How do you put something like this together? One plant at a time, of course, but there are some basic principles to keep in mind.
When people think about http://www.wvwnews.net/story.php?id=2602 something else.
There are four major http://www.wvwnews.net/story.php?id=649 on my garden philosophy.
1. The Japanese farmer Masanobu Fukuoka, author of the One Straw Revolution, who first began to spread the word about “no till farming” in the 1970s. More information about the Fukuoka farming movement can be found on line at FukuokaFarmingol.net.
2. Permaculture, as presented by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren, about which more will be said presently. For further information about permaculture, there are a number of links in the forest gardening section of my website page, www.bettertimes.info.org.
3. My belief in the importance of living http://www.wvwnews.net/story.php?id=1083 on the land comes from my religious faith which teaches me that it is my moral duty to be a responsible steward of earth’s resources. The average urban landscape wastes a tremendous amount of water and uses incredible amounts of chemical fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides, and fossil fuels, and destroying the land is not a way to be a responsible steward. There has to be a better way, and that is what I am looking for.4. I am a fourth generation Oklahoman who grew up on a farm, and from my earliest years I learned to appreciate the goodness of food that is grown close to home. The wisdom of our Oklahoma ancestors remains as important and relevant today as it was during the Depression. Growing food is a way to both create wealth and conserve resources, while at the same time adding greatly to the quality of one’s life.
Over the last 3 going on 4 years, I have gradually changed the landscaping to the point that last summer I had over 100 different varieties of useful or edible plants growing, 2/3rds of them perennials.
DESIGN PHILOSOPHY
I am not a trained landscaper nor do I have long experience with designing edible landscapes. I am basically making this up as I go along, and I am always learning new things, by studying available materials, by applying basic principles, and also by making mistakes and successes. There is nothing quite like putting plants and seeds into the ground to teach a person important lessons.
Remember the old story about the way to boil a frog is to simply increase the heat very slowly so that he doesn’t notice he’s about to become soup? This is the way our food system has deteriorated, one little step at a time our sensibilities have become so degraded that we actually will pay money for a tasteless, watery supermarket tomato that was picked green, shipped thousands of miles and then gassed to turn red. Unfortunately, the gas doesn’t do anything for the taste.
To get away from this, one solution is for me to grow more food myself, to create wealth from my labor, the soil, and plants.
So I think about a forest. We can easily find 7 different layers: (1) mature canopy trees, (2) under story trees, (3) shrubs and bushes, (4) ground covers, (5) climbing vines, (6) roots, and (7) herbs and smaller plants. There is also a much less visible “layer” (or perhaps population would be a better word) of micro flora and fauna, busily at work, as well as insects, worms, and other wildlife, all of which contributes to the greater whole around them.
My lot, which measures about 220′ by 85′ and has a house, duplex, and detached garage on it, is not big enough for a lot of mature canopy trees. The two mature elms I started with were taken down by ice storms over the last 3 years. I do have one mature pecan tree in back, but my neighbors across the street have mature trees. The closest thing in nature that I can think of to describe my situation is “forest edge”, the place where the trees thin out and become prairie. Lots of light, yet some dappled shade here and there.
For under story trees I am planting semi dwarf fruit trees. I expect to add another 4 trees or so (I have been having failures 2 years in a row in getting apricot trees to start, I would like 2 apricot trees and 2 sour cherry trees).
I have a number of shrubs and bushes and plans to add more. Currently I have Oregon grape, blackberries, bush cherries, elderberries, clove currants, high bush cranberry, and aronia. I have lots of different kinds of smaller plants and herbs, many perennial, some annual. Ground covers include the chocolate and lemon mints, plus I have planted clover and vetch everywhere as cover crops. Climbing vines include grapes and luffas, dewberries, boysenberries, and I plan to add passion flower. Roots include onions, shallots, day lilies, potatoes, and sweet potatoes.
How do you put something like this together? One plant at a time, of course, but there are some basic principles to keep in mind. I’ll list 15 of them here. Most of them are derived from lists that can be found in most texts on permaculture and natural farming, plus my own personal experiences.
http://distributist.blogspot.com/2008/04/growing-beautiful-edible-landscape-in.html
A Western Voices reader in Texas says: If you haven’t planted, plant now.
I just returned from Kroger (one of our local grocery store chains) where I spent $1.00 each for large navel oranges. I even called the manager over, saying this is a mistake and he said it was not.
Orange trees are fairly easy to grow. They don’t take freezing too well.
What would be nice is if whites could ship things to each other that don’t grow well in their territory.
Right now, the okra is doing well, the tomatoes are up, the green beans are flourishing and the onions are getting big. Just plant yourself stuff that does well in your area. Fertilize with (I like) organic fertilizer and if the dirt is too tough, add some potting soil around the plants.
Starbucks gives their coffee grounds away and I use these to mulch citrus trees and vegetables. It also loosens the soil up when you till it in.
Recycle all your kitchen scraps such as eggshells, grounds, peelings, orange rinds, banana peels, etc. in a compost heap in the garden and use it to top off or till in.
Composting is a pile, alternate kitchen refuse with dirt and green stuff like grass clippings and water every now and then to help break it down. You can also buy compost accelerator which is granular and has enzymes and stuff in it. Even logs, limbs, leaves, will all compost.