The Macro Jigsaw

What we do

The Jigsaw Principal – Macro Jigsaw

The Treadit method is made by copying nature but instead of taking the decades it would normally take to build up the ever-important layers of the garden, we have to take a speedier approach. A garden is where our work creates a space for natures work to perform. So we should try to create the best space possible for nature to work. Nature is like a big jigsaw where we can see a big picture knowing that there are countless pieces that make up that picture. So how do we create a simular picture of nature in our own garden? We cannot collect all the pieces of the jigsaw individually but we can copy the picture using bigger pieces, a Macro Jigsaw where we put in place four main elements of the garden that will be a home for nature’s micro jigsaw. These four main pieces include Design, Protection, Quality and Boundary.

Design – This is done through the gardens features, plants and the layout of the garden. A chair or water fountain creates more than just a garden but an outdoor living area. Covered areas protect from wet weather, benches make resting areas and features make focal points.

Protection – The garden itself needs protection. The prinicipals of this garden require the protective element that nature also carries mainly in it’s covering layer. I make this layer out of woodchip and i find it extremely successful in allowing the garden to be sustainable and reliable.

Quality – The materials used in the garden need to be of a good quality as the garden is long term and needs to be right from the start. With a quality of materials there comes less problems within the garden and therefore a quality of healthy produce and plant life. The soil needs to be loamy, mineral rich and weed free along with a quality compost and a carefully selected layer of micro-life enriched forest debris before adding the final woodchip layer. To maintain a chemical free garden all the materials must be sourced carefully, the wood that makes the frame can be treated organically instead of using a chemical preservative.

Boundary – The frame and path that contour the garden are there to form a path for interaction with the garden and to separate the dispersal of weed seed from the garden bed. This also helps separate pests such as slugs that would need to travel over the woodchip path and frame to reach the plants.

The Garden Layers

The Garden Consists of four main layers:

1. The base layer which is the original local soil. This layer is a nutrient source but mostly a mineral source as many minerals come from the rock underground.
2. A Loamy soil mixture is an important blend of soil types to make a soil with better properties in your garden (see******page). This soil is the base for your plants to grow in.
3. The Compost layer is an introductory layer and eventually changes to a humus type layer. This layer is fertile and microbe friendly and helps speed up the capability of the garden from it’s setup. (see*******page)
4. The final layer is the most important layer for the sustainable state of the garden. It is made of woodchip (wood and leaves) and forest floor debris. The woodchip creates a fertilizing and protecting layer while the forest debris helps introduce a range of microbes to the soil from the setup of the garden which speeds up the gardens capabilities. (see ******page)