Hello-
I have a front porch with translucent
greenhouse plastic ceiling which gets fair-to-great afternoon sun, while being "brightly shady" in the morning. Strawberries, fushcia, dahlias, etc have been growing great right in front of it if they are any indication of the light. The space has 4 10x4x4 planters made of
concrete block. We've put a tub on one end and will have a fish
pond in the other end (a large livestock tank). We love the idea of using the
pond water to
feed plants in the two middle bays.
I am leaning towards trying to use hugulkultur to fill these bays 70% or so, and then top with
compost and mulch. Since I barely have
enough compost to cover my main vegetable
greenhouse, I will probably have to purchase some compost and if that is the case, its ok by me. I would of
course like to keep this all as low-input and well-envisioned permaculturally speaking as possible. I live in central Coastal Oregon, although I 10 miles up a river valley and so the weather is harsher in both summer and fall than it is on the coast directly. We get mild freezes, and I do not know if the greenhouse will prevent that. There is also very little sun from November until May.
So I am seeking suggestions to best make use of the 2 beds. I think salad greens are a good contender, and perhaps herbs both culinary and
medicinal as well as various insect attractants and generally beautiful and pleasant flowers. I am hoping to identify some perennial herbs that will work well in a small space like that. I wonder if Good King Henry is a good choice?
I am also tentatively thinking about maypop passionflowers and kiwis trellised on the back wall and ceiling.
So that is a general vision of the space, but I would really love some thoughts, dreams, or experiences that all of you have. Otherwise, I'll let you know how it goes...