Back in the winter of 2022 we were asked to come and have a look at this project in the Northern Suburbs of Sydney. This property was a standard Australian suburban block with some established gardens, lawns, and a swimming pool on a quarter acre or 1000 square meters. While this had served the family well in the past the pool was now rarely used, and the owners were keen to be growing more food in their backyard. They had already arranged for the pool to be demolished and filled in and had a very thoughtful permaculture design done by Laurie at https://www.growgathergraze.com/.
This project was implemented in stages with homeowners were very much involved in the whole process. I really enjoy working in this way and find it often results in the most productive gardens at the lowest cost. We are contracted to implement some of the trickier elements such as raised wicking garden beds, chicken coop and swale layout and the clients will do parts of the project like mulching, filling beds with soil, planting, and the ongoing maintenance.
The most amazing thing on this project has been the rapid growth of all the plant life. I put this down to a combination of good design, implementation of passive water harvesting like wicking beds and swales and careful maintenance by the homeowners through regular interactions in the garden and production of ample amounts of compost. I am always excited to be invited back to this project to help implement a new stage of the design and have loved seeing the rapid transformation from a regular backyard to a permaculture patch brimming with food production.
The greatest change we need to make is from consumption to production, even if on a small scale, in our own gardens. If only 10% of us do this, there is enough for everyone.
“An introduction to permaculture”. Book by Bill Mollison, 1991.
permaculture patch Back in the winter of 2022 we were asked to come and have a look at this project in the Northern Suburbs of Sydney. This property was a standard Australian suburban block with some established gardens, lawns, and a swimming pool on a quarter acre or 1000 square meters. While this had served the family well in the past the pool was now rarely used, and the owners were keen to be growing more food in their backyard.
“The greatest change we need to make is from consumption to production, even if on a small scale, in our own gardens. If only 10% of us do this, there is enough for everyone. Hence the futility of revolutionaries who have no gardens, who depend on the very system they attack, and who produce words and bullets, not food and shelter.” – Bill Mollison
“An introduction to permaculture”. Book by Bill Mollison, 1991.
Animals play a crucial role in sustainable and permaculture systems and are a great thing to add to a suburban permaculture backyard. They help to create closed loops by converting Kitchen scraps, weeds, bugs and insects and garden bed trimmings into eggs, meat, and manure.
Building a greener future, one project at a time.
Tierra Projects acknowledges the traditional owners of Gai-Mariagal country on whose unceded lands we live and work. We acknowledge their frontier wars, their fallen warriors and their elders past present and emerging.
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