The Lie of The Land

This reflection involves Starhawk’s Nine Ways of Observing, David Holmgren’s Twelve Permaculture Principles (written in red) and my own observations pertaining to both.

As suggested I begin with some I wonder questions:

I wonder why the winter jasmine leaves are drooping at one end of the garden whilst the others bushy plants are flourishing?

I wonder why the lone Egremont Russet apple remains resolutely attached to the spindly branch waving in the wind?

I wonder why I repeatedly neglect to observe my own internal landscape and yet remain completely surprised when it all comes crashing down!

For me permaculture isn’t an either or scenario, it is an encompassing web of patterns, elements and zones and ultimately a place where the internal and external landscapes meet.

In the summer this sit spot (just outside our back kitchen door) warms the body and soul and is a place where early morning breakfasts are enjoyed as the sun peeks over the horizon. By lunch time it is a game of moveable chairs, as we track the last of its rays following an arc over the house and into the front garden.

The human and fur energy flowing in and through this space encompasses several different tracks - from kitchen waste to compost bin, to the raised bed for the last remaining veggies, to my workroom where the larder fridge and freezer are also stored. Sadly the bird life in this space is practically non existent, despite leaving out well stocked bird feeders but in truth I’m not surprised as it’s ‘Cat City’ round here. In addition to our own cat we have frequent visits from our neighbour’s pet, my fault I know for encouraging him, but he is such a lovely marmalade colour with gorgeous ginger eyes. His name is Milton (named after Milton Erickson the father of clinical hypnosis) and we can set our clocks by his visits - 10am, 12pm, 3pm and 6pm!

Due to the configuration of buildings both neighbour’s and our own, there are pockets of shelter against the elements. However wind will always find a way through and as a result the plants and trees bend accordingly. This responding to change is a nature lesson worth remembering and I know from personal experience that when I am more flexible in a given situation the outcome is more beneficial.

Living in the North West of the UK there is always plenty of rain and we make good use of the free and precious resource with water butts and other containers dotted around the garden. The mulch on the purposefully degraded lawn provides not only a method of drainage but also preventing water loss during the summer months. Both the water storage and mulch are a practical example of Holmgren’s catch and store energy principle. This principle can also be applied in everyday life from batch cooking in a kitchen to making good use of time such as reading a book instead of mindlessly scrolling social media. As someone who lives with a chronic and disabling condition catching and storing energy is one of my go to management tools and woe betide me if I ignore this step!

When we moved here five years ago the back garden consisted of a lawn and three spindly trees plonked tightly together at the back. The back third was cleared to make way for an engineering workshop and the remaining lawn was mulched over and the trees carefully repositioned. Over the course of the five years they flourished and grew and yet despite the best of care didn’t produce one single fruit - we believe this was a result of no other companion fruiting plants within this area. Since space is a premium we made the difficult decision to let them go and start again.

Following Holmgren’s principle of produce no waste we placed the unwanted fruit trees on Freegle. One chap came from our nearby town of Lancaster to take an apple and cherry tree, both of which were going to the local community orchard near to him. Our son helped him dig them up and he shared stories of the work going on in our community back in our previous place. The other apple was taken by our neighbour’s Dad for his orchard and in return we were gifted a punnet of merry weather damsons, thus obtaining an unexpected yield!

The predominant pattern found within this space are the spirals formed by the Winter Jasmine. The tendrils are trained up the timber poles and yet some are determined to break free and forge their own path! A reminder here that it’s OK to be different, in fact nature positively encourages diversity, such a shame that the world hasn’t fully embraced that notion.

The plant is quite bushy at the bottom and even though the stems are not terribly thick it manages to retain its own structure. Each facet of the plant works together in unison - a community network of tendrils, leaves and tiny scented white flowers.

The spiral design makes good use of a small space, offers protection throughout the whole plant system and is another example of catch and store energy. What can I learn from this plant? That I can be productive even in the small spaces in which I find myself, either through my own health needs or that of my family. However learning to value the small things runs counter to today’s culture but when I seek small and slow solutions and look for the small joys and the small wins for each day, my whole being is nourished and restored.

Compared to our lovely neighbour’s garden our space appears slightly ramshackle but there is diversity in the chaos. Left over wood from an old joinery project lays dormant and whilst it is awaiting another purpose it becomes a haven for the wood lice burrowed underneath. The decaying sunflowers that once stood proud against the back garden wall have been placed in the middle in the hopes that they might attract the birds. Hanging baskets sit in a group of three along the perimeter as they never did make it up on to their brackets on the posts - another lesson in applying self regulation and feedback as it became apparent that watering would be just too difficult to maintain when both gardeners were struggling with the excessive heat in August! Right at the edge where the mulch meets the patio, fronds of determined grass grow and so our lovely tabby cat Poppy is provided for during spells of tummy ache due to the dratted ‘fur balls.’ One system providing for another through the use of renewable resources.

Our original plan was to mulch the lawn so that we could grow veggies alongside fruit trees. It soon became obvious that this was not going to work: the previous owner had tipped a demolished garage onto the lawn, followed by geo textile and eight inches of top soil. It was hard work re-planting those trees ,digging out the rubbish before back filling with manure and compost before adding soil. In spite of this the apple tree (soon to be followed by fruit bushes and other trees), rhubarb, fig tree and winter jasmine are thriving.

The principle of the problem is the solution is key here and so we changed our plans accordingly. Pippa Chapman also known as @thoseplantpeople on Instagram has recently written a book, ‘A plant lovers back yard forest garden,’ and so we are in the processes of turning this patch into a productive permaculture inspired space -

Low Tree Layer - apple (James Greave and Egremont Russet), fig and Merry Weather Damson

Shrub Layer - elderberry, redcurrant and wild blackberry

Herb Layer - rhubarb and culinary herbs such as rosemary, lemon balm and mint

Ground Cover Layer - strawberries and nasturtiums

Vine Layer - winter jasmine and patty pan squash

Root Layer - potatoes, garlic and onions

The added limit of variable health problems on my part also meant that I needed a space that was fairly self reliant and did not require much input from me, hence the forest layer inspired design. In addition my husband who is a wheelchair user also wanted to be as involved as possible, so as an interim measure a wheelchair accessible raised bed was built using reclaimed railway sleeper timbers to the left of this garden area. This year we have eaten carrots, strawberries, lettuces and onions from that plot and winter flowering broccoli is also doing quite well.

It’s been a day of grey skies and intermittent rain. The wind (south easterly) whistles around me and although I am wearing several layers it still manages to work its way between the fibres and chill to the bone. The dampness clings heavy in the air. The late autumn hydrangea, stalwart roses, sunflowers and fuchsia just visible in the front garden along the drive provide some much needed cheer.

Everything blooms in its own time and cannot be rushed. Some plants have a long blooming season and others are quite short. A reminder not to hurry the process of learning and ultimately making the right sustainable employment choice. What’s that saying - fools rush in where Angels fear to tread? I have plenty of experience of rushing in with a very mixed bag of results! My hope is to turn this piece of land into an integrated system, where diversity is valued and no waste is produced and to likewise apply these same strategies in a work based design.

Previous photos of this place identified a typical manicured back lawn with flower borders either side and rhododendron bushes at the back. When the previous owners took over they demolished the garden and garage and placed instead a patio and lawn. I must admit the patio was a real help when it came to the installation of a ramp for my husband and thankfully this space is now fully wheelchair accessible. Despite all the varying limiting factors both in our internal and external landscapes, the garden continues to provide varying yields and we continue to learn and grow as a family. I am reminded of that phrase; “ One of the most radical and revolutionary things you can do is grow your own food and eat from the land.” Let the revolution begin :-)