Hi all, this is my first post I hope I did it OK. I just recently started a blog
Her Way at Crabtree Gardens, I’m not good at the process yet, but I’m working on it. Our website
Crabtree Gardens has more information about our business.
We have 5 acres in northeastern PA (Drums- pop. 9000). It was used as farmland for many years. We bought it 5 years ago and are continually working to add trees, shrubs and perennials. We got into permaculture about a year ago. When we bought it there weren’t any birds, but now it’s a sanctuary. We also bought the property next to us and opened a guest house. It’s a lot of work for two people but we manage for now.
We kept about half as meadow and the other half is used as our display gardens and teaching area. Sheet mulching is the platform for all of our gardens, as we rely heavily on it to start all of our beds. We use cardboard (sorry Paul-a vice!). All our wood mulch is organic; our friend has a tree service. The most important thing is that we use no chemicals (on either property).
Our main focus is educating people about nature and how to let it take its course without the use of chemicals. We allow weeds into our display beds (gasp!) and we have neatly cut edges on some (sorry Paul another vice) visitors can relate to neatly cut edges. We plant for pollinators and are slowly moving into some vegetables and fruit this year.
We installed a Hugelkultur berm and a keyhole bed for vegs and herbs and are planning an orchard this fall. We also do not have any heavy equipment other that a lawn tractor (at this time). Our backs do hope that will change, as we are planning to win a backhoe/loader online:) (LOL).
We plan to propel the permaculture movement thorough out our area. We would like to become a farm to table location and serve our own grown food in our gardens or maybe even a restaurant could be in our future one day who knows.
Our biggest hurdle is getting people to understand the interconnectedness of people, plants and wildlife.
Oh, I almost forgot- we love and grow bamboo too and are the talk of the garden clubs because of it, but not in a good way!
