Basin & Rim - Execution

Our tree basins are made together by students and teachers. It’s a hands-on project where everyone takes part in shaping the garden.

Basin & Rim - Plan

You can generally use the same approach for making a basin and rim (watering ring) for orange trees as for olive trees, but with a few small but important adjustments depending on soil, water needs, and tree age. 🌿 Basic method (works for both) 1. Form a shallow basin around the

Hay At the Bottom - execution

When constructing the raised flower bed, I simplified the usual layering process by omitting some of the intermediate layers. Instead, I placed hay at the bottom to promote aeration and moisture retention, followed by a layer of comfrey to provide nutrients, and then topped the bed with soil. The photo

Hay At the Bottom - Plan

The plan for a tiny perennial flower bed by the rabbit hutch.

A Place In the Sun - Later

A sketch of an urban Mediterranean garden behind a school in Valencia. The illustration shows raised beds filled with vegetables and herbs, young fruit trees along the borders, and potted plants making use of limited space. Stone paths and tiled corners reflect the courtyard setting, while a trellis and wall

A Place In the Sun - Now

This inner-city schoolgarden faces several challenges: the soil is compacted and dry, shade and sunlight are uneven due to surrounding walls and buildings, and the narrow layout limits planting options. Existing fruit trees create competition for resources, while irrigation appears uneven. Hard surfaces add reflected heat, and the urban

Green Gold II

Traditional Turkish Folksong Türkü/Mâni Evlerinin önü zeytin ağacı, Sallanıyor dalları yamacı. Ben sevdim ellerin yavrucuğu, Bilmiyor anam babam, kimsesi. "In front of their house, an olive tree stands, Its branches swaying down the hillside. I have fallen in love with a young beloved from another household, My mother

Green Gold I

The fact that we had previously cultivated olive trees in the area where we would be implementing our permaculture practices was a surprising gain. Our students were harvesting olives...

First Things First IV

We enriched the soil by mulching with a blend of grass clippings and dry leaves.

First Things First III

We cleared the site of harmful weeds, creating a healthy foundation for mulching and the implementation of our permaculture practices.

First Things First II

Side by side with our special education students, we explore our permaculture garden and learn different cultivation techniques together.

First Things First I

As Atatürk Organize Sanayil Bölgesi Special Education Practise School, we've set aside a 60-square-meter area in our schoolyard for permaculture practices. We cleared the area where we would implement the permaculture practices from weeds and then mulched it. Photo by Deniz Akkaş