We Are All Farmers PDC Student Presentation Spring 2014 for Friendship Gardens in Charlotte

Garinger High School Permaculture Design

Project

Alisa EspositoJoe HussAlex Livingston

Design Phase1 Observation

“Dozens of useful strategies may evolve from your first simple observations, and

the site begins to design itself.”

Key site Observationssoil poor drainage clay

compaction

run-off erosion rill

gullyspace slope a lot of water

Needed: Soil Building

• Hugelkultur Mounds• Mulching• Compost

Needed:Soil stabilization

• Cover crops • Grade the field to level• Redirect water into storage zones

Needed:Drainage & Water Storage• Berms

Direct Water• Swales

• Pond Store Water

• Water garden

Altogether…1. Hugelkultur, mulching, compost to

build soil2. Level field, plant cover crops to

stabilize soil3. Use berms and swales to manage

water

Design Phase II: Zonation

“Zoning is about correct placement- positioning things based on intensity of use; Zones can be

thought of as a series of concentric rings moving out from a center point, where human activity and need for attention is most concentrated, to where there is no need for intervention at all...”

Zone 1:

Education Area

Where permaculture principles are applied in creating a harmonious, sustainable environment in which to work, learn and play.Water

Storage

Area requiring frequent attention

and visiting.

Zone 2: Greenhouse Area Zone 1

Zone 2 Cover Crops

This is the wall of dirt outside the greenhouse door and to the south. The brown dotted lines represent the top and bottom of the sloped wall. These plants are edible, shade tolerant and will grow in poor soils on a steep slope.

Zone 3: Main Planting Beds

12 3

Features of

Plant Beds

1. Single Till: Till one time and not again; Do not step on planting areas to minimize compaction

2. Mulched: Add hay, straw, leaves, clippings; Allows soil food web to thrive, cools soil, prevents weeds

3. Low Hugelkultur: contributes to soil nutrients and irrigation is less necessary or unnecessary

4. Keyhole beds: located at the corners

Keyh

ole

More Features• 4. Orchard trail (trees and footpath)

along the periphery• 5. Center: Tree Guild, Seating, or Bed

125 ft

75 ft Center Circle

Profile: Field and Orchard Path

Water “The main concern is water, as it is both

the chief agent of erosion and the source of life for plants and animals.”

Water FeaturesGoal: Redirect excess water from Zone 3 to Zone 1, for storage in the pond.Strategy: Build up berm downhill from baseball field– 3 feet rise

• Direct water towards the pond with a ditch/stream.• Possibility: Build a bridge over the ditch or a dam to

further control water flow.