Regenerating Native Oak Woodland: Holistic Permaculture Design

Here you can see my concept design for a site of approximately 2.5 acres in the California interior chaparral and woodlands ecoregion. It is located within an area where blue oak woodland predominates but the site itself has been degraded by human activity and largely denuded of its native vegetation cover. The client’s primary goalContinue reading “Regenerating Native Oak Woodland: Holistic Permaculture Design”

Commercial Agroforestry – Vietnam Permaculture Design

This is the initial part of a design for a commercial farm in Vietnam, where the owner wishes to implement agroforestry and permaculture principles to improve carbon sequestration and sustainability on site, and boost biodiversity, while also earning an income as a viable business. Slow, Steady Solutions for Sustainable Transition A work in progress, thisContinue reading “Commercial Agroforestry – Vietnam Permaculture Design”

Colorado Permaculture Design: Mountain Garden Design

Perched high in the mountains, this Colorado homestead in the case study concept plan above has some truly stunning views. But the owners were unsure where to start when developing plans for their steeply sloping site. They wanted to make sure that they could use the land for recreation and for food production, while alsoContinue reading “Colorado Permaculture Design: Mountain Garden Design”

Coastal Foraging Garden Design: Balancing Aesthetics and Edible Yields

Coastal gardens can often be challenging, with strong, salt-laden winds and perhaps very light and sandy soils. This fairly small coastal garden in Eastern Scotland is currently an under-used space, an area of grass south of a coastal cottage, with a coastal path running along low, craggy cliffs on its southern side. The Typical ChallengesContinue reading “Coastal Foraging Garden Design: Balancing Aesthetics and Edible Yields”

Permaculture Design for a Wildlife-Friendly Scottish Garden

You do not have to have a massive garden to make a big difference for local wildlife. This is my design for a garden in West Lothian, in Scotland’s ‘Central Belt’. The client approached me because they wanted to turn the lawned, boggy area next to their new-build home into a wildlife haven for theirContinue reading “Permaculture Design for a Wildlife-Friendly Scottish Garden”

Virginia Permaculture Design: Native Plants, Forest Garden, Mandala Garden

This is a garden design for the ridge and valley ecoregion of Virginia, incorporating plenty of native plant species and primarily aims to: This concept design, for which I have also delivered a full planting plan, incorporates a wide range of plants native to the eco-region, within a range of different ecosystem types. Alongside someContinue reading “Virginia Permaculture Design: Native Plants, Forest Garden, Mandala Garden”

Native Plant Family Garden Design in Hawthorne, California

This is the first part of my design for a family in Hawthorne, California, a part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. I am currently working on the planting plans for each of the areas shown on this plan and am close to completing the more detailed design. In this design, family-life is central. TheContinue reading “Native Plant Family Garden Design in Hawthorne, California”

Case Study: Washington DC Permaculture Plan

In this case study for a family garden in Washington DC, water takes centre stage. Craving an aquatic idyll, the clients requested a garden with a waterfall, lazy river and natural swimming pool, taking advantage of a natural depression in the back yard. A native plant-filled rain garden completes the watery picture – keeping waterContinue reading “Case Study: Washington DC Permaculture Plan”

Case Study: Utah Permaculture Design

The above design is my initial concept plan for a client in Utah. One of the primary goals for this design was to manage water wisely on the property, catching and storing as much as possible from the retained hillside to the north, as well as from the home itself. The design aims to preventContinue reading “Case Study: Utah Permaculture Design”

Case Study: Montana Permaculture Design

Montana is a varied state with diverse eco-regions, incorporating parts of the Rockies, of course, as well as some of the Wyoming Basin and portions of the Northern Great Plains. This design is for a client based towards the south-west of the state, in a mesic montane area where small fragments of stable, climax AspenContinue reading “Case Study: Montana Permaculture Design”