Sustainable Backyard

This garden is a working garden, maintained by the Hamilton Permaculture Trust volunteers. It has a strong educational focus, for both visitors and volunteers with productive vegetable beds, chickens which are moved to different beds, a worm farm, composting, liquid manure barrels, and a range of fruit trees, berries and vines.

In the Sustainable Backyard you will see examples of sustainable garden design:

* Some things have many functions
* Most available space is used - including vertical space
* Nutrients are recycled and replaced using compost and green manure.
* Waste is used as a resource
* A wide range of annual and perennial plants are grown to produce a year round food supply
* Building materials that are used are local, abundant, untreated and often biodegradable (e.g. bamboo).
* Vegetable beds are designed for effective crop rotation
* Animals (bees, chickens, worms and insects) are a key part of the garden
* Recycled materials are used wherever possible to save money and reduce waste
* Each system imitates a natural system.

Background

In 1999 a group of volunteers set up an organic garden in the Hamilton Gardens, to promote organic gardening, permaculture and sustainable living. This 'Community Garden' grew in popularity and this led to the establishment in 2000/2001 of the permanent demonstration garden now known as the 'Sustainable Backyard Garden' in an area previously known as the 'Backyard Garden'. The original backyard garden was dismantled and the new garden built by volunteers, with help from Hamilton Skill Centre and students from the Wintec Horticultural department. Various projects were undertaken; a 'chicken tractor', a new pergola to accommodate beehives, adobe seating and a water feature using solar energy.