So, I recently discovered
permaculture, and am getting a lot of interesting ideas - for my
gardening project, which is to revive a neglected
yard in a small town in the Okanagan Valley. I just moved here late last summer, and have next to no knowledge about the
local environment. I drove through here once when I was a kid, and that's about it. So I'm excited to have huge amounts to learn.
The yard (and house) was rented for a number of years prior to my moving in, and the soil seems very compacted. We had an awesome dandelion crop this spring. I made dandelion flower tea for the first time, which was...interesting. I think it might be a bit of an acquired taste. There is only one "garden" area - a small patch dug up by the shed. There are grapes of some type growing on said shed, but they didn't amount to anything last year, don't know if they will with more care and
water through the summer this year. The yard (where it's not dandelion) is mostly grass, and an irrigation system came with it. I will be using the irrigation, because it's there, and we have grass and grass-happy neighbours I want to get along with, but my plan is to slowly reduce the amount of grass and irrigation required, and add herbals/vegtables/berries. There is a small cedar border along the east side of the yard, and an amazing juniper bush, which unfortunately is all by itself, so no berries. Also there is an old ponderosa (I think) and another evergreen at the front of the house. Sadly, the probable-ponderosa is looking a tad frail, and leaning a bit...over...the house, so might have to be cut down, probably not this year, but not too long from now.
Because I'm new to the region, I'm likely overly concerned about dangerous spiders and snakes and wildfires menacing the house, and am trying to design to allow for "fire safety" and spider-repellant plants around the house.
I have successfully gardened in the past, although not to any great extent and not in this climate. I know
enough to know I need to start slow - and am trying to remain calm and philosophical as some of the things that I've tried so far this spring (planting chives and onions in the garden patch, for example) have not worked at all. I want to thank everyone for being patient, as I'm sure I'll ask things that "everyone" knows the answers to already.