Zone 1 Kratergarten

Please have a look see. I could use any advice you can give me regarding this system. Please subscribe of Youtube if you like.

Subscribed. I really like what you've got going here and I'd be interested to see what happens with it. Looks like you really thought it out. Did you consider making that berm into a huge hugel bed but decide against it? If so, why did you choose to do that? Also, what area of a flat spot do you have there for the potential annual bed? Looked somewhat smallish to me, but that being said, I would have guessed that ditch to be 2 feet deep so I'm a bad judge. What kind of annuals would you grow there too? Sorry for all the questions, but as another cold-climate dweller, I'm super intrigued by methods to beat the spread on nature.

Thanks for the subscription. I'll be updating every week or so except during my vacation.

I did consider a hugel bed but I already have two and actually I don't think I need them. Between the snow and the rain and a good cover of mulch, I should be good. Besides hugel beds collapse over time and I want the height permanently to stop the wind and trap the snow.

You were right about the area being small between the berm and the hugel mound. We pulled back the center another 6 feet the next day. It's not so much the flat area that's useful. It's where the slope meets flat and where flat meets water that the magic will happen. Not sure what I'll do with the flat spot, except put grapes beside the berm and haskap and rhubarb on the water edge. Perhaps we will put a little fire pit or gazebo in there. The mid berm area will be getting saskatoons (serviceberry), elderberry, goji and nanking cherry as well as some University of Sask hardy cherries (Manor, romeo and Juliet and cupid.) Backside will be gooseberry spruce and chokecherry.

This little system incorporates all that I know about heat sinks. The south facing berm, the rocks and water... it will be interesting to see how much this passive system can do for me.

how are you sealing your pond?

I didn't think it needed sealing because the soil profile is mostly clay. I have other ponds on the site that are holding water perfectly without the sealing. However, after watching this pond this past two months it appears as though it is not holding like the other ponds. What I think I'll do is have the dogs run around in there and stir up some clay into the water. As it settles it should seal well enough. If not, then I'll have to hand tamp the pond. A days work or so because it's not that big.