Before and After

The first picture was taken my first day in Fettercairn. The second picture was taken my last day in Fettercairn. I tried to implement as many permaculture principles and techniques as possible in this garden. The man who I was working for had not heard of permaculture and was reluctant to some suggestions but overall was open to letting me do my thing. I created raised beds, companion planted, sheet mulched around the berries, and mulched with seaweed.

Raised beds are beneficial because they allow extra water to drain out faster and the soil will become warmer quicker. The extra depth of the soil in a raised bed is beneficial for your plants. The plant roots have extra room to grow and are more likely to produce large plants than if they were in a crowded, shallow space.

Companion planting is beneficial because by planting certain plants together they can ward off harmful pests or attract beneficial insects. For example plant carrots and leaks together- carrots repel onion fly and onion moths, leaks repel carrot fly. Cool, huh?

Sheet mulching layers cardboard or newspaper, compost, and vegetative matter right on top of lawns or weedy areas. Over the course of a few months the mulch and the underlying sod and weeds decompose. Sheet mulching increases the population of beneficial soil microbes and worms, improves soil's capacity to retain nutrients and water, and reduces weeds.

A mulch of seaweed helps to control weeds as well as supply valuable nutrients to the plants.