www.brotherhug.com

As posted on our dear friend's website:

www.brotherhug.com - a celebration of life and community

"I completed the Permaculture Design Course in May, 2008 taught by Paticia Allison and others from Earthaven.

Janet and I are creating a "Paradise Garden" at our home in West Asheville, NC. We began sheet mulching in November, 2006, a few months after we moved to Asheville.

Our first project was to convert the front yard from a grass lawn to an organic garden. To jump-start the project so we could plant in the spring, we had three yards of mushroom compost delivered and dumped in the front yard on top of a layer of newspaper and cardboard. The next spring, we laid out paths with stones and wood chips, and planted.

Our front yard was converted from a sterile lawn to an abundant garden in just a few months with no tilling, no hard work. I quickly became a no till, sheet mulch convert.

Sheet Mulching Expanded
Our second year we added a 600 square foot fenced garden below our house. Over the winter, we built the soil in this bed by adding a 6" layer of leaves, plus 8 yards of fresh horse manure which I got from our mail carrier.

On top of that went an innoculating layer of compost to add worms to the layer plus various compostable materials such as shredded paper.

The layers were thoroughly wet before adding a layer of newspaper topped by cardboard. The cardboard was wet, then covered with 8" of leaves, watered and left to sit through the winter.

This spring we laid out the paths bordered with stones and filled the path with wood chips. Wood chips make great path material. They're free. Almost every tree man will be willing to give you a load if he's working in your neighborhood.

By planting time, most of the cardboard was easy to poke holes through to plant the plants.

This new garden brought us abundance. We ate well and dried, canned, froze and gave away tomatoes, peppers and many other vegetables.

Growing your own food is one of the most radical acts we can do."

Visit his website and enjoy his incredible spirit and original photography !!!