Permaculture Demonstration Garden Design Plan. Location: Duke Farms; Hillsborough, New Jersey

Transcription

1 Permaculture Demonstration Garden Design Plan Location: Duke Farms; Hillsborough, New Jersey Prepared by: Participants in the 2010 Permaculture Design Certificate Course held at Duke Farms: Andrew Bowman, Michael Boyle, Lacy Brittingham, Susanne Eckhardt, Laurie Fischer, Luis Jerez, David Scarcinci, Stan Sersen, and Hannah Smith Introduction Instructor: Wayne Weiseman The mission of Duke Farms is to become a model of environmental stewardship for the 21 st Century and to inspire visitors to become informed stewards of the land. Duke Farms will implement this mission by demonstrating sustainable horticultural, agricultural, and wildlife management practices and how they can be integrated into a holistic approach to land use sometimes referred to as agro-ecology. In many ways, this vision for Duke Farms is remarkably similar to the objectives and principles of permaculture a term that represents both a world view of what constitutes true environmental sustainability and an applied approach to landscape design that produces high agricultural yields while improving the health of the land. [Note: In our discussion below, we highlight key permaculture principles and how our recommendations incorporate those principles]. Given how well permaculture reflects the goals and aspirations of Duke Farms, it makes sense for the property to feature a permaculture demonstration garden. This site plan describes such a demonstration garden around Cottage 35, located just west of the Farm Barn (which will serve as the orientation center for visitors to Duke Farms). This location was selected because the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Jersey (NOFA-NJ) will use Cottage 35 for its headquarters and the cottage presents an opportunity to demonstrate how homeowners can incorporate permaculture features around their home. This location is also adjacent to the community garden plots to be installed in the western Farm Barn area. Cultures cannot survive without a sustainable agricultural base and land use ethic. Permaculture is about the relationships we can create between minerals, plants, animals and humans by the way we place them in the landscape. The aim is to create systems that are ecologically sound and economically viable, which provide for their own needs, do not exploit or pollute, and are therefore sustainable in the long term. Bill Mollison, Permaculture co-founder In addition to advancing the mission of Duke Farms, the proposed demonstration garden will also facilitate NOFA-NJ s objectives to serve as a catalyst in the development of a sustainable organic agricultural system and to educate diverse audiences about the significance and meaning of organic practices for food and the Duke Farms Permaculture Demonstration Garden Design Plan Page 1

2 environment. In short, the demonstration garden will serve as a valuable tool for NOFA-NJ as it seeks to instill an appreciation for the importance of healthy, locally-grown food that is produced sustainably. Goals Informed by input from NOFA-NJ, our goals in creating this garden design are to: 1. Support the objective of Duke Farms and NOFA-NJ to promote sustainable land use and stewardship. 2. Demonstrate permaculture principles and methods that homeowners and others can replicate to regenerate and increase yields on their own properties. 3. Design a beautiful aesthetic environment that maximizes sensory experiences, attracts visitors, and draws people toward the adjacent community gardens. 4. Inspire visitors to want to learn more about permaculture and the benefits of local, sustainablygrown food. 5. Demonstrate how a small investment in garden design can lead to a productive, functional, and low-maintenance garden. Site Orientation The following five photos capture the site from various perspectives. View of the cottage, facing east Duke Farms Permaculture Demonstration Garden Design Plan Page 2

3 West entry to the path on the southern edge of the site, facing east East entry to the path on the southern edge of the site, facing west Duke Farms Permaculture Demonstration Garden Design Plan Page 3

4 View of the central portion of the site, facing south View of the central portion of the site, facing east Duke Farms Permaculture Demonstration Garden Design Plan Page 4

5 Site Assessment As part of the permaculture design process, we performed a comprehensive assessment of the garden site. Significant findings are set forth below. 1. Climate The climate is humid temperate with mean annual precipitation of 38 to 46 inches, mean annual air temperatures of 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit, and a frost-free season of 150 to 200 days. The site is within USDA Zone 6a/6b for plant hardiness. The last spring frost is around May 4, with the first fall frost around October 7. Although precipitation is, on average, fairly evenly distributed throughout the year, extreme summer heat and drought are possible (e.g., the summer of 2010). Permaculture emphasizes the importance of retaining water on-site and increasing drought resilience through techniques such as soil improvement, constructed swales, and other modest changes to the shape of the land. We have incorporated these elements into our garden design. 2. Landform The site is approximately two acres in size, generally flat, and slopes downward gently (approximately 8 feet) from south to north. A unique feature of the site is a large mound of subsoil placed in the center of the garden area during construction in the Farm Barn area. Currently, the mound is as high as 8 feet. Our understanding is that Duke Farms would prefer that the long distance view from the second story of the Farm Barn (i.e., facing west) not be obstructed by infrastructure or vegetation included in the permaculture garden. As such, the mound will be reduced to no more than two feet in height and our recommended design for this area will not impair the existing viewshed. 3. Water Water supply is available on the site with an existing spigot located approximately 40 feet to the west of the cottage. As discussed elsewhere in this report, we have incorporated design elements to capture and retain precipitation that falls on site (e.g., rain barrels, swales). 4. Access and Circulation The permaculture garden will be visited primarily by pedestrians who exit the Farm Barn orientation center and move west along the path located to the south of the garden site. Other visitors will include people visiting the community gardens and the NOFA-NJ offices. We propose two new paths to provide pedestrian access to the NOFA-NJ offices and NOFA-NJ information booth. Duke Farms Permaculture Demonstration Garden Design Plan Page 5

6 5. Vegetation and Wildlife Duke Farms is located in the Central Piedmont Plains area of central New Jersey. This is a transitional habitat zone between the hardwood forests of northern New Jersey and the oak-pine forests in the southern part of the state. Duke Farms Landscape and Habitat Management Guidelines, Vitetta/Andropogon, A prominent design element in permaculture gardens is the food forest in which garden designers mimic the natural structure and characteristics of native forests by using species of trees, shrubs, and plants that provide food and products for people. We have incorporated a number of food forests into our design. In regard to wildlife, deer will likely pose a management challenge. The Farm Barn area is outside of the deer fence that surrounds the park area of Duke Farms and, accordingly, deer will be present at the garden site. We propose to address this issue through two means: (1) create redundancy and abundance in the garden to reduce the impact of fruit Every function is supported by many elements (redundancy): Good design ensures that all important functions can withstand the failure of one or more element. Duke Farms Permaculture Demonstration Garden Design Plan Page 6

7 and foliage consumed by the deer; and (2) in certain instances (e.g., around new food forest plantings), install fencing to exclude deer. 6. Buildings and Infrastructure A two-story wood and stone residential cottage currently exists on the garden site. This structure is being renovated and converted into office space for NOFA-NJ. Near the cottage are also two small, wood-framed storage buildings that create a natural courtyard between them. The area between the two sheds is in a direct line of sight from the Farm Barn. The cottage will be served by underground natural gas and electric supply. As such, no utility lines are overhead. Given the large solar array located near the cottage, and the fact that this array will likely generate power sufficient to cover all electricity consumption at Duke Farms, we do not recommend the installation of photovoltaic solar panels on the cottage. A solar hot water system, however, may still be appropriate. 7. Microclimate Duke Farms Permaculture Demonstration Garden Design Plan Page 7

8 Generally, the site receives abundant sunlight for growing trees, shrubs, and plants. There are some existing trees on site that will provide shade, including a line of mature oak trees along the south border of the garden site. All existing trees are deciduous. The figure below shows wind direction and sun exposure during different seasons. 8. Zones of Use Permaculture designers employ a zone system through which they divide a property into six different zones based on what activities will take place in each area: Zone 0 The on-site residence Zone 1 The most visited and frequently used portion of the site (e.g., a kitchen garden featuring annual crops). This area is usually immediately adjacent to the residence. Zone 2 An area slightly removed from the residence that is semi-intensely cultivated and features more perennials than annuals. Duke Farms Permaculture Demonstration Garden Design Plan Page 8

9 Zone 3 An area further removed from the residence dominated by perennials, shrubs, and trees. Livestock and animals can be included in this zone. Zone 4 An area that requires minimal care and provides products like firewood. Zone 5 An area this is wild and unmanaged. As illustrated in the figure above and explained in detail below, we have delineated permaculture zones 0 through 4 on the garden site. 9. Soil Fertility and Management The central area of the garden site consists of the mound of unstructured and compacted subsoil that was mentioned above. This soil has very little humus and high clay content. The vegetation in this area consists of mostly annual weeds, suggesting a very early succession soil, severely lacking in calcium, humus, and soil biology. This is the worst soil on site and will require the most remediation effort. The soil around the cottage is slightly compacted (with a hardpan at 4-6 ) to severely compacted in the areas where recent construction has taken place and within an existing unpaved driveway. There is more humus and better soil structure in the undisturbed areas, but these areas still need corrective action. The medium to early successional plants that are growing there suggests the soil is bacterially dominated, with an anaerobic zone, low in calcium, phosphorus, and humus. The land along the south border of the site has the best topsoil on the site. Less traffic and additions of leaves have probably preserved the site. There is very little compaction, excellent t soil structure, and good humus content. Unfortunately, the predominate vegetation under the mature oaks is perennial grasses with few weeds. This suggests that the ratio of bacteria to fungi is balanced or slightly fungal. This balance needs to be fungally dominated to support the oaks. It is no surprise that the oaks are declining without any decaying wood on the soil surface to support the fungi. Further analysis of the existing vegetation, pit excavation, and soil samples are required to reveal more about the existing conditions and how to remediate them. With that said, it is clear that a significant amount of soil remediation is necessary and should commence as soon as possible. Techniques that do not rely on tilling or excessive soil disturbance such as sheet mulching should be employed as much as possible. Proposed Garden Design A. Site Overview Visitors to the permaculture demonstration garden will experience a sense of engagement, both by being drawn in to the site by its inherent sensory nature and by the integration of interpretative tools that will explain the permaculture principles and practices at work and how they can be replicated at Duke Farms Permaculture Demonstration Garden Design Plan Page 9

10 home. The aesthetic components of the site include the sights, sounds, smells, touches and tastes of a diverse and thriving integrated natural environment. The garden will consist of three focal areas: (1) the House Area; (2) the Central Gardens; and (3) the Public Path Area. An illustration of these three focal areas, and how they are separated and interface, is included below. A rough sketch of the entire garden design and the activity areas within each focal area is set forth on the following page. Our detailed design recommendations for each focal area are set forth below and illustrations of each focal area are also provided. Duke Farms Permaculture Demonstration Garden Design Plan Page 10

11 B. Focal Area 1: House Area This area consists of the land that directly surrounds Cottage 35 and includes permaculture zone zero (i.e., the cottage), permaculture zone 1 (intensively cultivated and used daily), and permaculture zone 2 (semi-intensively cultivated). This area presents an opportunity to demonstrate how homeowners can implement permaculture concepts at a home scale when they have access to only small areas of land. A detailed illustration of this focal area is below. Duke Farms Permaculture Demonstration Garden Design Plan Page 11

12 Zone Zero Permaculture design principles apply to built structures as well as gardens and agricultural operations. Nonetheless, in this instance, we assume that the interior features of the cottage, as well as its essential systems (e.g., sewage, power supply) have already been determined. We do note below, however, a few modest changes or additions to the exterior of the cottage that we recommend. Duke Farms Permaculture Demonstration Garden Design Plan Page 12

13 South View of House Zone 1 Zone 1 is essentially a kitchen garden and includes herb spirals to grow culinary and medicinal herbs and a circular mandala garden to grow annuals for food. The design of the mandala garden reduces the space needed for paths, provides a number of efficient keyholeshaped growing areas, and offers interim space between garden plots for plants that attract beneficial insects. We recommend that the mandala garden be fenced to prevent deer browsing and to provide a structure to grow fruiting vines along the exterior (e.g., beans, grapes, kiwi). Small scale: Intensive systems start small and create a system that is manageable and produces a high yield. Duke Farms Permaculture Demonstration Garden Design Plan Page 13

14 Other recommended installations in zone 1 include: (1) an arbor along the west side of the cottage on which fruiting vines (e.g., kiwi, passion fruit, grapes) can be grown; (2) a cold frame on the south-facing wall of the cottage to demonstrate techniques for extending the growing season; (3) raised beds to demonstrate gardening above ground; (4) rain barrels at each downspout to collect roof runoff for watering purposes; and (5) a compost operation located in a shady location at the rear of the cottage. Within zone 1, a medium-sized oak tree is located at the southeast corner of the cottage. We recommend planting complementary plants around this tree to create a small oak guild food forest. Duke Farms Permaculture Demonstration Garden Design Plan Page 14

15 Zone 2 Zone 2 is represented by two portions of the House Area: (1) plant beds and lawn on the north side of the cottage; and (2) an oak guild food forest around an existing large oak tree to the east of the cottage. The north side of the cottage currently features three overgrown planting beds interspersed in a large lawn area. We recommend that the planting beds be rehabilitated and re-planted with native plants, shrubs, and small trees to create a pollinator garden and that the grassy area be organically managed and reduced in size over time through a gradual expansion of the planting beds. The overall objective is to create an aestheticallypleasing, manicured look for the front of the cottage that visitors will see as they ride in the Duke Farms tram that will run along the road on the north side of the cottage. This garden area can serve as a demonstration of how permaculture gardens can consist of functional plant species that are also highly ornamental. Make the least change for the greatest effect: The less change that is generated, the less embedded energy is used to endow the system. Duke Farms Permaculture Demonstration Garden Design Plan Page 15

16 Duke Farms Permaculture Demonstration Garden Design Plan Page 16

17 Duke Farms Permaculture Demonstration Garden Design Plan Page 17

18 Oak Guild Duke Farms Permaculture Demonstration Garden Design Plan Page 18

19 C. Focal Area 2: The Central Gardens This area consists of the land in the center of the garden site and includes permaculture zone 3, which is typically defined by perennials, shrubs, trees and animals. A detailed illustration of this focal area is provided below. Teaching Pavilion and Spiral Gardens A teaching pavilion is located at the center of the spiral garden paths. This pavilion will include terraced seating, and a trellis covered with blackberries to provide shade from the sun. The trellis is envisioned to mimic the trellis structures already found around the Duke Farm property. From the teaching pavilion, three spiraled gardens circle down to a feature at the end of the path: 1) a raised keyhole Duke Farms Permaculture Demonstration Garden Design Plan Page 19

20 bed with garden compost bin; 2) a children s willow hut and entrance tunnel ; and 3) a seating area with signage explaining the methodology for the selection of the plants used throughout the spiral garden. Elevations for the 3 spiral beds have been designed such that the southwest bed will be 3 feet above grade, the southeast bed 2 feet above grade, and the northern bed 1 foot above grade. The teaching pavilion elevation is at 2 foot above grade. Plants are chosen in accordance with zone 3 plantings: those that do not require annual plantings, those that do not require daily maintenance, those that may not be utilized daily in the kitchen, and those that encourage and support wildlife. As such, perennial vegetables, perennial greens and reseeding annuals have been mixed with shrubs and perennial herbs that provide food and habitat for birds, butterflies and bees. The selection of plants were also chosen to provide a display of continuous and varied color from early spring through late fall. Plants were also chosen that provide food for birds in winter, which will also bring some color to the garden in those months. As walkways and traditional rows of vegetables can become channels of stormwater runoff, in the case of this garden, the spiraling of the paths and beds will retain the water that naturally falls on the site. Throughout the gardens we envision hosting a variety of bird houses, solitary mason bee habitats and a bat house. Livestock Pasture NOFA-NJ staff has indicated that occasionally local farmers may bring livestock to the site for demonstrations and teaching opportunities for the public. We are providing a fenced grassland area planted with a pasture mixture of white clover, red clover, alfalfa, orchard grass chicory and rye grass. Mid-spiral wet areas Take advantage of elevation: Hold water and fertility as high (in elevation) on the landscape as possible. As the area of the permaculture demonstration garden that involves the most change in topography, the Central Gardens Area presents the greatest opportunity to demonstrate the permaculture concepts of rainwater collection. The mounds of the spiral garden interrupt the flow of water across the land from south to north. At the same time, the slope of the top two spirals will direct some water down to the south. At this point, we have made room for a pond and wetland guild of plants. Plants in this wet meadow guild will transition into the oak guild along the visitor s path and will arc down in descending layers into the spiral gardens. Chosen for their tolerance for wetter conditions, all species have been selected with central permaculture goals of attracting a variety of birds, insects and wildlife, as well as fixing nitrogen, accumulating nutrients and building organic matter into the soil. It is anticipated that stormwater that gets collected here will, overtime, absorb into the earth of the spiral gardens, helping the spiral gardens to weather dry weather in the future. From the Teaching Pavilion, this pond can be viewed and signage should be provided to explain the keyline concept and how it is located on a hillside slope. Duke Farms Permaculture Demonstration Garden Design Plan Page 20

21 Additional Guilds Other guilds to be incorporated into the Central Gardens include a juneberry guild and bartlett pear guild. Wetlands and Pond Garden We envision creating a man-made pond at the lowest elevation in the Central Garden as both a focal point for visitors arriving to the site and an opportunity to demonstrate how a pond system purifies water, grows edible fish, converts fish waste to biomass, and supports aquatic plants and insects. Overflow from the swales during heavy rains will be directed to this pond. Water will be circulated to a higher point using a solar or wind powered pump. Focal Area 3: Public Path Area This area consists of the land at the southern edge of the garden site and includes permaculture zone 4. A detailed illustration of this focal area is provided below. Duke Farms Permaculture Demonstration Garden Design Plan Page 21

22 The public pathway that borders the south side of the site is the connector between the Farm Barn area and the Community Gardens. While the bulk of the Public Path area is part of the Zone 4 of the permaculture zone designations, there are higher use areas that may ultimately command a more active planting plan with any increased participation from the users. This area has five distinct guilds of plantings. Guild 1 is a single oak guild to show the visitor, upon entry into the permaculture garden areas, what a guild is and how it is used. Guild 2 is to act as the prime example of a 7-layered guild to guide the view from low ground cover along the path up the scale of the vegetation to the tallest trees above. Guild 3 is a tree line guild which is an example of how to create a multi level south facing edge from the trees to the path. Guilds 4 and 5 are special in that they invite and welcome the visitor or the Community Garden users to enter into the world of permaculture and explore how the permaculture garden can produce food and at Stacking: Multi-level functions for single element. Multi-level garden design, i.e., trellising, forest garden, vines, groundcovers, etc. Duke Farms Permaculture Demonstration Garden Design Plan Page 22

23 the same time provide a natural pleasing landscape. In the Public Path area are three other activity areas. 1. The southern border area is created to show how fruit trees can be trained to become a natural fence and produce fruit at the same time. This area is also critical to give the visitor an education, via a series of plaques that explain the entire permaculture experience in front of them. Hopefully, this will entice them to enter deeper into the gardens and experience the Central Gardens and the House Gardens beyond. 2. The summer kitchen area is the active gathering and social activity space for events, demonstrations of compost tea creation, aquaponics displays and common activities from cleaning vegetables recently harvested to making specialty items for the gardens, to other activities like basket weaving. This active area includes the information display areas that will entice the visitor to read more and to enter past the trellised storage shed and into the permaculture garden. The trellis in this area will provide a visual shield of the electric transformer and other unsightly areas to the east, while also framing a view of the Farm Barn. To the west, this area features a broad, unobstructed view of the Central Gardens area. To the north, the active patio area is adjacent to the animal area of the Central Gardens, and crosses the service road and to enter into the House Gardens area. 3. The gazebo area will act as a shade and resting place for the people that are using the community gardens and the permaculture garden. Music can be played from this location for the enjoyment of all. The users of the gazebo will experience the calming effects of the flowform water feature that only runs when the sun is shining and the water pump is operating under solar power from the roof of the gazebo. Part of the Gazebo area is a solar powered outhouse that also allows the users of the community gardens to be attracted into the permaculture gardens to experience another way of gardening. The visitor will be invited to eat the food that will be present around them and to be part of the garden rather than just an observer. Plant Lists Appendix A includes lists of recommended tree, shrubs, and plants for various areas of the garden site. [End of report] Duke Farms Permaculture Demonstration Garden Design Plan Page 23