TURTLE GARDEN PERMACULTURE OUTREACH
Wed, 05/29/2013–23:05 — Catherine Palmer Paton
Welcome to this Turtle Garden Permaculture Outreach! I will make a new heading with this soon, but forgot my passwords.
Meanwhile, enjoy the concept of creating a special place or garden area in your yard or community to enhance your experience with nature, growing good things in a garden and for yourself by allowing yourself to be creative, playful and inspired and cooperative with others and nature herself!
See the world with new Turtle Gardener’s eyes.
“What does nature want?” near the edge or in your yard near your home (in Zone 1) or farther out (Zone 2)? Where is there sun and land availabe to make a small circular garden with access pathways as well as ‘four legs’ that reach out like a turtle’s legs, and a head and tail in the ground or also in garden form for the head and tail?
Perhaps your turtle garden (sketched on paper or implemented in simple steps with help from family, friends or community groups) will be about 10' across, with a place to relax and visit in the circle. What kinds of flowers, herbs, fall bulbs or spring bulbs would you like to plant?
Can people share plants or bring some seeds to swap and start their own gardens whether on the land or in containers on a patio?
The idea of permaculture is to grow things in a win-win method for the long-term using natural resources and even conserving topsoil with techniques such as covering the ground with cardboard or 5 layers of newspaper, with compost below it on the grass and topsoil added above about 4" deep.
A small trench can be dug around the cardboard to prevent grass from growing and to catch water which will create a nice water source and become part of the ‘turtle garden micro-climate’.
Try some basics like bush beans, marigolds, cherry tomatoes, mint and zinnias. Planting and making signs can be an art and science project as well. Let children play with some balls, frisbees, cloths, dirt/ sand and water buckets and pots to mix up mud pies and potions. Playing hiding objects and finding them by ‘getting warmer as one gets closer’ can build kids’ confidence.
They are ready to help move piles of weeds and do their own projects of planting and digging holes with spoons and toy trucks too). Water play, and bug discoveries can all be logged in a Turtle Garden Nature Journal. Maybe you’ll have a guest book for folks to record what they saw, felt, dreamt about in this space or with this concept. This blog can serve that purpose as well with good ideas catching on readily!
Thanks in advance for sharing and caring to help the next generation of Turtle Gardeners locally and globally (we have at least one big contact in South Korea that helped plant the Columbine, so likely they could do a Turtle Garden at the school they are part of there..hint, hint Keith G!)
Put some of your own ‘turtle’ or ‘tur-tell’ wisdom and stories in the garden experience as well. Talk about where you grew up, how you enjoyed spending time in nature, near water in your town and what you do now to conserve energy and share resources and care for others and yourself.
Feel free to share more here and ask for tips. Thanks for being part of this ‘small but strong’ initiative that adds to the permaculture ethics of ‘earth care, people care and resource share’. Let US-All find ways to dare to care and share our wisdom, talent and resources to make life a win-win for creatures great and small, and for one and all!
TURTLE GARDEN OUTREACH
Wed, 05/29/2013–23:18 — Catherine Paton (not verified)
Please check back in a day..something didn’t post and I need to review my passwords..at least I have my keys to get my Turtlemobile home to the northwest corner from Farmington CT! Thanks for your patience!
