by Paul Kirkpatrick
I was humbled that our small project, the design of our own house and garden, won the Urban Residential Green Space Award at the recent Australian Institute of Horticulture Awards in Coffs Harbour.
Judges were impressed with the quality of landscaping and the way that horticulture had been used sustainably to create an environment that benefitted both the environment and the well-being of residents.
Retiring from horticulture had meant downsizing to a typical small block in a new development. Yet a common observation made is that as blocks get smaller, there’s no room for a garden.
My wife, Frances and I were determined to do better, to create a house and plant-filled garden that gave back to both its owners and the environment, an urban oasis on just 573m2! We also wanted to open to the public promoting energy-efficient housing, biophilic design and urban food growing.
The house is a passive-solar design with rainwater storage as well as solar power and battery back-up. We also adopted biophilic principles so that the house was not limited by the sterile confines of urban living, instead it celebrates the natural world by being encased within a garden. There are over a thousand plants, with every window having a view to the garden.
At “Rhagodia” we’ve tried to model what can be achieved by home-owners interested in small-scale domestic food-production.
The productive garden is an Australian take on the French Potager; recklessly mingling vegetables, herbs, fruit and flowers – feeding the body and the soul! In less than 80m2 there are 27 fruiting trees and vines, 14 herbs and 24m2 of vegetable garden on a four-bed rotation system. We try to eat from the garden every day by adopting successional planting – planting a little of a lot rather than a lot of a little.
To date, we have welcomed over 1600 visitors to our tiny project in Cape Paterson, Victoria, with more open days planned. We remain on a constant quest to create a house and garden on a small block that gives back more than it consumes. Our simple take-home message is that urban living doesn’t have to be confinement in an unnatural world of consumption – with a little thought and effort it can be a more sustainable, productive and plant-filled lifestyle.
Visits or enquiries about the project are most welcome. Email; kirky225@hotmail.com
