Arella Landman II

The housekeepers, bar staff, and maintenance guy, as well as many customers, all got to learn about the process while watching the process take shape.  Plus they have enjoyed mint, rosemary, and plenty of green foliage for floral arrangements.  As far as employees, I had 7 different people help me with the work and they also learned a lot.  Prior to my involvement, only 1 person at the company had a notion of permaculture ;)  now they all do plus so many stories as the people and plants connect and interact.

I was able to sell hugelkultur to some business owners and they have had me do the whole place!  Total sales of maybe $6000-$7000

It began when I noticed they really needed some help landscaping, AND had the "open-minded" kind of vibe that would allow them to consider letting me do "the permaculture".

At first I probably sounded crazy but like I said, they needed help!  And I got permission to use buried wood gardening and eventually, remove the drip irrigation altogether.  

The first project was ten rolling planters.  3' x 10'  

The gig was to death-proof these puppies , so I sold them hugelkultur


lined them with black plastic and added plastic bushings on the inside of the drrainage holes.  Blocked off large holes with rectangular scrap lumber (mostly pine) I was able to fit a couple layers of sawed-up scrap planks, and then placed the plants

I chose perennial shrubs which would be good insect fodder - sweet olive, gardenia Jubilee, some fragrant white vining roses.  Later added moonflower vines from my own naturalized seed.

IT IS permaculture because I don't use or allow use of any bug killer nor weed killer.  I use cardboard under the mulch so the guys agreed to stop using Roundup. as long as no weeds come up.

The stuff never needs to be watered, duh, it's hugels!!  Bigger is definitely better, but small works too. Amazing and such a joy to witness

Reading this thread  blew my mind.  Immediately I had to try - but in my case, it was been MARDI GRAS cups which make it all possible.  (These are like plastic solo cups with commemorative designs and they are given out free at parades) So I learned to direct my flow and collect 'cleanly' , more or less into the cup which I can then take outside (suburban environment)

Friends thought I was disgusting, at first, so I started doing only when by myself.

For my last 12 months of city living, I experimented with applying my own urine to my home garden.  

I can't say it for sure killed anything, and it definitely perked up my herbs and flowers. (some areas had been fertilized before, some not.  I saw more of a change in those areas which had never yet been fed.)

The New Orleans weather is so mild.  snapdragons, dianthus and hibiscus all stayed blooming for at least 9 of the 12 months.  I believe they were directly fed by my "runoff" and it also kept neighborhood cats a little wary of me (maybe)

Eventually I could sense that I had reached a critical mass of pee and started just dumping the cup in the sink and rinsing with a tiny bit of water to prevent the smell

It seemed radical for me a year ago, but now I find it wasteful and lazy to simply pee and flush it anymore. LOL

Cheers

MORE 2018 fall/ cool season planting pics

I want these newer pics to be after the first ones... Taken around fall season 2018

First Berm , end of year 2018 update.

THIRD berm update:  Had a great summer with the red and white cypress flower vines filling in the entire fence thickly.  They shaded out the veggies, predicatbly, and in the end I cut them all off.  In future,will plant solitaire in a pot to resitrict reach, it got out of control real easy :P
I cut the vines off at the ground to allow sun for my fall veggies.  ( few tubers,  kale , chicory, and other greens from groworganic.com)  I also tucked in some cute annuals to bring joy to the street view. (And my view of course)

ALSO sucess with yellow Nasturtium in a basket on fire escape, which I have been eating plentifully for months now. (eh is that permaculture?)


NO stolen plants , yet.  Tacit approval of neighborhood achieved!


This is my progress as of NOVEMBER 2018.  I am adding on , piling wood to form yet another planting area/ living fence.

[img]I somehow talked a few local business owners into letting me work on their landscaping.  I lucked out, the first person I spoke with is half german and had somehow actually HEARD of hugelkultur before. (amazing)
Here we are months later and I billed out my services at $20 per hour and recieved it.  I remember Paul saying on PDC, "Has anyone actually made money doing permaculture?" and now I can answer YES :)

I am not yet a licensed horticulturist But I have enough confidence in my plant knowledge and skills.  Also joined a business coaching group online which has helped me push forth emotionally through my fear of failure.

The first task given to me was to "Plant up" ten rectangular planter boxes *In such a way as to be able to thrive without recieving much care.*  THe other challenge was to plant in such a way that the moist soil would not rot away the body of the planter.  I believe wood building to be generally folly but, regardless,  I agreed to try BURIED WOOD could be the way, used such in the design, and it is working!!!

Planters were constructed of reclaimed wood, placed on casters to be able to be moved (in theory)


If you are still reading maybe you are curious of the designs.  Happy to share.  

First I Drilled a few holes about 12 to 20 inches apart, dispersed along bottom.  Lined each planter space with thick black plastic, 1 or 2 layers.  I stuck some baffles downthrough the holes and plastic to (hopefullY?)  help the water drain when needed.  Broken terracotta pieces were placed over each opening to stop dirt falling through or clogging.

Next, in went a few layers of scrap wood, picked up for the free around town.  I had to cut down the large planks, to fit nicely in and as snugly as I could.    Of course we all know what the wood is for!

The rest was pretty standard, selecting and installing of the plants and potting mix.  (used a local supplier for mix- Laughing Buddha nursery here in New Orleans. )

Next up for this same commercial property, is a planned banana patch on the bare corner shown.  AND I have baby bananas ready to get dug up. in my backyard hugel beds at home.  I can bill these plants as live nursery stock and start to take a profit off the garden!  (Obtaining a yield)

Also nearing planting time on a NEW backyard hugel, at a rental house I manage here in town.  Have not yet told landlady what I am up to!  Hope it goes over ok... Considering purchasing some brick blocks to get a more 'fancy' look.  But they ares o expensive and heavy...

Anyway .
I am a happy camper.Just wanted to share and say YES, permaculture is marketable!

Just have to talk about the PROBLEMS we can solve for the customer.  (In this case rain absorption/flooding and self-sustainingness. Along with the beautiful enhancement of the space)

Great Idea!! Yes it would be so good to have a computer program with the different "relationships" already plugged in.  Such as, this herb with that veggie, who loves acid or who needs to be planted all alone... I have messy notebook pages of all this and I'm sure many others are bewildered to even begin.   LOTS of potential in this idea!!

S Bengi wrote:A regular Hugel is 2ft to 10ft higher than ground level.

In the desert my recommendation is to make it lower than ground level aka a sunken hugel.
In effect what you are build is a really deep swale that is then partially refilled with wood/twig/straw/compost.
But still with enough depressions to hold and slow down water.

Very good idea and that sounds awesome!  We simply did not have the manpower, this time,  to dig decent trenches.  I believe they ended up being 10 to 12 inches deep or even less.  Luckily tho, Our lot is set down about 8 feet below the level of the adjacent streets and we are faced with a rock cliff across the road.  I've not been here for the spring rains but apparently flooding is more common, within 1/4 mile of the Virgin River, than it would be in "classical" Utah desert terrain.  We shall see!

Digging them in as you suggest could be more tolerable to the visual sensibilities of the gentry.  I will take this under consideration...