I started thinking about what to plant where on the two new lots I got about a mile from my place on the way to the well and much more accessible than my place. I currently don’t have a road and am so lucky to have 4WD to haul water. The road turned into the wash after multiple flash floods this summer because my neighbor across the street filled his wash with concrete for a driveway. I’ll have to write about that in another post.
You can see the cleared area in the back, the “high” part. I plan to move my 20′ x 40′ hoophouse there, cover it with shade cloth, and use it to store building materials, fencing, pots, etc. Am not going for the “white trash” look that’s so popular around here 🙂
The cleared area still needs a lot of leveling and bushes and trees will be planted strategically for wind protection, cooling and privacy. The goal is to demonstrate how to plant around a home for passive cooling with deciduous trees to allow for the sun to warm the house in winter while also providing wind protection and privacy.
9/25/22 cleared area new lot for the 20′ x 40′ hoophouse
And here is the boat.
Fully self-contained and I might end up living in it after I sell my place. It needs quite a bit of work, the cushion covers completely deteriorated, all the wood has to be oiled, I haven’t had time for it at all. I have extra solar panels and equipment, a 200 g water tank and it wouldn’t take a lot of money to have electric and running water — TIME is what it takes.
The big expense is a septic system. Or get a composting or camping toilet. The boat should be plumbed for grey water to go to some of the new plants.
The house in the background is vacant and has the most serious mold problems. Many years of a leaky roof, and collapsed ceilings, and if I had the money I’d try to buy it to tear it down.
Sure wish I had more time and money, but hope to at least get started with planting this fall, clean up the boat and maybe spend a night there.
The property is now a Certified Wildlife Habitat® site with the National Wildlife Federation and Arizona Wildlife Federation — hope to soon get the sign!
Of course, I’d love to put up a few small adobe / cob structures, legal without permits to 300 sqft. So many projects, so little time …
A pic from my place with gravity watering, apparently shortly after we dug the rings out again in 2020:
Gravity watering – the peach and apricot trees should be transplanted into the orchard because I just don’t water enough here to get fruit. They’re super small compared to the trees planted in the orchard at the same time in 2016.
We had several flashfloods in summer 2022 and all the tree rings have to be dug out again. Fortunately, it’s just sand, easy to do.
Love where your head is at; This will be amazing once your designs are implemented.
Also, amazing for the grey water to feed into plants!
I’m curious if the idea of water collecting is possible and just have it all be gravity fed?
🙂
Water collection is almost impossible, not enough rain. But, since there is the wash going through the property, I’d like to try a holding pond. I think it’s mostly sand, so might have to be lined. And that can get expensive with little return since it might not rain for a couple of years, again.
I’m thinking it might be better to just have strategic small collection basins, maybe use bathtubs (I got some), not all the way down (so you don’t have to pump the water up). Maybe paint the tubs so they don’t stick out like sore thumbs and plumb the drain with a valve for easy gravity watering.
Takes some planning, where and what to plant, and place the tubs so they can be filled with a 50′ hose from the road or driveway.
I just realized that I apparently never posted my pics and vid of the gravity watering at my place. And apparently I can’t post a pic in a comment, so I’m adding one above.
Permaculturists are huge on using giant equipment for giant swales … not working well here, too destructive. So I have water rings around many of my trees ON CONTOUR for ease watering straight from the water hauler.