Use Edges and Value the Marginal: “Don’t think you are on the right track, just because it is a well beaten path”. Pay attention to the edges and interfaces between different elements, as they are often the most productive areas.
The main use of edge in the Choko Tree is the edge between the private space of our front yard property, the private spaces of our neighbours and the public space of our verge and road area at the front of our yard.
The front of the property including street pantry, street library and community bench
The northern edge of our yard is shaded in summer by the mulberry tree, which also allows the neighbour to harvest mulberries if they want. There are also a series of lavender bushes which allow harvesting of flower and fragrant foliage by the neighbours. Mixed in with the lavender bushes are four gabions that provide space for biodiversity, make use of material that would have otherwise been dumped and outline the edge of our property boundary. At the corner of the northern and eastern edges is a large bay tree, which provides us, the neighbours and passers-by with bay leaves for cooking.
The northern boundary giving neighbours access to mulberries in season, lavender, capsiums and tomatoes when available as well as bay leaves
The bay tree on the north eastern corner of the front yard
The eastern edge of our yard provides a number of edible and useful plants that can be harvested from the verge. These include the bay tree, a midyim berry, lilly pilly, Feijoa, thornless blackberry, coffee bush, olive tree and rosemary plant. There also three tea trees (melaleuca alternifolia) that encourage biodiversity but can also be used to produce tea tree oil and some sweet potato growing between the trees. It is also worth noting that visitors to our street tend to park out the front of our house because the, now large, melaleuca trees provide the only afternoon shade from the sun.
Rosemary bush near the letter box, is easily harvestable from the street
The street library, street pantry and area for excess fruit, veg and eggs to be housed
There are a number of community related items that we have installed in the eastern edge of our property. These include a community bench that by passers can sit on, a street library where books can be taken or exchanged, a fresh fruit, vegetables and eggs street pantry where excess produce that we have grown can be shared. There is also a free grocery street pantry that we keep stocked with commercial groceries and where we get occasional donations of groceries, such as when Permaculture Sydney North members came to visit us.
Bed with blood orange, fig and dwarf lemon
The southern boundary with our next-door neighbour was a number of fruit trees in a bed on the boundary including a blood orange which can be harvested from the street, a fig and a dwarf lemon tree. Also, on the boundary west of the fruit trees is a rain garden, growing Dianella Caerulia, which produces blue berries and Lomandra Longifolia, also known as ‘basket grass’ and next to the rain garden is a large pot where we grow pumpkins, which we share with the neighbour. There is a 3000 litre rainwater tank on the western side of the rain garden and excess water from the tanks is directed into the raingarden. The rainwater tank also provides privacy for our neighbour when she is out on the deck in the front of her house.
Rain garden and pumpkin vine
...and lots of happy pumpkins!
3000 litre rainwater tank
The edges of our front boundary are very productive and allow us to chat with neighbours and by-passers as well.
