What would be an ecological project without its own organic garden? Permaculture aims to give more than one purpose to things, so this garden was supposed to become more than just a place to feed us with its delicious and healthy veggies. It should be something visually beautiful, attached to the purpose of MAARA and in its composition circular and thus sustainable.
So, everything started with a draft – the idea was to make the garden in a form of a Latvian symbol and connected to MAARA. We chose a blend of JUMIS (symbol of fertility, strength, wealth and success) and sign of MARTINS (symbol of light and fire) to keep its energy close to our home.
In order to keep the sign well visible, we used the technique of raised garden beds. For the filling we used layers of different material so it can decompose in the lower levels and thus give nutrients to the plants above. First, we started with gross tree trunks and brunches, then thinner brunches and straw, Next came manure, then a layer of humus and finally a good black soil. Everything was covered with a layer of straw in order to protect the soil from drying out and losing nutrients.
The work was hard, but the result was stunning – maybe one day we will even be able to see our vegetable garden on google earth. For now, we just enjoy the healthy and toxic-free veggies and greens, and the absolutely beautiful garden which is also home for lots of butterflies and bees.
