1. Map out your space

This will help you make the best use of the space you have, and grow a more abundant garden

Why bother making a map?

Let go of the picture perfect gardens of Instagram - I'm more interested in helping you make the best of your ACTUAL garden, not copying someone else's ideas. There's a biodynamic principle that each garden (or farm) has its own unique individuality. Let's find the essence of your space, and see if we can align it with your kitchen and your eating habits.  

What sort of a map are we making?

It can be a sketch, a drawing, and if you're anything like me it WON'T be to scale or artistic. Its only purpose is to become a visual plan, and a way for you to picture your whole property at once. 

How to create your map: 

1. Take a blank piece of A4 paper, draw your section, put in the an approximate shape for the house, garage, and then approximate markings for pathways and fixed objects like tables, barbecue areas, washing lines.
2. Where is north? If you are in the Southern Hemisphere, this will help you find the optimal light. (Mark South if you live in the Northern Hemisphere)
3. Change colour or find another type of pen/pencil, and show the garden beds, specific trees.
4. Where is your water source? Mark that too. 
5. Take a break, perhaps go for walk around the garden, and connect with the energy of each space - this is not to judge whether your drawing was to scale, but to observe how you feel in each part of your garden. 
6. Come back to your map, and using three new colours, or a new type of tool (felt pen over pencil, highlighter over felt pen, shading with coloured pencil) - mark the areas according to these three criteria:

a) favourite spots that need no special work this season;

b) areas you are actively working on, the focus for this season;

c) areas you have no idea what to do with, but would love some sort of divine intervention - if you had a fairy godmother to transform one section for you, what spot would you give them? 

What if your garden is too big to fit on one piece of paper?

This exercise is still useful to hold the concept of the whole in your mind as fitting on one page. For you, a second page with just your productive edible garden is useful, but please still do a map of the whole property.

Have a look at the examples below.

PLEASE don't skip over this exercise!

SHARE YOUR WORK WITH THE BLUE BORAGE COMMUNITY:

If you feel like sharing, you can send me your map by email to [email protected] or post on Instagram and tag @blue_borage

Has this lesson been useful?
Say thanks with a Ko-Fi donation: https://ko-fi.com/blueborage

Thanks so much,
Katrina