Shared gardens can often be boring and largely featureless spaces, which, in attempting to please everyone, actually please no-one. These spaces have to do a lot. But careful collaboration between all stakeholders or garden users can create truly abundant, productive and beautiful spaces. This is my design for a garden in Scotland shared by fourContinue reading “Case Study: Shared Tenement Garden”
Tag Archives: permaculture design
Building Natural Capital
When you think about how wealthy you are, you might think about bricks and mortar property, possessions, and money in the bank. But it is important to understand that wealth comes also from the natural world around us. Whether on your own property, in your community, or in your broader environment, building natural capital isContinue reading “Building Natural Capital”
Case Study: Zone 9 Permaculture Plan
This is a permaculture plan for a lot in Orlando, Florida. Orlando is in USDA planting zone 9b, experiencing hot, humid summers which can make growing a challenge, but also offering the enviable opportunity to grow cool season crops over the winter months. This is an ideal location for the creation of a food forest,Continue reading “Case Study: Zone 9 Permaculture Plan”
Case Study: Maximalist City Garden
The inside of the client’s home is a riot of colour and pattern, with something different to look at everywhere you turn. The client has their home exactly how they want it – as fodder for their creativity and inspiration for their artistry. But they struggled to determine how to translate their preferred aesthetic intoContinue reading “Case Study: Maximalist City Garden”
Maximalism in Garden Design
Recently, I was introduced to a term which I was not particularly familiar with before: maximalism. This is a concept with says that more is more. It is the antithesis of minimalist design. This is a concept I like, and which works well with my usual style when it comes to garden design. I mightContinue reading “Maximalism in Garden Design”
Holistic Planning is Essential When Planting Trees
I recently wrote an article for Treehugger on why plastic guards should not be used in tree planting. I know that a lot of people do wonder about how to ensure the survival of trees when planting, so today, I thought I would write a little bit about this topic. Plastic guards are not theContinue reading “Holistic Planning is Essential When Planting Trees”
Sustainability: Institutions Can Make a Big Difference
Much sustainable progress in my area is driven by the work at St. Andrews University (where I studied). I live quite close by, and have been largely impressed by the progress on a number of fronts that has been made since I studied there. Their meadows project is one of the latest big things. InstitutionsContinue reading “Sustainability: Institutions Can Make a Big Difference”
Case Study: Community Garden
This case study (from last month) is a concept for an existing community garden in north eastern Scotland, which wishes to improve the smaller existing space and expand into an adjacent site. The area shown to the west of the site, with the annual beds, currently has a number of raised beds. This design maximisesContinue reading “Case Study: Community Garden”
Case Study: Healing, Herbal Perennial Garden
This is the concept design for a domestic forest garden and herbal garden for a ‘wise woman’ in Northern England. The client approached me to come up with a design which would provide as many perennial food sources and as many culinary and healing herbs as possible. She plans to set up a workshop atContinue reading “Case Study: Healing, Herbal Perennial Garden”
Case Study: Senegal Permaculture Masterplanning
This is a permaculture masterplan for the early stages of a community project for an NGO in Senegal. The design work is ongoing, but this is an initial regenerative landscape design for the land in question, which some may find interesting. The primary goal of the project is to create a thriving community space whereContinue reading “Case Study: Senegal Permaculture Masterplanning”