As you walk into this garden space, think of it as your outdoor classroom- designed to educate on the principals of sustainable permaculture. A garden is a community of useful perennial and annual plant species intentionally designed to work in harmony with one another. The goal of a food forest is to mimic a natural forest ecosystem as well as to provide food. All are invited to be a part of this permaculture model with the Master Gardeners of Bastrop.

What You’ll Find:

Keyhole Garden Beds

At the center of the current garden are five keyhole garden beds. A composting keyhole garden kicks it up by filling the planting bed almost entirely with composting materials under compost and potting soil that help retain water and provide a continuous feeding program for your plants.

Raised Garden Beds

Surrounding the five keyhole garden beds are sixteen vegetable planting beds arranged in a circle. Each season, new vegetables or cover crops are planted in these beds.

Horseshoe Garden Beds

Bordering the raised garden beds are eight horseshoe shaped raised beds, also arranged in a circular pattern. When these three garden bed arrangements are viewed from above, a flower image is revealed. Each horseshoe garden bed has its own theme, with one even being a fairy garden.

Hugelkultur Beds

Hugelkultur are no-dig raised beds with a difference. They hold moisture, build fertility, maximize surface volume and are great spaces for growing fruit, vegetables, and herbs. One of two of these beds is complete with a cover crop of cowpeas while the second bed is currently under construction, starting with plastic solarization.

Composting Bins

Compost is a nutrient-filled material that helps to enrich the soil, retains moisture, suppresses plant diseases and pests, reduces the need for chemical fertilizers, and encourages the production of beneficial bacteria and fungi that work to break down organic matter to create humus.

Future Plans

Big expansions are in the works and will one day feature a fruit orchard, a flowering Labyrinth, a succulent garden, a pocket prairie, as well as so much more! Be sure to stop by and check it all out!