Founded in 2013, Prosperity Homestead starts growing right away. Transforming a distressed home into a garden paradise. It took cutting away many distractions early in the year.

Transforming a Neglected Urban House into a Permaculture Homestead

Each photograph tells a story of permaculture application, organic growing, and land best management practices. The original property was overgrowing, two years on the market without maintenance.

This means tall trees in front and behind the house. Overgrown bamboo areas and erosion across the steeply sloping property. Here are some of the best highlights of 2013 growing.

It wasn't easy to go from neglect to edible crops. And I didn't start right away. It took a few months after moving in late 2012 to observe potential growing spaces.

2013 Late Spring Garden Tour

• Raised nursery bed. Moving all the raised beds from my previous home, I use them for nursery space. There is NO backyard, so in front of the house is best access.
• Rainwater diversion trench. A wet basement is no fun. Moving rainwater from the front of the house to side is done with trench preparing for french drain.
• Use of mulch pathing. Thinning out overgrown landscaping reveal a possible food forest area. Heavy mulching covers old mulch while giving universal appearance.

Much of what I did to improve this property confused neighbors. The expectation was sterile cookie cutter landscapes from a big box store. Instead I introduce a step towards English Natural Landscaping.

Starting Early to Identify Land Problems and Possible Solutions

While planting any edible plants, the larger structure of the property was my main concern. Heavy rains was away most of the top soil, the basement leaks, and deferred maintenance needs addressed.

Contrary initial thoughts, my focus is to increase property values while getting more utility from my land. At a little under an acre, this mostly wooded lot has much potential.

Can permaculture work with property investment and real estate? How can you see a garden improving land utility? Learn all this and more with Prosperity Homestead. Write with your questions.

Justin Hitt

If you want to get more from your small farm, homestead, or estate, … Justin Hitt is a Permaculture Design Consultant with more than two decades of experience with organic gardening. He teaches the practical application of critical thinking, entrepreneurial ecology, and homestead management. Practical insights for practitioners, estate owners, and homesteaders. To see if his insights are right for you, join our free newsletter.