Brush Walls for Biodiversity
In a three and a half minute streaming video, Margaret and Jim Drescher describe their use of brush walls at Windhorse Farm, Nova Scotia. Their permaculture vegetable and flower garden, together with one or two "retired" cows and a small flock of laying hens, provides food for about 12 persons throughout the year. The flowers and excess vegetables are sold at a local market. The brush walls form a network through the garden, acting as a windbreak, scafolding for viney vegetables and fruits and habitat for wildlife. It is a good example of managing an anthropogenic landscape to support high productivity by domesticated species and increase the diversity and abundance of wild species.
in early spring, 2000