will largely take care of itself.

Lucinda’s garden combined nearly all 5 zones as she gradually encroaches on the common ground surrounding the townhouse complex which also backs onto a small reserve. She has promised that all in the complex may enjoy the fruits of her labours on that common ground.

Garden zones – banana circle	Swayles & ponds on side of house

Zone 0 = The House, an environmental zone where you spend the most time
Zone 1 = Kitchen Garden, garden area of highest activity and closest to the kitchen door
Zone 2 = Food Forest, hardy veggies and fruit trees, chooks and ducks
Zone 3 = Bush tucker, nut trees, large animals, bees, water systems like dams
Zone 4 = Structural Forest, timber grown for firewood, fencing, agroforestry
Zone 5 = Natural Forest, strips on the perimeter, wildlife corridors, bush regeneration.

Mandala garden using keyhole shaped beds to maximise space

The garden was a perfect example of design strategies for small space. We saw the Herb Spiral, expanding upwards instead of outwards and keyhole beds that minimise path area required. Back to back keyhole beds formed a mandala shaped with pliable edging. Every corner, every space was an example of how committed Lucinda has been to developing her own ‘space of love’. For those of you who have read ‘Anastasia’ you will know what I mean. If you haven’t yet stumbled across Anastasia, it is the blueprint for future sustainable living in harmony with nature and each other. At times the series of 9 books challenged my thinking so much I needed to put the current book down and walk away from it. Always to return and keep reading and wondering.. Just google Anastasia books, about a Russian recluse who is now world famous but still remains in her Taiga forests.

Pots resting in PVC pipes raw lunch – already started eating before I took pics!

After the garden tour we snuggled up in Lucinda’s lounge (it was bloody freezing that day!) and for an hour we were privileged as she ran through notes & posters & designs explaining the principles to us, with a cheeky sense of humour too! A very comprehensive, informative session and the notes we were given have been put together with so much thought even down to a page of how to re-use items in the garden (old shoes, carpet underlay, plastic cutlery, floppy disk containers..).

Next was our delicious raw lunch. Thanks to all the raw foodie folk who provided an abundance of fresh foods for us all. We are truly blessed.

PS. And I trust all the worms settled into their new homes? Lucinda has 2 worm farms densely populated with happy, fat worms and generously shared handfuls of wriggling healthy squigglies with Michel and Bryan on the proviso that they took good care of them.

Comments

[Cecilia]

You have created a Jewel-box of treasures. What an inspiration. Can I borrow a pic or two for my 'balcony garden dreaming' blog?