Careel Bay
NSW, Australia // Latitude 33°S // Elevation 10m // 688 sqm
Lots of potential in this beautiful Avalon garden. A few design notes:
The garden is heavily sloped. Addition of plants will stabilise soil, thereby reducing erosion potential.
Generation of biomass needs to be considered so the garden, in time, may provide its own inputs. Woody and leafy biomass can be used in the Hugelkultur bed in order to create and build soil.
The addition of swales will slow and store more water in the soil. Addition of water tanks will reduce and hopefully eliminate mains water use over time. Swales also serve as much needed access paths.
Ponds are an important addition for biodiversity and pest control. Bring back the FROGS!
Raised planter beds should be added for the growing of annual veggies and herbs.\
Plants should be a mixture of native and exotic species that will provide for food, medicinal, and herbal needs of inhabitants. Plants should also provide for needs of wildlife, adding diversity above and below the ground. Some notable inclusions were:
A lovely mix of fruit trees (Mulberry, Grapefruit, Finger Lime, Lime and Lemon).
Key support species including nitrogen fixers (Myrtle Wattle and Wild Indigo) along with scented shrubs like Native Thyme, Native Oregano, Wild Rosemay (Olearia axillaris) and Rosemary which are great in cooking and will provide valuable pest control.
Small native edible shrubs like Ruby Saltbush and Midyim Berry.
Some beautiful and colourful flowering species like Wax Flower, Correa Reflexa, Honey Myrtle and multiple varities of Tea Tree.
Ground covers like Creeping Boobialla and Leptospermum Pink Cascade. These provide erosion and weed control along with habitat for lizzards and the like.
Like all Permaculture gardens it is our goal to provide for our needs whilst benefiting the environment as a whole. This means selecting a mix of species that provide habitat, attract pollinators, stabilise soil and build fertility.
By designing in this way we are enhancing ecosystem function: increasing photosynthetic activity which improves water and mineral cycling along with biodiversity.
