In the northern hemisphere, the summer solstice marks a moment of profound significance — the sun reaches its highest point in the sky, and we enjoy the longest day of the year. For millennia, people have celebrated this turning point, recognising it as a time of abundance, growth, and potential. But beyond its cultural andContinue reading “Summer Solstice – Design Reflections for the Longest Day”
Tag Archives: sustainability
Maine Permaculture Design: Sustainable Food Production & Ecosystem Restoration
This is my design for a property of approximately 2 – 2.5 acres in Maine, USDA zone 5a. Like many of my designs, the starting point for this project was the desire of the property owners to increase the amount of food that they grow for themselves and their neighbours. They were also excited toContinue reading “Maine Permaculture Design: Sustainable Food Production & Ecosystem Restoration”
Shared Garden Design: Landscape Design for Sustainable Shared Spaces
Shared gardens can often be challenging and underutilised spaces. But even when people do not agree on every detail, a space can still serve to meet multiple needs while also being a boon to local wildlife. This design for a client in Glasgow, Scotland, aims to overcome the challenges of this largely shaded shared garden.Continue reading “Shared Garden Design: Landscape Design for Sustainable Shared Spaces”
Garden Design Tip: Value Other ‘Gardeners’ in Your Outside Space
I am the main human gardener on our property, but I am far from being the only one who does things and makes choices that influence what happens in the garden. One important thing that human gardeners need to remember is that they are not gardening alone. Any human gardener is just one of aContinue reading “Garden Design Tip: Value Other ‘Gardeners’ in Your Outside Space”
London Landscape Design – Sustainable Design for a Steeply Sloping Family Garden
This design aims to make the most of this sloping site in South East London, while creating a biodiverse, ecologically complex, beautiful and productive family space. The design aims to incorporate plenty of wildlife-friendly and child-friendly features while also ensuring effective and efficient water management and diverse food production for a resilient and sustainable wayContinue reading “London Landscape Design – Sustainable Design for a Steeply Sloping Family Garden”
Raised Beds: Garden Design Tips
Raised beds are a common feature in many productive garden designs, and when used wisely, they can be an incredibly effective solution for growing food. But they are not always the right choice for every space or situation. As with all elements in a permaculture design, it’s essential to assess your specific needs and contextContinue reading “Raised Beds: Garden Design Tips”
California Permaculture Design: Drought-tolerant, Ecoregional Permaculture Landscape Design
This concept design for a property in Livermore, California aims to provide plans for the creation of a beautiful, regenerative landscape that provides for many of the needs of the family who live here while also catering for wildlife and ecological health and improving the biodiversity of the site. Ecoregional Design Within the Livermore HillsContinue reading “California Permaculture Design: Drought-tolerant, Ecoregional Permaculture Landscape Design”
Spring Gardening With Little Time to Spare
Like most people these days, I find I have a long list of things to do, and little time in which to do them. (Hence the delay in updating this website.) Spring is a very busy time of year for me as a permaculture garden designer and consultant, and also a busy time for meContinue reading “Spring Gardening With Little Time to Spare”
Cornwall School Farm Permaculture Design
As well as working on designs for private properties, I also work on community projects. This is something that is very important to me, since I am very much aware of the criticisms of permaculture relating to its inaccessibility for many… and seek, where I can, to remove potential barriers. Permaculture offers concepts and designContinue reading “Cornwall School Farm Permaculture Design”
Spiral Form Gardens: Beyond Basic Herb Spirals
If you are familiar with my writing and designs, you will likely also be familiar with the concept of a herb spiral. This idea, extremely popular in permaculture circles, involves creating a pyramidal, spiral-form raised bed to grow a range of herbs that like different growing conditions in a relatively small area. However, the potentialContinue reading “Spiral Form Gardens: Beyond Basic Herb Spirals”
EWSP Consultancy 