November, 2014 | Habitate - Edible Habitats

This dunedin family has a long term vision for their small city garden: to set in place strong foundations for a abundant and enjoyable landscape that is long lasting and resilient.

The resulting design that we completed in 2013 for the whole section (both hard landscaping and a planting plan) includes a native garden for birds, a courtyard surrounded by herbs, a sturdy glasshouse and vegetable gardens integrated with fruit trees.

This project is a good example of the benefits of a staged installation where instead of having to get everything done at once we have been able to:

Plant in the best seasons
Utilise economical and ecological weed removal strategies such as: temporary weed matting to kill off weedy areas and weed piles & use biodegradable weed barriers under garden beds
install as budget allows
adapt plans as we get to know the site and as the site context evolves

Resilient City Garden Landscape Design – 2013

BEFORE – Slippery, access to the back gardens and sleep out

BEFORE – Sloping grass and rusting glasshouse

BEFORE – A sunny area with good microclimate

Winter 2014 we started intstallation of the garden. To enhance a narrow and neglected but sunny side of the house we created a wide spaced pergola that will support three varieties of grapes. Also enclosing the narrow walk are summer and autumn raspberries. A central path and glass house went in first as good access was needed to the back section and these also act to define the garden spaces around them.

Grape pergola constructed using mortise and tenon wooden pegged joinery by Man Tamang

Three varieties of grapes will grow over the pergola and down onto the sunny wall for easy picking

Grape & Raspberry alley – 2016

The new glasshouse awaits its glass, the paths a finishing layer of self binding lime chip and the gardens, seeds and seedlings…

Beautiful, local, durable macrocapa edging is used throughout. Macrocapa will not contaminate the sourounding soil where food plants will be grown

Weedmatting on the soil surface for one year to kill weeds

In spring 2016 we installed terraces on the sunny side of the main house for kitchen herbs and vegetables. We installed a retractable clothes line with recycled paving from on-site. Areas infested with couch weed were mulched with a biodegradable weed barrier (newspaper) and composted and mulched. We planted what we could at this time, more will be planted in winter.

Lemon, Feijoa, Lavender, Rainbow grass & Verbena for bees were planted on the sunny bank.
Uni – Berry, Chokeberry, Salaal Berry, Japanese Ginger, Rhubarb, Perennial Rocket, Lemon Balm, Lovage, Strawberries, Dwarf Comfrey & Feverfew were planted in the shade of the crab apple tree.

This Elm was a long time family favourite. But too big for its space, shading the house and proposed garden it had to go. It as sensitively removed by Onmi Tree and milled for a kitchen table and for garden bed edging