I used the base maps as well as the zone, sector and slope maps for the whole garden I had put together in the survey stage of the first phase of the design.
The first year in the back garden
In addition to the site survey I did in the first year, I made the following observations:
What went well?
- the perennials established themselves very well: fruit trees, bushes, climbers and raspberries, as well as the perennial vegetables and flowers, and the herbs
- wild strawberry ground cover established itself very well
- there was only need for watering pots
- the greenhouse is a valuable resource for seedlings and overwintering more tender herbs in pots
- mulching was great for clearing the ground and building the soil
What was challenging?
- the goji berries didn’t survive either in the ground or in pots
- slugs loved the lupins
- many more tender herbs didn’t survive in pots on the patio
- there was a lot of wet weather, but when there was a dry spell the water butts were soon emptied
- compacted soil needing building