Longnewtown
This productive garden is only 9x18 metres in size and employs permaculture techniques to increase yields while reducing the labour needed to provide fruit and vegetables. Originally the garden sloped steeply away from the house, forming a north-facing bank, some 6 metres in height. A series of curving dry stone retaining walls allowed the formation of three terraces to maximise the available sunlight and allow easier cultivation.
The bottom terrace is laid out in Caithness sandstone with pots containing herbs and fruit bushes. Grass steps with granite risers curve up to the middle terrace, where an oval lawn is framed by a lavender hedge and herbaceous border composed of edible plants and flowers with fruit trees. The top terrace is arranged in a series of 1.2 metre wide beds to form a conventional vegetable garden.
Dry stone work by Bruce Curtis.
In collaboration with Bern Balfe Architect - www.aco-co.eu
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