Backyard Gardens require a thorough assessment and planning. This is not always immediately obvious and by taking these steps you will learn what to look for when assessing your space. Take a look at this simple yard walkthrough!
Observing a Backyard Garden
Have you ever looked at your yard and seen an insurmountable project? Have you wanted a garden in your yard but have not known how to begin planning it out? We certainly have!
The first yard we ever had was nearly 0.40 acres.
This was a huge blessing as well as a scary proposition when we considered how we might use it to grow food and flowers. We had a front lawn that was perpetually plagued by pine needles, a sloped backyard that was equal parts weeds and patchy grass, and a lower yard area that was mostly dominated by a mature Cedar. And then we had the section off in the corner that we weren’t sure what was going on there and we weren’t keen to dig into–especially considering we had seen wasps flying about the area.
Our Backyard Garden Journey
The first time I (Taylor) mowed the lawn felt like quite an accomplishment–especially considering we had to charge the battery of our mower three times before it was finished. After the first mow, I had a better sense of what our yard looked like…but just barely. This was about the extent of our knowledge before we properly explored it. Our lack of awareness caused us quite a bit of extra work when we got to creating our first garden beds.
When we built our first keyhole bed we put it in a random spot that looked like shade wouldn’t touch it.
When we put in our first tomato bed we just started digging out the perimeter–a semi-circle next to our house–again, randomly. The short version of this story is, we had no plan. We didn’t know what we could do with the massive amount of space we had and we had no idea how to bite off a chewable piece.
Getting to know your property can seem like an inconsequential step. Shouldn’t it be obvious what’s going on out there? We thought so. Over time, however, we came to discover that we had known very little of all that our yard contained–not to mention what the weeds, soil, and insect life was already signaling to us.
In Permaculture circles, gardeners take great care to do the first step of any good science experiment: observe. What you see in your yard, before “breaking ground,” will show you the path forward, the opportunities you can take advantage of, as well as the challenges you will need to address.
Assessing a Client’s Backyard
In this yard, we took a little extra care to observe and think about what processes were already at work. This was much easier than our 2/5ths of an acre plot (our client’s backyard garden is about 1600 sq ft.).
However, we still asked some of the following questions: What is the sun’s path across the yard? What pollinators and beneficial predators, if any, are present? What weeds are present? How many square feet of growing space do we have? How well are existing plants growing? What resources are available to us that are already in the yard?
These questions may seem simple or obvious–but in our experience, they can be easily overlooked to the gardeners’ detriment. By seeking to learn about your yard, from your yard, you are taking a crucial step in tackling what is otherwise insurmountable. Do you know what your yard smells like? Have you seen every nook and cranny of your yard? Have you felt the soil with your hands and listened to the sounds of the wildlife at work?
Engage Your Senses to Discover Your Backyard Garden
In our “Supermarket Age,” it’s easy to detach from these natural processes and expect we can skip straight to eating food. We encourage you to engage with all of your senses; smell, sight, touch, hearing, and taste (P.S. When you’re growing your food, taste usually comes after having engaged with all the others).