How everything started…
After driving around, learning and working on so many different sides, we had a more and more detailed dream of how our own future project could look like. With the head full of ideas and the heart full of dreams, we decided to start looking for a land in our favorite area, where we’ve spend many month for the last few years. Galicia, the north-west corner of Spain. A place formed by the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by beautiful cliffs and waves, blessed with the ground full of fresh water, widely covered by forests, a climate that supports the growth of a huge variety of plants, a tradition of charming stone houses and of course people that are warmhearted and diverse as the land is.
The Land
Location
Our property is located in an area influenced by the Atlantic climate surrounded by a coastline 5-10min away to the north, west and south. A headland with mostly rough north-west waters and a sheltered and calm south facing estuary Ria de Arousa.
We are located underneath 100m above sea level but Mountains of 500m above are just 10 min away.
Our land has a slope falling down to the west, with forests of eucalyptus, pine and chestnuts surrounding our land at the north, west and south. North-east is the highest part of the property, where the road and further away some neighbors are located.
At its beginning the land was used as a family property, including animals, vegetable gardens and trees. After that the land was forgotten for centuries, everything was dry and huge eucalyptus trees where growing until they got harvested a few years ago.
What we bought
When we first saw this property, the land was dry, and a monoculture of bracken fern (eagle fern). An invasive super resilient plant that grows often in monocultures around this area.
We nearly haven’t seen any trees, just huge fern and blackberry bushes. To have no bigger trees is a huge downside. But for us it´s a blank canvas, in which we wanna integrate new species, activate soil life again and create a healthy and drought resilient ecosystem. Talking about the soil, we have mainly granite underneath and only a very thin laver of organic soil. Not much life inside for now…
Our mission
Okay that means, we have to design the land wisely with water capturing features like swales, fire resilient and with storm solid elements. We wanna build up living soil, protect the already sprouting little native trees, adding some extra trees and bushes that are easy growing in this area and finally adding even more species.
The Idea is a manly perennial based ecosystem using the natural direction of succession and building up a diverse forest-like garden.
Therefore we need a lot of time, passion and working power. We are open for new ideas and knowledge.
Get in touch with us and join whenever and however you want.
The Ruin
Stonehouses have a long tradition in Galicia by using the (stone and earth) from the land around. Nowadays it is hard to find new ecological buildings that fit to the resources of the surrounding area. In Galicia we still have some old stonehouses and some forgotten ruins. With the Ocean surrounding the are and therefore heavy wind, as well as rain vertically flying to the houses. Stone is a waetherproof and local product that has sheltered humans at the coast for centuries.
We bought a stone ruin, I mean not really a ruin… just some stone walls without roof. The granite stones on the wall are partly loose and we had to uncover it from a huge amount of plants like ivy and even a pine tree on top of one wall. Every wall inside had to be drown down, beside one big stonewall. No second floor, no stairs, no windows… everything was forgotten and rotten since ages. To be honest, we haven’t even seen every „room“ and corner when we bought it. The house was build around 1950, but hasn’t been looked after for centuries.
We wanna rebuild the ruin in an ecological and traditional way, restoring the walls, adding a wooden roof with local tiles. Inside we want to isolate ecologically and plaster the walls with clay. Creating an open and cosy home combining traditional and old features of the ruin.
Until than, its a long long way of work from a total start having just old walls to a future home.
Stay tuned and join whenever you want.
„Anything that is against nature will not last in the long run.“
Our main Permaculture Principles
Use small and slow solutions
Small and slow systems are easier to maintain than big ones, making better use of local resources and producing more sustainable outcomes.
Use and value diversity
Diversity reduces vulnerability to a variety of threats and takes advantage of the unique nature of the environment in which it resides.
Integrate rather than segregate
„Many hands make light work“
By putting the right things in the right place, relationships develop between them and they support each other.