Design Exercise

Dennis Verdonschot
Introduction
My name is Dennis Verdonschot and I live in the Netherlands in a little town called Nederweert-Eind. I signed up to the Geoff Lawton D! to learn
more a"out designing permaculture systems and eventually implement a garden with a food forest on my own property.
In #$%# I "ought the home of my grandparents and have since renovated it.
&ince the "eginning I have wanted to transform it into a home with a productive food forest garden that is a"undant in life and diversity and creates
nutritious foods.
My goals for a food forest garden based on permaculture
'"tain an a"undant source of nutritious foods
(ave a place of nature to en)oy* manage* wor+* learn and spend time in
rovide security and independence in case of a )o" loss or similar situations
&pend less time in the material world and more in the natural world
,o "e a demonstration and inspiration of a food forest and the permaculture principles
Important factors for the design to reach the goals
Enhance the we" of life in the soil to increase fertility
Implementation "eing afforda"le on a monthly "udget of a"out #-$ ..
/mount of maintenance needs to "e managea"le in com"ination with 0$ hour wor+ wee+
Characteristic of the site
Location1 Nederweert* Lim"urg
,he Netherlands
,otal si2e of area is 334 m#
55 meters a"ove sea level.
!oordinates1 -%6%37N -60-7E
Grow season1 appro8imately #3$ days "eginning somewhere march.
Distance to the sea1 appro8imately %3$ +m to the northsea.
!louds1 ,he median cloud cover ranges from 3-9 :partly cloudy; to <#9 :mostly cloudy;.
=ind1 'ver the course of the year typical wind speeds vary from % m>s to 3 m>s :light air to moderate "ree2e;* rarely e8ceeding %% m>s :strong "ree2e;.
/ few times a year there is a "ig storm.
,he wind is most often out of the south west :#59 of the time;* south :%39 of the time;* and west :%-9 of the time;.
,emperature1 'ver the course of a year* the temperature typically varies from -$6! to #06! and is rarely "elow -36! or a"ove 5$6!.
&un
,he length of the day varies significantly over the course of the year. ,he shortest day is Decem"er #% with 31-$ hours of daylight? the longest day is
@une #$ with %A15< hours of daylight.
Climate
Blimate 2one1 3!f" temperate maritime climate influenced "y the North &ea and /tlantic 'cean* with cool summers and moderate winters.
https1>>commons.wi+imedia.org>wi+i>Cile1=orldDBoppenDMap.png
Rainfall
&ource1 /verage rainfall last %$ years in mm
http1>>archief.neerslag+aart.nl>
station Heibloem (L :nr1 <A3;
/verage yearly rainfall1 E>- 3#$ mm
=ettest year1 %$-# mm in %<A-
Driest year1 00# mm in %<-<
=ettest year since %<4$1 <4$ mm in %<<4
Driest year since %<4$1 -A5 mm in %<<%
Fecord rainfall % day1 3#.4 mm in #<>$4>%<<A
!lant hardiness "one #
$oil
Very sandy soil with only under the top soil small amounts of clay.
,est results1 Measured value1 ,arget1
'rganic matter1 A.%
p(-B!I A.3 -.-
/vaila"le nutrients1
Cosfor %%0 0.-
Balium1 5$ #%
Magnesium %-# %#-
Nitrogen $.4 %.$
&oil "reathing 4# 3$
Current state of the soil
,he "ac+yard was cleared out when I "ought the place and was several times rotary tilled. /fter that I used the scythe to +eep the weeds down. 'ne of
the "ig )o"s is going to "e to transform the soil to a mulched soil with much less weeds growing. Loo+ing "ac+ on it I thin+ we should not have cleared
the "ac+yard garden to a field of weeds* "ut that is one of the purposes of this plan.
,he soil is "lac+ sandy with a lot of organic matter.
,he # front gardens have a lot of small ru""le in them "ecause the old drive way was removed and repaved. I removed a lot of ru""le "ut itGs
impossi"le to get rid of it all.
%he property and infrastructure currently
Current infrastructure for &ater
!lanned infrastructure for &ater
Design for food forest garden
Chic'en coop(
)reenhouse and *egetable garden
$mall gro& house
Insect house + places to sit and relax
,ones(

End result !DC Exersice