Site Selection

In order to get started you need to first select the site of the garden.

• Make sure there is plenty of sun exposure though having shade nearby for the gardeners is great.
• Deer and rabbit proof the area with either an 8' fence or two concentric fences that are 6' tall closest to the garden and 3-4' tall a few feet out. You can plant flowers or fruit trees between the two fences.
• Locate the garden near a water supply. If it must be a ways away from the water then make sure there is a downward slope towards the garden site so that gravity can assist in creating enough water pressure.
• The garden is most striking when it can be viewed from above so be sure that there is at least one vantage point for looking down on the site.
• Position two gates in sensible places for safety and easy access.
• You may want to install the garden before erecting the fence so that all the materials do not need to be brought through the gates.

Size Selection

Now, figure out how large a circle you want.

• The pattern can be cast on the ground with the aid of a piece of string that is the length of the radius of your garden. Remember that the radius is half the diameter of your area.
• Use landscapers marking chalk or lime to mark the circle and the arcs.

Creating the pattern on the ground

• First, have one person (person A) stand in the middle of the site holding one end (end A) of the string. It may be easier to stake the middle and simply spot it to make sure it is secure.
• Another person (person B) holds the other end (end B) of the string firmly and walks slowly clockwise marking the circle that forms.
• Secondly, once a full circle has been marked, person B stands still with end B rooted any place on the circle they just drew.  Person A marks an arc while walking through the circle firmly holding end A.
• Thirdly, Person A stands still while person B draws an arc, B stands still while draws an arc, and in this way the two arch around one another until a perfect flower is drawn in the center of your original circle.

Now, draw four concentric rings using four lengths of string so that it looks like a pebble was dropped into the very heart of the garden and ripples are emanating from the center.

Establishing the Walking Areas

The combination of the petaled flower and the concentric rings allow a natural "checkerboard" to emerge as walking spaces are established in the garden.

• The very tip of each petal will be a walking area while the beds between the petal tips will contain food.
• In the next ring (the Medicinal Plant Ring) the spaces between the petals are for walking.
• The Culinary Ring has the spaces within the petal designated as walking areas.
• The Ring of Flowers includes walking areas between the petals.

You may have to redraw parts of the design as the installation process can be one of upheaval and is messy at times.

Choose materials for the walking areas (bricks are my favorite choice because of the fundraising opportunities) and install them first.

Double Digging the Beds

The process of double digging and amending the manageably sized beds is another messy process. You will end up with extra soil that can be used to fill in between the bricks or to create other planting areas. Remember, gardens don't need to be perfect.

• Start in the center and work your way out, one bed at a time, one ring at a time.
• Use a tarp or piece of canvas to hold the dirt of the top layer while you amend the lower layer.
• Dig out the top layer of dirt in the planting bed to the depth of the head of the shovel and place it on the tarp.
• Loosen the soil beneath with a digging fork to the depth of the fork itself. Add a 3-4 inch layer of "amendment mix" and turn it in.
• Replace about half of the soil that is on the tarp and again add 3-4 inches of "amendment mix". Mix it together and break up any clumps of clay.
• Fill in between bricks with extra soil and use the rest somewhere else.
• Repeat the process in the next planting area.

Amendment Mix for the Sierra Nevada Foothills

• Wheelbarrow full of rich organic compost.
• 10 lbs of Soft Rock Phosphate.
• 3-4 lbs of Lime.
• 3 lbs of Gypsum.
• ½ cup of Kelp.

Plant Selections

The Seed of Life Garden is designed to provide solidarity through the use of the pattern and diversity through the use of the plants. Check your hardiness zone prior to selecting plants for the four thematic rings using the 2003 US National Arboretum "Web Version" of the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, USDA Miscellaneous Publication No. 1475, Issued January 1990.