The Start Point
The lovely team at this Kōhanga had already done so much hard work getting their maara kai space ready for planting. The ground was cleared and raised beds had been installed.
Even the once overgrown feijoas had been pruned back to make space, although were now in need of some maintenance
The vision
Create somewhere for the tamariki to reconnect with where kai actually comes from. Not the supermarket, but from the whenua.
These tamariki are especially lucky to have meals prepared on site so the kitchen staff will also be making the most of the kai produced.
Design Considerations
The main consideration in this space was to make it as interactive and safe as possible for the tamariki. Edible crops as a primary objective, nothing toxic and sensory herbs as a bonus.
We also had existing trees to consider, some of which had been planted by parents of the tamariki when they attended the kōhanga. Super special and deserving of a long term place in the design.
Concept Design
The concept design for this maara kai was kept simple, with a lot of scope to adjust the planting over time.
Garden beds will be utilised for annuals with open spaces set aside to fill with tree and perennial crops.
Initial Planting List
Deciduous canopy trees to provide summer shade for existing subtropicals:
Peach, Fig and Cherimoya
Understory trees and shrubs to utilise shady spots:
American Pawpaw, Cherry Guava, Currant
Ground Cover and Support Species to prevent weeds and provide living mulch:
Sorrel, Lemongrass, Lemon Balm, Comfrey, Yacon, Alpine Strawberries
Session one
After completing the design and deciding on the first round of planting, the first job was to prune the feijoas and make space for their food forest companions.
The big job will now be keeping these young plants free from weeds until they can establish.
Coming Next
Now that summer is on the way and it is getting too late to plant more trees, the attention turns to annual crops.
Most of the raised beds are filled with strawberries, lettuce and tomatoes but this old area needs some TLC before it is ready for that sort of planting. Enter, the humble potato! Great for soil building purposes.
The weeds in the bed will be covered with layers of newspaper before seed potatoes are spread out on top. The potatoes will then be covered with layers of compost, soil and mulch, resulting in a crop of potatoes as well as soil ready for planting some cold weather crops in autumn.
