Permaculture

I was planting peas around the apple trees ( and jujube and medlar) to chop up later for mulch/nitrogen,when I looked around and realized i was doing better than I thought. yes, all the tiny shrubs died in the extreme heat and drought last summer; the clover never came up; but so much else is working so well.

Natural yarrow (nutrient accumulator)and other interesting weeds pop up here and there. the comfrey( does it all- the bomb. food, nutrients, mulch) is doing wonderfully well and if the cosmos( for the butterflies) doesn;t come back, I'll re-sow that. the berry beds have stayed mulched, and when we cut grass in the summer I just pile it on to the plants for more mulch ( it stays dry and does not rot; a light mulching technique works fine).I could start some perennial onions or garlic here and there; and other flowers.Seed packets. Cheap.

In addition to the jerusalem artichoke patch( mulch material, food if wanted, and barrier plant), this year i plan to add horseradish patch. bug control and deer control-yeah. the horseradish needs a deeply dug spot-good drainage( a few inches of sand) and then lots of compost on top of that.I won;t replace the currants until the apple trees are creating more shade.By using peas, etc, and mulching in or allowing dieback of those plants, I might not need to try exotic nitrogen fixing shrubs. just cherries and currants  :)

and right next to all of this busy-ness is a flower garden that complements and extends what we are trying to do. Butterfly bush and pine cone flowers are excellent for the butterflies; the daylilies and iris ( we dug it all up. fat chance)well, so now we have about 40 new iris plants refilling the space!) and the daylilies spread over the daffodils as they die back, providing enough shade to keep the plant green as long as possible-meaning larger blooms next year.Actually the daylilies now are mulch, groundcover, and exhibition quality flowers,and really have taken to the site beautifully.We plowed it once-7 years ago. a little mulch or fertilizer now and then if we thought of it. that's it.

Eventually I would like the grass replaced by clover or alfalfa;we'll see how that goes.

Natural honeysuckle covers ground behind the fruit trees, as well as wild berry bushes and the cedars, pine trees and hardwoods.

this is becoming a diversified and highly productive area; and it's beautiful too.

Permaculture does not have to be hard work, or expensive. Just shift how you think; plant various perennials which help each other-and watch it all go!