Client’s Goals:
To grow a variety of annual crops and perennial fruit. The garden areas must be aesthetically pleasing as well.
Scope of Work:
3 Areas were identified as potential growing areas by the client. 2 additional beds by the pool were added as better growing areas.
Additionally Notes and Recommendations:
Growing Area 1:
This garden was identified as a kitchen garden for herbs and some annual crops that don’t mind some shade.
Growing Area 2:
This garden is to the front of the property. The client requested an area for some flowers with a good aesthetic appeal.
Growing Area 3:
This area was going to be used as a closed in garden bed for productive food crops. The area was not suitable for growing crops as its very sheltered. This area could be utilized for growing comfrey, mushroom production, or Alpine Strawberries.
Pool Beds
The pool beds will be built with a 3-layer underground protection of Landscape Fabric, Hardware Cloth and Cardboard. This is to keep tunneling rodents out of the beds. A guide to pest-proofing a bed can be found here:
“Pool Bed 1” is the bed which is exposed to the most sun. It gets the summer sun in the morning and the hot western sun in the afternoon. The bed has a trellis at the North end of the bed and will be used for Tomatoes, Niagara Grapes, Beans and Cucumbers. With this trellis it will also be possible to use this to hang netting or shade cloth to protect crops. The Roses are there as an indicator of grape fungus as they suffer in similar ways and conditions. The Rosemary and Lavender are companion plants for the grapes.
A guide to growing grapes in Ney York can be found here:
This guide is from a grower in New Jersey.
There are 3 keyhole beds in this pool bed. 2 are for 3 sisters of Corn, Squash and beans and the middle keyhole bed is for strawberries.
“Pool bed 2” also has good sun but is less exposed to the hot western sun in the afternoon. This bed consists of 4 x Fruit Tree Permaculture Trios, which utilize a nitrogen fixing edible shrub to help keep it fed. The fruit trees will be of Dwarf root stock or aggressively pruned to maintain a manageable size.
This bed has 3 keyhole beds integrated. The middle keyhole is for strawberries and the outer 2 are for annual crops.
Both “pool beds” will be filled with perennial flowers native to the local area.
Rest Of Property
Blueberries in pots can be placed in the Pool Bed area. These need more acidic soil to thrive.
A 3 Bay Composter is also included behind the shed for composting garden waste and making leaf mold. This pile is hidden and is close to the shed which could be a great potting and propagation area.
We recommend planting Comfrey over the property to add to the compost to help feed the plants and provide nutrients.
We have included the option for extra optional Permaculture Trio Guilds wherever the client wishes if they want a better variety of fruit trees.