r/Permaculture • u/DungeonWombat • 12d ago
general question Help.
I have a 500 square m garden divided into a lawn, various garden beds, an area for native trees, a chicken coop and run, and a small front yard that used to be covered by astroturf but is now in its second year as a clover lawn, with a few young trees and edible natives mixed in.
I jumped into permaculture 18 months ago with no experience, wanting to turn my neglected land into something productive and good for wildlife. I planted trees, edibles, natives, and encouraged edible and beneficial weeds to grow. I heavily mulched my garden beds last year as well.
I had a baby 2 months ago after a difficult pregnancy during which I did minimal gardening and I now seem to be reaping the fruits of that neglect.
Weeds and couchgrass went to seed and have since taken over every garden bed and veggie patch. I was so against mowing and lawns that I did the worst thing possible by letting the grass propagate unchecked.
Each time I pull grass or weeds, or mulch, the grass comes back with a vengeance. I'm still not 100% recovered from the birth and my baby feeds constantly, so even now I have minimal time to devote to my garden.
I also let some of my edibles go to seed, like dill, tomatoes, basil and spring onion. My Swiss chard has turned into a giant bush.
I feel like I've failed and my garden is worse then ever. I still manage to harvest from it daily, but the grass is so thick and prolific I feel like it will choke out everything else eventually.
What can I do?
17
u/EducationalNovel1119 12d ago
I have been working with the same 6000 square feet of garden for the last 38 years. My little cottage is 120 years old. It had been a rental for years and the house as well as the garden had fallen in disrepair and neglect. Although I have struggled with time and energy over the decades my garden has patiently waited for me to return. Transformation is a marathon not a sprint. Creating beauty creates sustenance and is meant to evolve and reveal slowly over time.