Osborne Road, Warrandyte
This long-term project demonstrates the transformative potential of permaculture design, rehabilitating soil and creating functional garden spaces that blend food production with aesthetic beauty.
What we did
Located on the river flats of the Yarra River and backing onto State Forest, the property presented unique opportunities to engage with native fauna and flora. Situated in an “edge” environment, there is increased vitality and biodiversity.
The client envisioned an easy-to-maintain property, abundant with edible fruits and vegetables. Our team developed and executed a master permaculture design, integrating zone, contour, and solar pathway maps to optimise the garden's functionality and sustainability.
One of the project’s key challenges was rehabilitating the eroded soil in the food forest garden area. To address this, we implemented swales on contour to passively capture water and nutrients, combined with hügelkultur mounds on the topside of the swales. These mounds help increase soil fertility and provide a long-term nutrient release.
By enriching the sandy, degraded soil with organic matter, we regenerated the land, preparing it for our food forest garden planting plan. The plan features nine edible layers, creating a thriving garden that mimics a natural forest ecosystem.
In addition to the food forest garden and soil rehabilitation, this project included building a firepit, raised wicking beds, a worm farm, and a chicken coop. We also planted cottage gardens and crafted biodynamic fertiliser on-site to enhance the property's ecological health and fertility.
This project reflects the success of a multi-stage master plan, implemented over time to create a sustainable, abundant, and beautiful landscape.
SWIPE TO VIEW GALLERY －
