orchard swallowtail ..... what a beauty!
I've been a mad, keen (ok - mostly mad) gardener since childhood and I've been a passionate advocate for permaculture since I first heard of it (somewhere back in the early 1990s...) In 2010 I FINALLY managed to complete a PDC (a permaculture design certificate - the first baby steps in the permaculture world) and now I'm all set to revolutionise everything garden, farm and living here at sams creek....
Corymbia maculata (spotted gum) sheds its bark each November...
and there in the background is our funny little house....
and there in the background is our funny little house....
Our garden is a simple, practical affair with an emphasis on edibles and sustainability. It's a transitional space - a garden moving TOWARDS a self-sustaining, self-regulating, self-sufficient system.... not a show-piece or perfect example of a mature permaculture garden.
The main (house) garden is just under 2 acres where we have a small deciduous orchard, vegie garden with raised beds, berries and soft fruits, citrus, cottage gardens, and throughout the space there is a heavy accent on herbs.
The garden has a rhythm and cycle that changes with the seasons....
peach blossom and honeybee
Spring is the time of blossoms in the deciduous orchard, bulbs bloom in the cottage gardens, herbs return to full strength, and the mulberry trees are dripping in delicious fruits...
black mulberry mmmmmmmmm... delicious!
Early summer is a time of abundance and activity in the vegie gardens.... (mmmm... delicious salad greens)
the raised vegie beds - made from hardwood milled on the farm
In High summer it's time to harvest and preserve the garden goodies: that means daily chutney, pickle, jam sessions! (and more raspberries than you can point a small hungry child at... YUM!)
December and the peaches are not... quite ... ready... oooo I can't wait!
open pollinated hubbard squash....
Winter is the best time to see the bare bones of the space - and take in the waft of orange blossom. It's amazing see how productive a vegie plot can be even through sub-zero temperatures..... oh and winter is the best time see what new projects are emerging around the place!
morning dew on winter webs
I firmly hold that a garden is only ever a work in progress - never an end product .... and we're offering the creative process of our emerging permaculture paradise in that spirit of sharing....
Echinecia (purple coneflower)
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