Blitz reports

Update on Rachel & Kaine’s PB – 4 years on

Rachel & Kaine Smith from Katikati had two blitzes….check out the progress!

We recently visited Rachel & Kaines permaculture garden which was developed over two Permablitz’s, the first in September 2012 (permablitz #6) and the second September 2013 (permablitz #13). The site was a large town garden with a mature orange tree centred on the back lawn. The family are a busy couple with two young boys, Ollie and Finn, so Rachel & Kaine wanted a garden that would grow with their family’s needs.

The design included an enlarged deck off their kitchen with raised wicking beds close at hand.

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An existing area of pebble was gathered up and reused in the bottom of the wicking beds.

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The children love to climb and play around the orange tree so an area of mulch was spread beneath and around the tree, to allow some productive under-planting.

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Two existing raised vegetable gardens, much further away from the house, were also converted into wicking beds and filled with compost. The compost bin system was improved and many fruit trees were sited around the garden, including several espaliered pip fruit along the north facing fence.

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The fruit tree area near the road was planted with Feijoas, a dwarf Peach, Lemonade and Mandarin. These were thoroughly mulched in the second blitz and inter-planted with other beneficial plants; several Gooseberries, Guava and wayward herbs such as Bergamot, Lemon Balm, Calendula, Marjoram & Nasturtium. A Lemon tree was planted opposite the front door so they can just pop out the door when they need a lemon.

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On visiting recently, Rachel took great delight in showing me around her garden. Her enthusiasm was palpable and mirrored by her children who had been very involved in the blitzes right from the start.

The wicking beds near the house have been a great success, the far one now used for strawberries, the closer two connected with a plank off the deck for super- efficient harvesting. The only glitch has been with the nearest bed which was installed slightly off level, making the top end a lot drier than the bottom end. It has meant choosing hardier, drought tolerant plants for the dry end, so herbs have worked well here. They need watering once a week over summer which could have been reduced if they had been constructed a little deeper but overall the wicking beds have been very worthwhile.

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The two older beds in the far corner are a lot more productive now also with a reliable water supply from the wicking system which hardly ever needs filling. They are used for longer term vegetables that don’t need regular tending.

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The area adjacent is used to store materials such as horse, cow and chicken manure, seaweed, mulch, sawdust, grass clippings, (green waste for nitrogen and browns for carbon). These are added in layers to build a compost in the wicking beds when the soil is replaced once a year.

The area beneath the Orange tree is still used a lot by the boys so any planting here will have to wait. It proved too shady for Pumpkins but we have recommended trying Native Spinach as this should thrive in the dry semi-shade.

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Of the espaliered fruit trees on a north facing fence the Apples have been really productive already but the Pear has yet to flower. Rachel plans to interplant with a Nashi Pear as well.

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Rachel said “I knew nothing about gardening when we bought this property and I learnt largely by trial and error until getting involved in the Permablitz’s. I have learnt so much”.

Kaine said “The Permablitz’s were a positive experience. Being a kindergarten teacher the importance of our children seeing and being involved in the whole thing taking shape has been really important”.

If the sheer enthusiasm of this family is anything to go by the Permablitz programme has been very worthwhile for them. They have enriched their living environment by not only providing healthy organic food for the family but also by creating a depth of experience for their children within their property that is educational and fulfilling, and full of discoveries.

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Written by Trish Waugh, June 2016

 

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Blitz reports

Report on Permablitz # 25

Permablitz 25 kicked off at Tarariki Pottery on Old Reservoir Road, Paeroa, home of Mike O’Donnell and Trish Waugh.
A large group of 26 keen blitzers, plus the design team of Trish, Sharon, blue hat (Blitz organiser), Lia, Ailie, Katherine gathered around a fire pit to be warmly welcomed by Mike and Trish. Mike gave a karakia and described the history of the property, sharing how it has evolved and movingly expressed how we are part of their tribe that will carry the seeds of regenerating nature forward.
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Introductions included our name, where we were from and an exercise everyone could do as a warm up, literally!
Trish, Mike and the design teams’ concept plan for the day included creating a fence around the vegetable garden to keep the chickens off; sheet mulched beds around fruit trees; larger sheet mulched areas for planting smaller fruiting plants like guava and Chilean guava, vegetables e.g. silver beet and fennel as well as herbs, e.g. lavender, yarrow, calendula and Cassia ‘John Ball’ and tagastaste shrubs that fix nitrogen. This planting would create a forest garden incorporating the chooks to control small native manuka beetles that breed in the ground over winter and cause damage by eating a lot of leaves in
spring. They are distinctive in dropping to the ground when disturbed.
Everyone got stuck in clearing the overgrowth along the fence lines, and along the roadfront to ‘chicken proof’ them, the fence holes were dug and areas prepped for sheet mulching.
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Distinct edges were created around the beds for weed control. Ailie and Lia ran a workshop on sheet mulching explaining the layers, firstly the soil is limed, then cardboard laid with sellotape removed and soaked, followed by seaweed, horse manure, sawdust, comfrey, wood mulch and finally covered in rotted silage, filling our nostrils with a sweet, pungent/fermented smell, signature of farm life. Trish said comfrey tea would be poured over the mulch to kick start the composting process.
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Lia led a workshop giving us insights into the amazing life of earthworms, inviting each of us to read a pertinent fact she’d gleaned from the book ‘Organic Growing with Worms, a handbook for a better environment’ by David Murphy. I didn’t know for example that worms
swallow soil to move through it and the tunnels created are coated in nitrate rich mucous for ease of movement. These tunnels open the soil for water and oxygen. They also excrete harmless bacteria and antibiotics are found in their poo which is oxygen rich. Bad bacteria like an anaerobic environment. Lia is passionate about worms and says that worms are perfect examples of permaculture at work.
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Lunch was really delicious, beautifully prepared by Shai. There was pumpkin and coconut soup, green and rice salads, guacamole, humus, breads, a cashew chicken dish and freshly harvested mussels. Mike gave a blessing for the meal which began with him playing his flute.
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Just at the end of lunch Trish gave a mini workshop on why she created a food forest. She has modeled it on the work of Robert Hart in Shropshire who is the father of forest gardens for temperate climates. The mulched beds created are an in-between stage from orchard to forest garden. As the trees grow and the canopy closes there will be more shade and what grows will change and there will be more layers in the mix of vegetation.
After lunch activities involved planting into the sheet mulch, more work on the fence and creation of a Taranaki gate (i.e. a wire gate), and a workshop on chickens and how to clip their wings. Only the first flight feathers on one wing are cut to cause imbalance and this is enough to stop chickens flying over fences. The newly built chicken house was moved into the prepared orchard setting. It was built by Mike as a small transportable unit, light and of minimal construction.
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We completed preparation of the vegetable bed for garlic. This involved cutting down the lupins, lightly digging them in, and then covering the bed with seaweed and silage. Mike and Trish plant their garlic later than most so that it ripens and can be dug in January when the weather is dry.
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Group photo below with completed section of fence. There is more of the fence for Mike to finish.
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This was a most productive day with lots of Mike’s words of wisdom and passion to inspire us. To quote from Mike at the end of the day when he shared the healing garden with us, “ In my experience of life I believe it is all good shit. Essentially all that matters is how we are given to reply. That which comes to pass is a master teacher to us all, the past is there to find composure and to embrace, not deny, nor judge nor blame, but to turn it over as a gardener would in the making of compost, aerobically, to breathe life into it. Such does the healer embrace the disposition and the artist find the poem the song. It is within us all to creatively reply. This is a time of great challenge, when the earth is appealing to us all. To sing in the face of adversity I believe is the key to our honouring that challenge, and to realise our work is our song.”
Written by Julia Sich.
Special announcements

We’ve bent the rules….

Newsflash!

Usually we say you need to come to three permablitzes before you qualify to host your own, and there are many reasons why we say this. However, sometimes three is a lot. To keep blitzes happening, we are bending the rules a bit.

So until further notice, you can qualify to host your own blitz if you have:

  1. participated in two permablitzes, OR
  2. participated in one permablitz and have volunteered for a day with any two of the following groups (or similar):

– Helped out for a day at your local community garden e.g. The Rock Papamoa Community Gardens, see them on Facebook;
– Attended a community day at any Coast Care Group, through BOP Regional Council;
– Attended community day at any Bay of Plenty Conservation group, such as local wetland or riparian margin restoration e.g. Athenree Saltmarsh Restoration Group, through DOC or – HELP Waihi, Habitat Enhancement and Landcare Partnership (HELP) Waihi http://www.waihihabitat.co.nz/
– WWOOFing;
– Voluntary pest control work such as through Forest & Bird e.g. Aongatete Forest restoration Trust, through DOC;
– Attended, volunteered at or run workshops relating to permaculture practices

Basically we want to make sure you’re committed to the cause – creating edible gardens, sharing skills related to permaculture and sustainable living, building community, and having fun – and know what to expect at your own blitz.

So if you are keen to get your place blitzed and think you qualify – then check out this page here and let’s get things underway!

 

Blitz announcements

Permablitz #25!

Paeroa Rural Food Forest Permablitz

Saturday 18th June 2016, 9am – 4pm
Location: Paeroa, register to find out where

We are developing a three year old orchard into the next phase of a Food Forest. We are also preparing the orchard for chickens to roam and under planting some of the fruit trees with beneficial plants at a large rural property just south of Paeroa.

The site is a north facing, easily accessible, gently sloping orchard.

We’ll be preparing some areas of lawn between the fruit trees with sheet mulching. These areas will be planted with more fruiting plants, some nitrogen fixers and other companion and beneficial plants. Existing fruit trees will be mulched, composted and bedded in for winter.

We will be fixing chicken mesh to the perimeter fence to make the orchard secure for chickens to free range. Housing for the chickens will also be established.

Likely workshops will be; on the care of chickens eg how to clip their wings, feeding chickens from the land, sheet mulching for food forest understorey planting, pruning fruit trees, chook housing from recycled materials, healing herbs and native plants/rongoa.

Anyone is welcome to teach a workshop on a sustainable living concept so if you have any special skills that will contribute to the learning of the participants please mention this at registration.

Please come and help. The hosts will provide a good healthy lunch and snacks. Hope to see you there!

What to bring:
-Sturdy Footwear
-Gloves
-Gardening tools (labelled with your name) – hammer, grass clippers, spades, shovels,wheelbarrows, hand tools
-Water bottle
-Hat and sun protection and wet weather gear

Plants/seeds needed: Tagasaste, Peppermint geranium, Chamomile, Salvia, Siberian pea shrub, Phaelacia, Yarrow, Lavender, Wormwood.

Donations to the sheet mulching pile appreciated: Horse or cow manure, untreated sawdust, seaweed, straw…

To register, fill out the form below. Your details will be emailed to the hosts who will contact you with further details on how to get there. Thank you!

Blitz reports

Take a look at the Katikati Motel Permablitz – 3.5 years later

This is the first in a series of reports on previous Permablitzes in the Bay of Plenty.
The Permaculture Design Guild, who make up a proportion of the designers involved in the Permablitz programme, feel it is important to return to see how the owners are enjoying their gardens and to find out what has worked and what hasn’t worked .
Our first visit was to Katikati Motel which was Permablitz # 3 & 4 carried out in spring 2012.
BEFORE
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The area we blitzed was originally a swimming pool, which had been backfilled with subsoil. We designed a series of raised wicking beds to enable addition of good growing medium and to keep maintenance to a minimum for a busy couple, Kate and Kent Pfennig, with a young
family and a motel to run.
AFTER
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We recently visited Kate and Kent at Katikati Motel to see how their garden is going. This was a unique situation as Kate and Kent wanted this area to be developed for guests at the Motel to also be able to use the fruit and vegetables from the garden.
THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TODAY
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This was the first Blitz where we built Wicking beds and these have proved very successful for this busy couple. Kate says “I would do the wicking beds again, that was a definite good thing. They only need filling two to three times a year; at the end of spring, around January, and if very dry, again a month later. They have been great time and water savers when it comes to irrigating the vegetables.
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The beds are replenished with fresh compost at the end of each growing season. “The Pfennigs wanted to incorporate chickens into the area so that they could also provide guests with fresh eggs. The  rotational chicken tractor system hasn’t been continued with mainly because it was in the public eye and the area, especially after rain, wasn’t visually appealing for the guests.
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However the chickens are now housed elsewhere and when there were nine laying they not only provided ample eggs for the guests but also were fed food waste from the units thus closing the recycle loop. There have been crops of potatoes, corn, beans, herbs, and fruit. Raspberries, Grapes, Citrus, and Jerusalem Artichokes are currently ripe. The Pfennigs have since planted other fruit throughout the motel site. There are Olives as shade trees, more Raspberries against a hot wall,Citrus and Green Tea Camellias.
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Since completion there have been visits to this garden by the Tauranga Ooooby Group, a Tauranga Garden Club and Katikati BA5. It has generated a lot of interest and provided a good example of Permaculture in action.
By Trish Waugh, Permablitz guild designer
Blitz reports

Report on Permablitz # 24

An energetic group of 22 people came together on Saturday 10th October to blitz a suburban backyard in Brookfield, Tauranga.

Host Sharon created the design for her PDC with Plenty Permaculture and this was implementation day!

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The main task of the day was to create a series of small-scale infiltration swales on contour with vegetable beds in between. This will take advantage of the gentle slope of the property to harvest rainwater runoff.

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The swales were lined with tree branches, mulch and sawdust, which will act like a sponge during heavy rain, then will slowly release moisture to the vegetable beds. The swales also function as pathways between the beds.

The vegetable beds were prepared by double-digging and adding amendments such as inoculated biochar, vermicast, Nature’s Garden and compost.

The vegetable growing area will be divided into two parts: a perennial vegetable polyculture, which will be self-sustaining once established; and annual vegetable beds which will be managed using biointensive methods.

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Three interactive workshops were run to give everyone some fun, hands-on learning opportunities. Leo did a compost making workshop which resulted in a magnificent compost heap; Brad demonstrated double-digging and had his group powering through the vegetable beds; and Christine led a willow weaving workshop which resulted in a cute and rustic raised bed border (to be finished by host Sharon later).

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willow-weaving

The lunch of chickpea and pumpkin tagine, arabesque lentils, salads, roasted chicken, lemon and coconut balls, chocolate chip slice and fruit cake was lovingly assembled by our generous hosts.

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As we were munching dessert, Gisella gave us a fabulous introduction to biodynamic gardening. We learned that biodynamic gardening always starts with applying a preparation called 500. It’s an involved process to make it, using cow horns packed with cow manure and buried in the ground. However you can purchase it through the NZ Biodynamic Association at a very low cost per acre. A few of the group decided to try it, so we put in our order with Gisella and will meet up in a couple of weeks when the moon is in the right phase to have a strong arm stirring party (500 needs to be stirred for an hour to activate it).

Facilitators Trish and Leo kept things running smoothly and it was a fun and productive day with amazing results!

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final-result

 

Blitz reports

Report on Permablitz # 23 – Turangi town house

Upwards of 25 people came to Turangi last sunday on what was a hot dry, and windy spring day. The site they came to work on was the front lawn of a typical hydro-house. This was one of many houses in the town moved on site for the Tongariro Power scheme in the 1960’s-70’s.

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The concept design for the site included the front lawn as a perennial food forest system – a great sustainable solution for a busy professional couple with little spare time. However, Turangi is renowned for poor and extremely free draining pumice soil and a cold climate. It snow occasionally in winter as the town is 340m above sea level.  However this north facing sloped front lawn is a ideal suntrap, the house gives it excellent shelter from the cold southerly winds.

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To alleviate water loss in the highly free draining soil, teams helped establish a combined Hugelkultur swale system. Stormwater from roof runoff was tapped into and piped to swales dug on contour above new berms. The berms were made from turf dug out of the swales and from trenches dug for wood which was buried under them. This waste wood was sourced locally from the fisherman’s track by the Tongariro river. There wayward gardeners had dumped pruning’s so these were put to good use.

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As the buried wood eventually rots, it will act like a sponge to absorb winter rains to sustain the fruit trees and food forest plants through the summer drought. Much of the food forest is planted with deciduous fruit to ensure the hosue isn’t shaded and particular care was taken in the design to ensure morning sun would still enter the main living space window.

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All involved had a great day with many young people new to permablitz having attended the day. The was a large international contingent of volunteers from Awhi farm and also staff from the Hillary Outdoor education center. It is hoped this event and local interest in the site will lead to further development of edible gardens at a Turangi Marae.

We are hoping to hold a massive multi-day permablitz someday to give back to the Turangi community, many of whom are the descendants of the visionary people that gifted NZ it’s first National Park. (Tongariro NP) Watch this space!

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Blitz announcements

Permablitz #23!

Turangi town home Food Forest Permablitz


Sunday 4th October 2015, 9:30am – 4pm
Location: Turangi town home, register to find out where

We’re planting a food forest at a typical home in Turangi.

The site is a north facing,free-draining, front sloped garden, so a warm and dry spot well suited to great growing.

Before the fruit trees go in, we’ll be forming rainwater infiltration swales for drought tolerance and for cycling nutrients into the system. Storm-water runoff from the house and garage will fill a new goldfish pond in front of the house. Once full nutrients from the pond will flow into the swales too.

We’re planting a large range of stone-fruit like cherries, prunes and apricots along with citrus trees fruiting shrubs such as currants and gooseberries. They’ll love the hard frosts and warm dry summers. These will become the structure of the multi-layered food food for this young turangi family and kids passing by on their way to and from school.

Please come and help, likely workshops will discuss Food forest and swale design, composting, tree planting and mulch use. Anyone is welcome to teach a workshop on a sustainable living concept on the day!

There will be a good healthy lunch provided. Hosts will help organise carpooling for anyone willing to come down here. Turangi has great hotpools, walks, and plenty to see and do for a weekend away! (not to mention great permies down here including the sensational Awhi Farm (google them!)

Suitable plant donations for our food forest appreciated.

We hope to see you here!
Hugo & Caro

What to bring:
-Sturdy Footwear
-Gloves
-Own gardening tools (labelled with your name) – spades, shovels, wheelbarrows, hand tools
-Water bottle
-Hat and sun protection

-Extra clothing (Turangi climate is about a month behind the Tauranga!)

To register, fill out the form below you details will be emailed to the hosts who will contact you with further details on how to get there. Thank-you! Hugo & Caro

Blitz announcements

Permablitz #24!

Tauranga Suburban Garden Permablitz – REGISTRATIONS FULL

Saturday 10th October 2015, 9am – 4pm
Location: Tauranga, register to find out where

We’re creating vegetable beds on contour and under-planting fruit trees at a typical suburban home in Tauranga.

The site is a north facing, gently sloped garden.

We’ll be forming a series of small rainwater infiltration swales which will be filled with mulch and used as pathways between raised vegetable beds. Some of the vegetable beds will be dedicated to growing perennial vegetables, while the rest will be used for biointensive annual vegetable growing.

A few existing trees will need to be moved, and underplanted with companion plants. Some of the existing lawn area will be sheet mulched.

Likely workshops will be on the correct posture for digging, double digging, making multi-purpose portable compost bins, compost making, using biodynamic preparations, possibly making tepees and garden edging with woven willow if we can find enough suitable material. Anyone is welcome to teach a workshop on a sustainable living concept on the day!

Please come and help. The hosts will provide a good healthy lunch and snacks.

Limited to 20 people, so be in quick!

Hope to see you there!

What to bring: -sturdy footwear, gloves, gardening tools (labelled with your name), spades, shovels, wheelbarrows, hand tools,water bottle, hat and sun protection.

Plants/seeds needed: Dwarf comfrey, tagasaste, peppermint geranium, chamomile, hyssop, honeywort, greater celandine, welsh bunching onions, salvia, chamomile, siberian pea shrub, chives, alfalfa, bulbs, boysenberry, loganberry.

Donations to the compost pile appreciated: Seaweed, grass clippings, cow manure, straw…etc

To register, fill out the form below. Your details will be emailed to the hosts who will contact you with further details on how to get there. Thank you!

SORRY REGISTRATIONS FULL

Blitz reports

Report on Permablitz # 20 – The Rock Community Gardens

On July the 12th The Rock hosted the 20th Bay of Plenty Permablitz – and what a day it was! The sun was shining, the wind was light, and smiles radiated from end to end of The Rock’s busy pathways.

The day started off frosty, with frozen hoses and ice coating every minute surface of the vegetables, creating a crispy white wonderland (see photos!).

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The buzz grew as people started arriving, greeting one another, pouring hot teas, labelling tools and laying down gifted plants.

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After an introduction by Leo, Dave and Lily, Dave went over the Permaculture Design for the Food Forest to set the days agenda. Then after a big warm up stretch session we all got cracking! What a sight to see – all the weeks of preparation come to life in the hands of community, as the load was lifted up and shared between everyone.

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Around 40-50 participants planted over 30 trees (20 of these being fruit trees) and a guild of support species, including comfrey, lupin, lavender, rosemary, dill, oregano, coriander, berry shrubs, and garlic around the edges to help keep out unwanted visitors.

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Because the parent material at The Rock is a mercilessly nutrient-void sand, trees and shrubs were planted first in pre-prepared holes (refilled a month earlier with a mix of compost, manure and parent material), before cardboard and newspaper were laid around them to start the sheet mulch. A one meter radius around each tree was given special attention, building up the soil/compost layer a bit more to plant the guild species in.

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Puffing and panting in the sunshine, countless wheelbarrow trips transported a large quantity of compost and mulch between 50-100m to the Food Forest site to form the sheet mulch layers. This sheet mulch consisted of (from the ground up):
1. Clay slurry
2. Newspaper a metre around the trees, cardboard everywhere else (which ran out big time – oops! If you’re planning to sheetmulch an area, get as much cardboard you think is necessary then quadruple it!)
3. Manure
4. Compost
5. Compost Tea, Cow Pat Pit, RokSolid
6. Mulch

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Much of this enormous task was completed on the day, with one whole section completely finished (yay!) but quite a few areas remained uncovered by both compost and mulch, and were completed by Rock members in the week following.

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Between this area of sheet mulch, the empty space for a path has since been filled with sawdust to guide visitors around the edible permaculture forest. One seat got fully set up on the day, and the second seat has since been completed.

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Art also featured throughout the day, with Millie Newitt facilitating all the fruit tree signs being painted, in wild and wonderful colours and styles – Thanks Millie!

Some people took the time to prepare workshops for the Blitz that took place throughout the day and were a real hit (sometimes to the detriment of the main food forest task!!). Taking the time to prepare something and teach others is a great way to say thanks for coming and participating. Thanks to the following people for holding workshops:
– Dave – Dealing with kikuyu
– Chris – Dealing with Papamoa sandy soils
– Lily – Sauerkraut making
– Catherine – Fruit Tree Guilds
– Leo – Wormfarming

The feast that took place at lunch time was spoken of for days afterwards. Rows of salads, soups, breads (Thanks Flaveur breads!), cakes and more delectable home kitchen contributions were devoured in the sun, as we all  gathered round on beanbags, blankets, chairs and picnic tables to a well deserved break with some smooth beats adding to the mood.

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The blitz was also blessed to have one Green Wizard floating about, casting spells of laughter and wisdom to many throughout the day. Thankyou Green Wizard.

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A huge THANKYOU TO EVERYONE who came down to The Rock from near, far, and in the cold of morn to create something incredible that day – a productive, regenerative, bio-diverse public space – that will be a positive fixture in the community for years to come. Together we all rocked it! You’re all welcome anytime and we welcome anyone who wants to check out the Food Forest and learn more about Fruit Tree Guilds.

For more info on The Rock or to get involved, contact us at therockpapamoa@gmail.com.

Blitzing the BOP community one garden at a time