Greetings Greenthumbs! I'm Kathryn Hogan, and I'm here to tell you about my adventures in permaculture.

If you'd like to know more about me, check out my website! www.kathrynhogan.ca


Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Berry Spiral Update

When I first built my berry spiral, it looked like this:


Look at those dormant little berry bushes!


Then the bushes and seeds started growing, and it looked like this:

Some growth! Not much, but some!


Then, something amazing happened.
It rained for like a million years. And then the sun came out, all strong and warm and life-giving. Now, my berry spiral looks like this:

Explosion of Growth!!!

It is so beautiful! Surrounded by natural grasses, filled with nitrogen fixing clover and bee-attracting wild flowers, with three honeyberries, a highbush cranberry, a siberian almond, and a little baby evan's cherry, this berry spiral is sort of THE BOMB. There are also some sunflowers growing, which you can probably make out in the left hand of the picture, around one of the honeyberries.

I also planted some gladiola bulbs when I first made the spiral, but some ants have taken up residence and were using the shoots as food, so I don't think any of them will make it to maturity. I'm not too fussed - the ants are aerating the soil and plus they are pretty cute (if you are insane).

I'm super happy with my berry spiral. It probably won't produce berries this year but it's already a veritable mecca for bees, there are ants applenty, and so much green it almost hurts your eyes. 

The main goal of bringing a whole lot of life into what had been a dead zone due to soil damage has been achieved! I'm already planning a new, even more ambitious spiral with a fruit tree at the top for construction next year!


No comments:

Post a Comment