Organic Landscape Design

Imagine the kind of world you would like to live in - and let's build that one.

We can change the way that we produce what humans need to thrive.  We can create systems of production that heal nature and produce abundance - ending poverty.  And it all begins with each of us building new relationships with the people plants and creatures around us.

About Us.

Nice-World.org - David E. Ward                                        Organic Landscape Design - David Braden

In Organic Landscape Design we work with the relationships between the many species that make up our environment. The base technique is called Sheet Mulching and the basic unit of design is the "key hole bed":

(right click on pictures to view image)

See Schematics

Each bed is a ten foot diameter

• no weed

• no water

• no till

• deep mulched

• drip irrigated

permaculture bed.  The beds are constructed using materials that others consider waste.  We used horse manure that the stable owner was paying to remove.  We used newspaper and cardboard that was headed to be recycled.  We used hay that got wet and could no longer be fed to horses.  We used wood chips produced by the local arborist who pays to dispose of them.

Once the beds are established, we need significant participation only three times a year:

• planting

• mulching, and

• harvest.

With no till and deep mulching, the soil improves each year with no weeds. With no tilling, we can include in the design perennial herbs, small fruits, rhubarb, horseradish, bulbs and flowers. With drip irrigation no daily attention is required and we save water. The area not in beds will be planted to

• grasses

• legumes

• trees, and

• shrubs

for wind break and to provide habitat for

• beneficial insects

• native pollinators, and

• birds

Many features supporting the productivity of the whole.

The plan for participation for 2009 was somewhere between an individual growing food for a living, as in community supported agriculture, and many individuals tending a plot in a community garden. In this model anyone can contribute whatever time, materials or money they choose and we will share the produce based on relative contribution. It was to be community generated food production.  As you can see in the Broomfield and Boulder projects, it really does not take a lot of participation to produce abundance.  Broomfield had the most participation and six people who took 'ownership' of the project.  Boulder had a series of people who participated one or two times and we still produced an abundance of tomatoes, tomatillos, beans and acorn squash.  The Mt. Loretto project never attracted enough participation to plant and then the owner withdrew the land for liability reasons.

For the 2010 season we are working out additional ways to participate - more along the lines of traditional community gardens.

•   We will keep the existing beds as community beds open to anyone who wants to commit to 4 hours of labor per month
•   We will rent a 10' x 10' plot for $50.00 which will entitle the gardener to the materials and water we will provide.
•   We will also rent 10' x 10' plot for $25.00 and a commitment to contribute 4 hours of labor per month which, in addition to the water and materials, will include a share in the community plots

Every community has unrealized human potential and unrealized biological potential. We call these poverty and environmental degradation and treat them as a problem instead of a resource.  We are developing more ways for more people, plants and creatures to contribute value to our communities.

Our Broomfield Abundance

Our Boulder Abundance

To understand how effective these techniques can be watch this five minute video called Greening the Desert and for a more detailed understanding watch A Farm for the Future a 48 minute BBC production about the alternative to petroleum based agriculture.

• Click on "Current Projects" above to find a project near you -
• Donate time, materials or money to help support a project -
• Check out upcoming events to learn more about our "permaculture" techniques