Slow down and really see your land
When I first found permaculture I was so excited and wanted to get started right away. But there are a lot of reading and understanding to be done before the hands on work starts. I suspect thats why permaculture hasn´t spread to the general public - it takes a bit of effort.
I always lived closed to nature being raised in Tornevalley - hunting, farming and foraging (mushrooms, berries etc). But I didnt realize how much I too was a product of todays society. When I was learning about permaculture it didnt take long before I came across the advice:
" Take a year and just study your land"
I just groaned internally. Thats forever long! I wanted to get started right away ! But, we had just moved in to the house, it was august and we were just renting - so all the ideas I had for what needed to be done had to wait. And now a year has almost passed. End of june is when we saw this place the first time. Thats not far off now.
The first pieces of the puzzle
One of the first things I came across was Yeomans keyline scale of permanence. If you ever heard of keyline design most people think about water and water management but really its just a way of looking at energy capture and distribution. I will talk more about that later. For now, lets have a look at the scale of permanence.
So, at the top you have climate - the climate you have, you have, you cant do much to change or influence that. Land shape, same thing there - you can do some things but the land has a certain elevation etc. Water - it comes down as rain or snow, you cant control how much or when (but you can control where it goes with swales etc ). So, the further down the scale you come the easier and less effort it takes to change.
So, I wanted to know - what do I got to work with? I know this property is in climate zone 4a (it used to be 3a but that changed). The land shape - what does it look like?
Just by using google satelite (the picture of the property is old so I photoshoped it a bit to look more accurate) and the terrain map version ( I took a screenshot of both and used Photoshop to merge them together) I got a crude topographic map. The thick white lines in the picture is from the terrain map. Then I added the smaller white lines, they are not super accurate since its just from my observation of what the land around the house looks like. But, the land slants downward from the house. Where the lines are closer together the slant is steeper. With this picture I can see how water moves on the property. Because water moves downhill, always 90 degrees to contour, with a topographic map you can figure out where the water is going.
![topographic_zoomed in.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmSEt34Vk3EyuLQGR9GxiB8NKw77VsqRFiUdev2bfx8TFv/topographic_zoomed%20in.jpg)
If this was our property I would have added swales so that the water wouldnt run off the property as fast. The swales collects the water and gives it time to soak in to the soil rather than to run off . But its not ours so we wont put any money or energy into changing the land but I can still work with this information. I know where the water runs off - what plants cant stand being water clogged - what plants benefits from a lot of water ?
![layout.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://steemitimages.com/DQmPz4cwyqyFdv7pcp4DihnxfmpS5eESCtG5NNw4oyVrp7v/layout.jpg)
I made this picture next and after have spent almost a year now really looking at the land - where does the sun come up, how does it travel on the land (what plants require full sun, which ones likes the shade), where does the water run off (what plants require alot of moist, which ones want dryer soil), where are the protected spots that can serve as a micro climate (you can plant things that has a higher hardiness zone than your overall climte in those) and so on - I have a plan for what to do next. The land will tell you how to best piece everything together and where to plant what.
What this year has taught me
Nature is our best teacher. We just have to slow down enough to take in what she has to teach us. All the clues are there if you just take the time to learn and really see it.
I was surprised how out of touch I was. Because I didnt have much choice, I couldnt jump in to action I was forced to observe. I took pictures and and made both mental notes and actual notes about things I saw. It opened up my understanding in a whole new way. If we want to live sustainable its better to work with nature and mimic what nature is already doing. Food forests that build soil is one of the best examples, you create it as a functioning ecosystem that within a couple of years will be selfsustaining. It wont need you.
Our plans of how to transform this traditional lawn and non-edible plant garden into something entierly different (without driving our landlords bonkers) will be the next part of this article. But having the knowledge and understanding I gone over in this one had to be in place before the next step.
Thanks for reading! <3
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Oh wow, thank you!! Thats so amazing * big hug *
Excellent post! Graphics very clear and easy to read/understand.
Thank you! Thats so great to hear, I really appriciate the feedback! :)
I know it was hard to wait but, in the long run, you made the best decision. Better to wait a year than to rush into projects that cannot be undone! I'm looking forward to watching the progress.
Yeah sooo hard to wait and do nothing, but like you said, it pays of in the long run! Thanks! Next part will be here shortly :)
this is an excellent post, I really felt like I was coming home when I first discovered permaculture so I can totally relate to you. Slowing down is so important and nature is by far our best teacher. Such good advice in here. Resteemed and really happy to find you @elfmyselfandi
Awe thats so great to hear, thank you! Yeah I had the very same feeling, like coming home. When me and my husband found it we said to eachother its like we got a name for all the ideas we already had but even more complete way of looking at things.
Thank you for the resteem! I appriciate it, and yes, its so great to connect with others within the permaculture community. Thats another thing I love, everyone sharing and helping eachother out!
You're right learning your land first is hard. I was the same way I just wanted to get started. Looks like you got a good plan. Can't wait to see the progression.
Yeah it really surprised me how much of a difference it made. Its hard to not jump right in but im so greatful I had to wait. Thanks, I cant wait to share it too :D
Literally probably the best post I've seen on permaculture here on steem.
Perhaps I should heed your advice and slow way down. It seems I've done everything wrong lol
Aw thank you! Thats so great to hear :D
But its understandable, spring is here (where you live atleast, here its still a lot of snow lol) and its the time to put things into the ground etc. But when you´re at the house have a look at what time it is, where the sun is - that alone will go a long way. It looks like your yard is fairly flat so water shouldnt pile up anywhere and cause trouble. But have a peak at google maps - the terrain view and it will give you a rough idea of what it looks like :)
I think I could use my late father in law's tripod laser level to get a survey of the land. But it is mostly flat. Probably less than 3 feet of decline over the 150 foot square lot. It drains to a drainage ditch at the front of the property. If I wanted water to stay on property, it would be pretty easy.
I think I'm gonna go ahead and plant the beds I've already dug. Other than that, I'm gonna read more.
The place where I've got beds has morning sun til about 10 a.m. then half sun the rest of the day. From 10a.m. on, the other side of the yard has full sun. You've got me contemplating a food forests over there, but that would require a lot more time to research. That's where I intend to keep chickens, rabbits, and kids for now.
Ohh not many that has one of those! But yeah if it seems mostly flat just having a peek at google terrain should be enough. Yeah, sounds like it :)
Sounds like a good plan, you already put in the work! :)
Oh cool, yeah we are preparing to get a food forest started in the back. This year we will lay down a goat poop/straw mix that we are getting from one of Brocks friends and on top wood chips Brock scored us for free (from a company that takes down trees for ppl). So, that will be our foundation.
I been watching this dude (he kinda do the rapper thing with his hands while he talks haha but good information) This video shows how he starts a new food forest on his property, so I found that super interesting to see how its done
That is amazingly pertinent. Is that similar to the stuff I was reading about a cardboard base with organic matter on top? Cause I'm about to have a metric crap ton of cardboard from moving.
My place is chock full of violets lol
the no dig garden has a similar structure but the foundation for the food forest is fewer layers. Cardboard or carpenters paper, compost and then wood chips on top.
hehe thats good, you could use the cardboard and get started :D
Okay, cool. This is giving me more ideas. I think the cardboard will definitely be used for that. It'll be a good way to get rid of it while also making a lot less mowing in our yard.
Looking at it today, I saw it better than I have yet. I saw a good place with plenty of sun that I'm going to keep an eye on as a possibility. I'll have to source some wood chips.
I wonder if oak leaves would be a viable addition, I'll have an over abundance of oak leaves this fall.
Great assessment. I also took a year to observe our land. Actually it is more like a year and a half.
Concerning growing zones, one thing I am not betting on is that the current growing zones will stay the same or go higher. Although the media keeps telling us to be alarmed about global warming, there is a fair bit of evidence that we may be back into a cooling cycle.
This year Edmonton had the most overnight lows below zero in a row ever at 167 (although tonight we might finally be done with the streak). It only takes one extremely cold year to kill plants that are borderline cold hardy.
I am focusing mainly on perennials that will be hardy to zone 3 instead of zone 4 (will still have some 4) so I will have some buffer if temperatures return to historical norms.
Thanks! :D Mm its quite incredible how much you learn about your land just by observing it :)
Yeah I was a bit surprised to hear that it used to be 3 and now it was 4. Yeah I wasnt too pleased with the snowfall this morning and I heard about that below zero streak. Im happy its over and moving towards warmer weather, Im so ready for it!
Its such a contrast to 2016 when all the snow was gone in february, but there was a lot of fires that year.
That sounds like a great plan, that way you´re set no matter what. We will plant some sea buckthorn here just to try out and see what it is to care for them, but other than that we will have mostly regular vegetable crops during the summer (since its not our land). And beside okra we dont really have any plants that requires higher than 3 or 4. But I will definitely keep what you said in mind for when we get our place.
That sounds like a good plan. We also didn't want to invest too much into someone else's land. We did have some small perennials like chives, mint and sorrel that we just dug up and took with us. :)
Yeah, i know its a real good learning experiance and it makes it possible for us to afford it right now. But there are so many things I want to do and plant, its a bit frustrating at times that the time and effort wont benefit our future. But yeah, doing like you did and just take them with you is a good plan! :D
Awesome advice! I'm glad to see you taking the time to absorb and learn from nature.. its definitely difficult for many of us to get used to slowing down again. At least for me I remember it was the norm when I was a kid. Now its like learning to walk again :) The scale of permanence was a good refresher for me, I haven't done a design project in a little while now.. thanks!
Yeah and you dont always realize that you´re caught up in the faster pace of society. I thought I was quite connected with nature but this last year have shown me it wasnt entierly true.
Yes! As kids we were always outside and played, we were allowed to watch cartoons on saturday morning (when it was on) an thats it.
Absolutley, Im happy to hear that my article was valuable both for newbies like myself and veterans like you :D
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