The gardens are the areas that require most of our attention in the coming years.

Initially; these were planted to provide pleasure and support a biodiverse wildlife, with areas set aside for a kitchen garden and a fruit garden / orchard.

Permaculture Design

Now that I am discovering the amazing benefits of a permaculture design, it's back to the drawing board.  Support plants / trees must be interspersed with the trees and shrubs that are already growing.  Luckily and without knowledge of their usefulness at the time of planting, there are several plant species already established that will help to support a self-sustaining eco-system - just not enough, particularly at the long-term end of the scale to support a food forest garden.

Sustainable Self-sufficiency - An Aspiration

To become self-sufficient and for that self-sufficiency to be sustainable will involve a wide variety of plants.  Eating habits may be adjusted, cooking styles may need to be augmented.

We have a lot of learning to do in this area, and are likely to make quite a few mistakes, but we are fully committed to creating a space that will be self-sustaining, will feed us as nature intended and will somehow restore a natural balance on Our Smallholding.