The backyard

Here are some more raised beds getting ready for planting. I've spent ages walking around the backyard trying to work out sun angles, possible chook run locations, trying to think up permaculture applications etc etc. I still don't have a full plan, but at least have made a start. These raised no-dig beds should get plenty of sun year round.

The other pictures show the rest of the backyard. We'd love to get a chookrun down the track if I can just work out how to build one, and where to build one.

Planning the chookrun and fruit / nut trees is much harder than it looks. There's limited space for vegies, trees, chooks as well as a play area for Meika and Zekie. The ground slopes downward to the South, so the shadow from the house hangs across the middle of the yard for a substantial amount of winter hours. In the afternoon, shade comes from trees to the right of the backyard. Vegies and fruit trees love the sun, so they all need to be placed just right.

Some of the existing trees have been put in akward locations. But we can't just go around pulling out trees. Max, our dog (in heaven now) literally ate a couple of trees. You can see a stump in the picture with the shed. It used to be as high as the tree next to it before Max got to it.

Next to the balcony may be a place for vegies that like little sun, like some varieties of spinach.

To dig or not to dig?

A really appealling idea is the no-dig garden. The way it works is to make some type of raised garden bed with bricks, logs or whatever is available. Then add a layer of newspaper to cover the grass and then layers of lucerne and compost. Then the layers decompose and make a lovely 'soil' for the garden. That's the idea anyway. I'm not too sure about all of that newspaper ink going into my organic garden so I've put off that idea for now. Instead we have some raised garden beds with pig poo, straw and sugar cane mulch. I've covered it all with sheets to try to kill off the grass before planting into it.

Permaculture, by ABC Gardening Australia

This DVD is absolutely fantastic. It's given us heaps of ideas for our backyard. I thought permaculture was some 'airy fairy' concept, but it was just so simple and practical. Wow, this stuff is really fantastic. The only thing I'd have like is some more detail in some of the areas, but I guess that's where mr google comes in.

If you would like to borrow it, just let us know.

Mustard

The mustard is our first success. Mustard really is a delightful herb, because it grows so easily and tastes so great. It's a bit like rocket, with a bit more kick. And, it can go on just about anything. We've been eating a little most days for the past 2 weeks.

Karena is picking some mustard for the burritos.

Zekie

Here's Zekie with Alex. Zekie is playing the 'big guitar'.

Getting started

I really don't know what I'm doing, but here's a start. This part of the front yard was grass. I dug it over, and dug in straw and pig manure.

I used some bricks left over in the back shed and bordered it off for a bit of a 'raised bed' effect.

Then I planted parsnip seeds. Apparently they take about 6-8 weeks to even show up so it will be a while before we know if they are a success.