2021 Garden Plan: Influences of Permaculture

Last year gave me an arsenal of knowledge on how to lay out the vegetable garden. Seeing the full scale of plants and their growth habits has given me a lot of insight on how and where vegetables should be planted. This year, I intend to sell and donate lots of our produce, so I want to make sure the garden is as productive as it is beautiful! I’ve been doing tons of research on permaculture as well and I really want to lay a foundation down for a garden that will eventually be able to take care of itself while also working harmoniously with the wildlife around us. The more I research permaculture, the more I feel it is truly the way of the future. Mass production agriculture and widespread distribution has left the Earth’s soil depleted and her airways polluted. Bringing the production of food back to a local level while also encouraging the already existing ecosystem is one of our greatest hopes in combatting the environmental damage we’ve done to the planet. With that said, the ideologies of permaculture have greatly influenced my plans for the garden and have paved a path for the future of my work here at Redleaf Ranch.

Now I present to you my garden plan! I’m so excited to be introducing a new section of the garden this year in the far back. As you walk down the main path, you’ll venture through the main arch and enter what will soon be our potato and corn plot. We’ve been amending the soil for the past year with the intention of planting straight into the ground. Corn and potatoes take up a lot of nitrogen, so I’ll be planting an abundance of beans all around to replenish it back into the soil. I envision the beans climbing up a teepeed trellis over the beans to shade them from the intense afternoon sun, and also provide easy access to beans as their pods begin to hang. On the far reaches of the corn plot, I’ll be planting comfrey to help pull nutrients from deep within the soil, and to cut and lay as mulch over many of the beds. On the edges, I’ll be planting an abundance of calendula to attract pollinators, beneficial predator insects that will control pest populations, and for use in the kitchen and candles! This is was excites me so much about the idea of permaculture, you’re creating your own world, your own haven that allows for nature’s creatures to fully live their lives while benefitting your garden as well.

I still have much to learn about permaculture, but one of the greatest understandings I have is to embrace the native wildlife, more specifically, our pollinators. As you can see, I’m going to be planting a LOT of flowers around the edges of most of my beds. One of the most incredible feelings to have in the garden, is standing in its center and hearing the buzz of life all around. You feel the hum deep in your soul.

Working our way down the plan, we get to our beautiful trellis wall and arch. One thing I learned about tomatoes is that they need plenty of room to grow and sprawl out their arms, so I think they’ll do marvelously against the trellis wall. In front, I’ll have pine berries and onions growing with a beautiful border of calendula. Tomatoes tend to attract lots of aphids, so the great thing about planting calendula all around, is that they attract tons of ladybugs whose favorite snack is, you guessed it, aphids!

I had incredible success with zucchini rampicante on the arch last year so I’ll be doing it again! It was such a sight to behold and probably my favorite thing to watch grow last year. I’ll also be trellising some sour gherkins as well! I’ve never had them before so I’m excited to try them, fresh from the garden. On the outer edges of the arch, I’ll have a stunning line of morning glories that will be sure to dazzle with their stunning blue and purple flowers, while also attracting more pollinators!

To the right of the arch, I’ll be planting a nice variety of melons and cucumbers! I am SO excited to try out this gorgeous idea of planting massive Mongolian Sunflowers and having the melons and cucumbers climb up them. I mean, how cool would that be?! Fingers crossed it works out! Sunflowers need a plentiful supply of water, so I’m thinking the large leaves of the melons will shadow the soil, helping retain moisture. I’ll be planting a line of nasturtiums as well as they’re known to repel squash bugs and cucumber beetles, while attracting pollinators! I’m going to be very vigilant of my melons this year. Because I have quite a few in such close proximity to one another, I’m going to pollinate a few melons myself and place pollen sacs over the flowers to ensure I don’t get any cross pollination. I want to save seed for next year and this’ll be a sure fire way I don’t get any weird cucumber melon hybrids.

Cascading down the row underneath the melons, I’ll planting a gorgeous variety of brassicas outlined with dragon tongue beans to help fix nitrogen back into the soil for our hungry kales. One thing I really want to strive for in the garden is minimizing the amount of replanting I have to do each year so it can be as efficient and productive as possible. That means planting perennial plants that will come back year after year. I’m in zone 7b, and that means kales and a variety of leafy greens can grow year round here (if we don’t get too intense of a winter). I think this row of brassicas should do very well.

To the right of this line of brassicas, I have a plot I’m really excited for. This year I’m going to plant tons of luffa gourds with the hopes of selling my very own garden grown luffas with my handmade soaps! I was very unaware luffas came from actual plants, so my mind was thoroughly blown when I found out I can grow them myself! In front of the gourds, I’m going to try my luck at tomatillos! I’ll be planting two plants since you need both in order to pollinate and produce fruit successfully. I’m trying to make my own salsas so I really hope it works out! On the outer edge, I’ll be planting an abundance of nasturtiums to prevent squash bugs and other pesky pests.

Above the luffa gourds, we have my garlic bed! I planted them at the beginning of winter, so they should be ready to harvest in July or August! I’m not sure what I’ll be planting afterwards, if anything.

Next to the garlic, there’s a container bed that I plan on planting a Malaysian dark red eggplant in. There are two things I’ve learned about eggplants last year. Grow them high up to avoid battle with awful flea beetles, and grow them far apart to deter them even further. I tried tenting my patch of eggplants last year, but I ended breeding a small colony of flea beetles that had already taken hold underneath. Their little hoppers, so planting them high above the soil should help keep them at bay. I’ll be planting a Nagasaki long eggplant plant at the opposite end of the garden as well.

To the far right of the garden, I’ll have one of my herb gardens full of rosemary, lavender, purple sage, roman chamomile and sunflowers! You can find another one of my herb gardens at the bottom left of the garden, where I’ll be planting lemongrass and lavender, shaded under a honey crisp apple tree. I would love an abundance of herbs for the kitchen as well as for my soaps and candles. They really do add a beautiful final touch.

Sorry for zigzagging all around the plan, but I’m touching on what I’m feeling drawn to as the urge arises. Let's make our way to our center bed which you will see as soon as you enter the garden. This year, I want to grow a ridiculous amount of tomatoes in all shapes and sizes, so the center bed will also be dedicated to them and they’ll have a trellis to vine and sprawl out. At the end of the bed, I’ll house a variety of peppers as well, making this bed a powerhouse of ingredients for canning and saucing! I’m really hoping to master the art of canning this year and have an abundance of reserves for the winter. On the far corners of the bed I’ll be planting marigolds to attract beautiful pollinators such as butterflies and repel pests as well. I was so pleasantly surprised with how well the marigolds did last year, I’m making sure they’re in my garden every year from now on. They put on such a dazzling show of flowers that go well into autumn.

To the right of the center bed, I’ll be dedicating this area to an abundance of carrots, leafy greens, and brassicas. Of course it would be a dream to have a full, luscious garden with everything in full swing at once, but that’s just not how vegetables work. Some grow at a much faster rate than others. Leafy greens tend to grow to maturity much quicker than brassicas, so I’ll be laying them in between the rows of my cauliflowers and broccolis to make use of the space while they take their time growing. I’ll try my best to stay on top of bolting leafy greens so that I have a surplus of greens throughout the summer. Last year I shaded the leafy green beds over the summer, but it was a little too late as many of them had already began bolting. Let’s hope I make it in time this year!

Now to the left of the center bed, we have another long bed. My partner Domonick is espaliering two apple trees down this bed to help promote an abundance of apples. Underneath, I have three patches of sorrel growing. Sorrel has easily become on of my favorite leafy greens to grow. They are so crisp and tangy like lemon. I snack on them every time I pass by. To my surprise, they are also perennial plants. I was skeptical at first, but seeing how they bounced right back after a full foot of snow really proved to me just how hardy they are. What a blessing to have such a delicious leafy green come back year after year! I highly recommend sorrel y’all, like seriously. Grow it! This bed will also be lined with calendula and marigolds. I really don’t think you can have too many flowers in the garden. The more the merrier! They’ll be very helpful at deterring pests from the beautiful Moon & Stars watermelon I plan on growing at the very front of this bed.

You still with me? Great! On to the my rainbow bed! To the left of the sorrel bed, I’ll be planting this beautiful rainbow Violaceo Di Verona cabbage, that gets these stunning red veins that hombre into light green leaves. They’re such a beautiful cabbage! The cabbages need plenty of room to grow so in between, I’ll have rainbow Swiss chard circling throughout. Swiss chard is another perennial plant! Just be sure to take precautions when overwintering as they’re susceptible to rotting. In hindsight, I wish I covered them from the heavy winter rains. Luckily, half of them pulled through and I’m already seeing new growth!

And last but not least, in the top left corner of the garden, I’ll be dedicating this bed to more peppers and okra! Last year I planted 6 okra plants and was overwhelmed with how much fruit they produced! I think having a vibrant variety of green, red, and pink okras will be sure to turn some heads at the farmer’s market. I cannot wait to see just how well everything does. Not to mention the purple peppers I’m going to be growing too!

Phew! That was a lot to cover, I haven’t touched on absolutely everything, but I’ve covered the main points I wanted to speak on. With permaculture deeply in mind, I want the garden to be as productive as it is beneficial to the environment. I’m grateful and honored to be doing my part in reconnecting with Mother Nature. My hands are literally quivering with excitement as I write this. The rush that growing and creating brings me is something I wish everyone could experience. I’ve had nothing but the garden on my mind. So much so that I went ahead and illustrated my vision for the garden. We as humans have an incredible power to manifest. Transferring your ideas and visions to paper is a beautiful way to lift your spirits and attract what you dream of.

I truly hope you’ve enjoyed this read and that its gotten you excited for the growing season with some new ideas! Discovering the practices of permaculture has really shifted my perspective on gardening and the ecology of our backyards, our homes, and most importantly, our inner world. I’ve made it a mission to attract as much of the native wildlife to my garden as possible. The key in permaculture is to essentially create a thriving and diverse ecosystem right in your own backyard, allowing for the abundance of the natural world to bless your garden, your home, and your soul. Once you understand the delicate balance at work within the natural world, the more connected you become to yourself and the magical flow of energy that is all around us. Gardening truly allows us to tap into that flow of energy and cultivate its precious magic to create something far beyond our wildest dreams. There’s a synergy that’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. If you pay attention, open your heart, and listen, there’s a beautiful melody that the natural world is playing. It’s our responsibility as gardeners, as CREATORS, to tune into that rhythm and compose our own divine hymn. Now get in that garden and create! To garden is to create, and to create is to live.

Love and light.