Permaculture Intensive: Community Orchard Restoration

At Alief Community Garden, we are partnered in the project of Restoring the Community Orchard. This Permaculture Intensive is a service-learning event incorporating Permaculture principals of design for a self-managing system and multiple use. To 'Rewild' the orchard, and capture energy, such as, water for a self-watering system, earthworks has been started to capture water by digging out a 'swale', an intentional depression for rainwater, and areas raised to create 'berms'.

For this session, planting the Seven Layers of a Food Forest will be covered through demonstration in placement and planting of plants: ground cover, 'nursery' plants which provide nitrogen and mulch for the other plants, wetland Rain Garden plant which act as natural bio-filtration of the water purification and water sink to re-charge the water table, mid-story shrubs for habitat for birds and foraging of berries and leaves for people, and upper canopy of fruit bearing trees and native trees for protection from wind and summer sun. Then, we will plant-out for hands-on experience. Followed by mulching and watering the plants in.

Our plant selection includes native Gulf Coast Prairie Plants to bio-mimic our natural ecosystem along with easy to grow adapted fruit bearing Tropicals and subtropical plants. All participants will receive digital hand-outs and plant list after the service-learning day!

Lead by Carol Burton, Director of Permaculture

Earthworks lead by Kyle Frese, Decentralized Farming LLC