Design concepts and advice given to construct and edible forest garden in Greystanes

1. Design of an
Edible Forest Garden
in Greystanes
Paul Boundy
November 2013
Provide Environmental Advice To Clients

2. The Site
2

3. Context
State of the Planet
• Climate Change
• Peak Oil
• Peak phosphorous etc…
• Feeding 7.1 billion people
• GMO Health Threats
• Chemical pollution

4. Responses
• Reduce: fossil fuel use
• Reduce: food transport
• Reduce: industrial food
• Localise food growing & eating
• Support ecologically sustainable
methods of producing food
• Free Range
• Organic
• Permaculture
4

5. Ecologically Sustainable
Food Production
• Food growing systems that
• Mimic natural ecological systems
• Are natural ecological systems
Permaculture &
Edible Forest Gardening
• Forest layers
• Polycultures
• Perennial plants
• Nutrient cycling
• Pest predator support

6. Project Goals
• Empower a family to grow food sustainably
in their own backyard
• Employ sustainable design practices
• A successful garden
• Natives adapted to the region
6

7. Advice to the client
• Background on Permaculture
• Explanation of design decisions
• Support plants and their roles
• Drawings for implementation
• Cost estimate for materials & plants
• Installation instructions
• Maintenance guide
7

8. Design Constraints
• Clients experience
• Clients cultural heritage
• Budget $1000
• Available space
• One day to install
• Heavy clay soil
• Harsh climate:
• Low rainfall, Hot Summers
8

9. The Site
9

10. Design Concept Drawings

11. Site Analysis
Design Methodology
• Climate
• Rainfall 900mm/yr, Jan Max 28(+) oC, Jul Min 4 oC
• Zones and Sectors
• Herb & veg close to house
• Orchard further away
• House gives some winter morning shade
• Slope
• Little slope effect on sun, but drainage to west
• No signs of water accumulation or erosion
• Soil analysis
• Heavy clay below 10cm
• pH 6.5 Neutral
11

12. 1
Design Strategies
• Soil:
• Add gypsum & organic matter to break up clay
• Use plants adapted to clay soils: Banana, Mulberry, Pear
• Plant Layers for Banana Pawpaw Circle
• Banana, Pawpaw, Ginger, Sweet Potato, Pumpkin, Nasturtium
• Plant Layers for Micro Orchard
• Asian Pears, Mulberry, Blueberry, Strawberries, Blue flowering plants
Comfrey, Living Mulch (Lucerne, Barrel Medic, Red Clover).
• Reusing existing materials where possible
• Local compost/soil, roof tiles, freecycle bricks, rodent barrier,
sleepers, woodchips, local plants, portable gazebo,
cardboard bike boxes, newspaper, hessian bags.
• Natives for interest – Not local
• Davidson Plum, Finger Lime

13. 2
Design Strategies
• Creative assembly & aesthetic feel
• Bed and Path locations
• Ecological Plant Feeding
• Compost
• DA (Comfrey, Sorrel, Borage, Chamomile, Fennel, Nasturtiums)
• N2 Fixers (Lucerne, Clover, Cowpea, Barrel Medic)
• Flowering-Nectary plants for pest predators
•
•
•
•
Winter: Epacris longiflora, Native Sarsaparilla,
Spring: Asparagus, Dianella, Clover,
Summer: Borage, Chicory, Fennel, Comfrey, Strawberry
Autumn: Jerusalem artichoke, Chicory, Fennel
• Low maintenance
• Drip Irrigation, Perennial Plants
• Grass and weed suppression:
• Sheet mulching
• Barrier plants & Ground covers
• Weed mat under wood chip paths
13

14. Orchard Construction Steps
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Aerate grassed soil with forks
Spread rock dust & gypsum 1kg/m2 & water
Build raised bed borders with sleepers
Dig tree holes, add gypsum, return soil mixed
with new compost/soil mix
Stake location of centre of holes
Spread thin layer of compost/soil over whole area & water
Cover whole area with cardboard & water
Cover cardboard with compost/soil (~ 180mm)
Plant trees & water with Seasol
Cut cardboard if needed & plant all smaller plants incl comfrey
Spread living mulch seeds
Mulch with straw & water
14

15. Banana Circle Construction Steps
•
•
•
•
•
•
Similar to Orchard with the following exceptions
Dig 0.5m hole and circular mound for banana circle
Insert compost bin into hole
Add compost materials to compost bin
Cover whole area with composted matter 50-100mm
Plant bananas, Pawpaws and other plants

16. Implementation Video
High Resolution Video
• http://vimeo.com/79175436permablitzsydney/greystanes201
3highres
Low Resolution Video
• http://vimeo.com/79182475permablitzsydney/greystanes201
3lowres
16

17. Chaos & unplanned events
• Sleeper & soil selection adjusted by the client
• Moving materials to site
• Bike boxes, straw, compost bin, trees, plants, tools, irrigation
• Local native plants not obtained
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Children on site
Vegetable bed on a slope
No new organics placed under cardboard
Rodent barrier not installed
Path border improved during installation
Plant layout arranged by volunteers
Video camera A/C power not switched on & user error
No time for installing drip irrigation

18. Thank you
• Any Questions?

19. What would I do differently?
•
•
•
•
•
Add composted matter under cardboard to break up clay
Invite a dedicated video person
Spend more time selecting nectary plants & local natives
Attempt smaller projects or multistage the installation
Interact and inform the client more in the earliest stages to
encourage greater engagement and commitment.

20. References
• WorldOMeters, Current World Population,
http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/