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Big old San Antonio yard - another urban permaculture project

 
Tyler Ludens
pollinator
Posts: 11856
Location: Central Texas USA Latitude 30 Zone 8
1287
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I've started another project, this time a large one, at my friend Ann's huge yard in a neat old part of San Antonio, Texas.  We're first starting with planting xeriscape plants in two large beds along the street in front, then we will move on to a vegetable garden in the back yard, and continue later in the front yard with a patio area adjacent to the front door and a food forest in the largest part of the enormous front yard.

Ann-s-place.jpeg
[Thumbnail for Ann-s-place.jpeg]

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Tyler Ludens
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1287
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Here's a "before" shot of the front beds along the street:
annxeriscapebefore.jpg
future urban permaculture garden

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Tyler Ludens
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Thanks to my friend's yard guy who did most of the digging, we were able to get the structural plants in the ground today.  These form the core of the design, and we'll fill in around them with other things.  Next to plant, some small trees.
annxeriscape1.jpg
Texas xeriscape project
xeriscape in progress

Idle dreamer

 
Tyler Ludens
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Posts: 11856
Location: Central Texas USA Latitude 30 Zone 8
1287
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A little more progress on this project:  Mulched small vegetable garden bed and installed a worm tower.
veggardenann.jpg
mulched urban vegetable garden along a fence
mulched veg garden
wormtower1.jpg
worm tower in mulch
worm tower

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Tyler Ludens
pollinator
Posts: 11856
Location: Central Texas USA Latitude 30 Zone 8
1287
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Planted Sotol, Agave, and Red Yucca in the larger front bed which had been prepared by some landscaping guys.
Red-Yucca.jpg
Sotol, Red Yucca, and Agave in xeriscape
Sotol, Red Yucca, and Agave

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Tyler Ludens
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Planted seeds of Tatume Squash, Red Noodle Bean, and Armenian Cucumber in the vegetable garden strip in the backyard.
Climbing-veg.jpg
seed packets for planting an urban veggie garden
Vegetable seeds planted

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Tyler Ludens
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Had some problems with Bermuda regrowth in the front beds, and the backyard veg garden kinda died, but I have continued with the project, working more on the front beds, and planting roses for a large rose garden in the front yard.
0-1.jpg
Rose garden beginning
Rose garden beginning

Idle dreamer

 
Tyler Ludens
pollinator
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Started planting the front yard food forest. Petite Negra Fig and Panache Tiger Fig, Moringa, and two Mexican Sunflowers.
0-2.jpg
Food forest beginning
Food forest beginning

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Rebecca Blake
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I learn so much from your projects! Thank you for sharing. I'll be keeping track of them for when we start to plant :)

Do you have a post like this that you did for your own property?
 
Tyler Ludens
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3 more Figs and 5 additional Moringa planted, alternating along the perimeter.  More support plants will be added soon.  Esperanza (Tecoma stans) will be the primary support shrub.
moringafig.jpg
[Thumbnail for moringafig.jpg]

Idle dreamer

 
Tyler Ludens
pollinator
Posts: 11856
Location: Central Texas USA Latitude 30 Zone 8
1287
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Rebecca Blake wrote:I learn so much from your projects! Thank you for sharing. I'll be keeping track of them for when we start to plant :)

Do you have a post like this that you did for your own property?



Thank you!  I haven't been working on my food forest at home for a couple years because of having to be in town taking care of my dad who has Alzheimer's.  He's 90 but his general health is so good he's likely to live to 95 or beyond, so I will be here in San Antonio for several more years.  Here's my most recent thread about projects at home: https://permies.com/t/132515/permaculture-projects/Ludi-Projects

My current enthusiasm is for the food forest at my friend's house.  Her huge yard is perfect for this kind of permaculture makeover.

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Tyler Ludens
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Planted three Asian Persimmons and did a little chop and drop around one of them.
chopndrop.jpg
[Thumbnail for chopndrop.jpg]

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Tyler Ludens
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I've planted over 30 trees so far in this yard.  Now starting on some beds for annual vegetables.
0-4.jpg
cover crop bed, Tawny Daylily, and annual vegetable bed
cover crop bed, Tawny Daylily, and annual vegetable bed

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Tyler Ludens
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Finished the vegetable beds that surround a grove of fruit trees in the interior of the food forest.  Now starting another series of beds on the outside of the main path.
0.jpg
Annual vegetable beds
Annual vegetable beds
0-2.jpg
Garbage trench under new bed
Garbage trench under new bed

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Tyler Ludens
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This project has been a huge success.  Even though many plants and trees died back during the past winter's big freeze, most things survived. Even a couple of true tropicals which died back to the ground are regrowing from the base.  Bananas are doing especially well, one even producing a pup which I transplanted to a new greywater garden at my place.

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bruce Fine
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I love xeriscape. that's exactly what we did at my previous place. it turned into a tropical food forest jungle without having to water anything, strawberry guavas were one of my favorites.
 
Tyler Ludens
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Fruits are thriving
IMG_20210901_063300.jpg
Bananas
Bananas
IMG_20210925_071226.jpg
Papaya
Papaya
IMG_20210925_071344.jpg
Fig covered in fruit
Fig covered in fruit

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Tyler Ludens
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I want to mention what I think has been the key to success in this yard and that is lots and lots of mulch.  I've been trying to keep six inches to one foot of mulch (mostly chop and drop, but some woodchips) around each fruiting plant or tree.

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Tyler Ludens
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Finished edging this bed, mulched, and planted spring salad vegetables. Cloches cover zinnia seeds. Sticks are to discourage neighborhood cats.
IMG_20220226_072912.jpg
Spring veg
Spring veg

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Tyler Ludens
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Finished initial planting of this bed for the spring/early summer season. Salad vegetables and zinnias, with some perennial bunching onions.
IMG_20220309_194417.jpg
Spring veg central bed
Spring veg central bed

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Tyler Ludens
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Finished shaping and edging the inside of the south side of the food forest and planted 5 dwarf peach trees.
20220320_142335.jpg
Dwarf peaches
Dwarf peaches

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Tyler Ludens
pollinator
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Location: Central Texas USA Latitude 30 Zone 8
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It's finally really taking shape.
20220321_105051_HDR.jpg
Food forest
Food forest

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Tyler Ludens
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A few updates from this year:
20221113_085147_HDR.jpg
Food forest with moringa
Food forest with moringa
20221113_085208_HDR.jpg
Food forest with sweet potato groundcover
Food forest with sweet potato groundcover

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Tyler Ludens
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Tremendous growth!
20230507_114226_HDR.jpg
old laundry yard
old laundry yard
20230507_092045_HDR.jpg
front corner
front corner
20230507_093947_HDR.jpg
food forest path
food forest path

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Suzette Thib
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Tyler Ludens wrote:Tremendous growth!



This is incredible and such a wonderful walk-thru! Thank you for sharing this. It is very hopeful for me starting our food forest this March. Fingers crossed, knock on wood, etc etc :)

"The one small garden of a free gardener was all his need and due, not a garden swollen to a realm; his own hands to use, not the hands of others to command." -Samwise Gamgee, J.R.R. Tolkien

 
Tyler Ludens
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Update 2025

IMG_20250719_125708.jpg
prickly pear and other plants in a planter in a backyard in San Antonio Texas
1000005969.jpg
Food forest plants next to a concrete sidewalk in a permacultured back yard in San Antonio Texas
1000005977.jpg
Bet you didn't know that permaculture could work so well in Texas. A young fig tree in a suburban food forest with a blue house in the background

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Carmen Lizarraga
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posted 8 months ago
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Hi Tyler! I'm from Houston, looking for permaculture community in San Antonio, is there anything like that here yet?
 
Tyler Ludens
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1287
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Hi Carmen, sorry it took so long for me to reply.  There used to be a permaculture meetup group in San Antonio but I have been out of touch with them for many years.  Have you had any success finding a group?

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