Permaculture on 2 acres

This was my garden for about 10 years. It started as a cleared paddock with a scattered eucalypt canopy and a few clumps of surviving understorey. It was planned on permaculture principles including the zone system. Zone I is annuals, propagation and nursery close to the kitchen. Zone II is small- medium fruit trees, perennials and poultry. Poultry are allowed to range amongst most of zone II. Zone III is larger crops & animals, in this case clumping bamboo plantation for timber & edible shoots. Zone IV is managed forestry, in this case firewood (although we don’t need any), paperbark, mulch and mostly bush regen control. Zone V is left for nature, where humans visit but try not to change anything. Once a zone IV becomes weed free, it’s added to zone IV.

When I see the place now I feel rather old, because much of the original land has grown back into rainforest. Some of this is from active planting but most is from nature being left alone to fix itself. In this case the transformation is dramatic because there was a heavy bed of native seed laid before clearing, and the support of fringing intact forest.