Flat Shoals Farm: The Log Garden
Introduction
After meeting Bill quite spontaneously in the Spring of 2021, I commenced the Log Garden permaculture experiment. Originally sitting on about 200 square feet of lawn, the garden received small-scale expansions to increase the space to a total of 300 sqft.
Primarily focusing my energy on establishing perennial plant characters, I have combined them with biennial and annual plants to increase diversity and resiliency.
Year 4 will prove to be the most verdant, but the most difficult due to my long absence between early June and late August. However, the systems I’ve established will be strong and enduring through Georgia heat, drought and flash floods.
Follow me through the last few years and you can be excited for the future of the Log Garden!
Year 1: Yellow Summer
Spring and Summer of 2021 proved to be year of yellowing leaves, dry beds, and scorching sun. The woodchips that had been spread earlier in the year were slow to break down, locking up nitrogen and stalling germination.
All that said, I still was able to establish some early herbaceous perennial systems such as comfrey, mint, and sunchokes. Additionally, I began experimenting with clonal propagation using elderberry, currants, willow, goji berry, and blackberry.
Early annuals and biannuals suffered, but a few held out (mostly brassicas) and provided ample seed in the fall. Besides the odd mint tea or bolted green, I rarely harvested anything worth eating.
Somewhat disheartened, I leaned into the permaculture principles to guide me towards something sustainable, beautiful and functional.
As Fall approached, I applied some of these principles in the garden.
I observed beds losing height, so I dug out the pathways and deepened the growing area. I collected leaf bags and applied them to the soil surface, and covered the leaves in a large amount of woodchips. I was “catching” and storing fertility and encouraging fungal and bacterial life.
As a refresher: Permaculture, a system of agricultural and social design principles centered around sustainable and self-sufficient living, encompasses a range of ideas and principles. So far, I had engaged with these ideas:
Observation and Interaction
Catch and Store Energy
Use and Value Renewable Resources and Services
Design for Resilience
Promote Diversity
Cooperate, Not Compete
The Log Garden was slowly moving towards more resilience.
Year 2-3: Systems Deepen
After laying the foundation of fertility in Fall and Winter, the Log Garden sprung forth with intense vigor in the Spring of 2022 and 2023. Cuttings, tubers, root fragments, seeds, and saplings I previously set in motion erupted into a fountain of green and flowering color.
During these 2 years, I really wanted to focus on balancing the needs of the perennials and annuals. I established patches of annual greens and flowers among the towering sunchokes, sprawling mint, bee balm and vigorous elderberry.
As the soil fertility deepened, the plant life became more entangled and complex. During the heat of high Summer, some plants welcomed the shady respite that others provided.
The system seemed to be evolving towards stability and endurance, though there were still questions about permanent locations for characters like fruit trees, shrubs and other elements that would inevitably grow much larger.
I began answering this question by shifting the north end of the garden to taller, woodier more permanent plant characters, while reserving the south end for a combination of herbaceous perennials and annual veggies.
During these growing seasons, I observed sun patterns, water distribution and the preferences of individual plant organisms.
I began seeing useful yields like garlic, elderberry, blackberry, comfrey, herbs and cut flowers.
Going into year 4, I was feeling confident in the system and excited for further complexity and permanence.
Year 4: Long-Term Succession
The beginning of this year was spent arranging a number of fruit trees on the north end of the garden. Plums, apricots, peaches, mulberries, and elderberry will all stand tall and provide a wall of future forage.
I planted more comfrey, mint and scattered seed of native flowers to establish a solid pollinator browse for the summer.
As Summer approaches, I am focusing on heavy mulch, limiting weeds, and adding more fertility to the soil to support seedlings and new growth.
Thank you for visiting the Log Garden, here’s to a fantastic growing season! Stay tuned for an end-of-summer update in September!
How can you help?
The Urban Bandaid Garden Project relies on donations of plant material, volunteer hours, and monetary contributions.
Gallery
