Terra Perma Gardens

In spring of 2012, I began creating an orchard and an edible forest garden (food forest) at Terra Perma, on land that was previously used as farmland about 50 years ago. I chose the site for its south-east orientation and its moderately steep slope. Some light clearing and earthworks and were undertaken to create access and terraced growing areas. Other than the initial fruit tree planting, only minimal maintenance was done for the remainder of 2012 and 2013.

In 2014, I moved to the site and continued to develop the project, clearing land, establishing a vegetable garden, and moving my plant nursery onto this site. In 2015, more clearing was undertaken in the areas with young, low value forest regrowth of primarily balsam fir and poplar trees. Charleen Kotiuga began working with me and togeather we continued transforming the land with multi-use terraces. We also built a smoker to smoke our hot peppers.

In 2016, we continued development of the site with more clearing and earthworks; an expanded nursery; a shiitake mushroom growing area; the creation of both an alpine and hugelmound garden; and the construction of a commercial greenhouse for growing the nursery plants and for food production.

In 2018 I moved off the site in order to pursue offering permaculutural landscaping services full time to others

A view down slope during the first day of light clearing in 2012.

Creating one of the accessways.

Phillipe, founder and planner at Terra Perma, clearing brush.

Creating a terrace on a steep slope.

The completed terrace.

Preparing one of the larger level growing areas.

I created a vegetable garden in 2014 in this fenced area. It is seen here, half cleared with my nursery plants being protected from the deer temporarily.