Tour: The Colbroth Homestead

The Colbroth homestead is a 2 acre parcel with a 1980s renovated house where Lisa moved in 2003. A programmer by trade, she became a gardener to fulfill her tendency to hoard - what better to hoard than food producing plants! She has converted 1/3 to 1/2 of her 2 acres into gardens and orchards. She appreciates having food she knows is safe and chemical-free, and sharing it with family and friends.

Lisa applied permaculture principles from video series such as Growing Back to Eden, Canadian Permaculture Legacy, Stefan Sobkowiak, Plant Abundance, The Weedy Garden, Edible Acres and others. She builds soil with horse manure and wood chips from her neighbors, similar in style to the Growing Back to Eden model.

For Lisa's first orcharding experiments she grabbed what she found at the big box stores, threw them in the ground and hoped for the best! Since then, she has researched for low-watering, disease resistant options. She discovered so many varieties not available in the grocery store. You will see pretty much any plant that will grow in our region, but adds "If you know of one I do not have, I would love to learn more and add it to my collection!"

Some of the plants you will see:
Trees: Cherry, apple, peach, Asian and European pear, plum, persimmon, hazelnut, medlar, mulberry, fig, nectarine, apricot, paw paw, almond, quince, jujube.
Bushes: honeyberry, raspberry (black, red, yellow, pink), blackberry, blueberry, black and white currant, gooseberry, ligonberry, cranberry, jostaberry, aronia, Nanking cherry, serviceberry, strawberry.
Vines: grape, kiwi
Perennial vegetables: asparagus, rhubarb, winecap mushrooms, Turkish rocket, hablitzia, honesty, pool caraway, bloody dock, good King Henry, mouse garlic, shisandra, sweet cicely, metichi garlic, Egyptian walking onions.
Nitrogen fixers: Siberian peashrub, goji berry.
Soil helpers: comfrey, mullein.
Pollinator plants: Milkweed, black eyed Susan, coneflower, Queen Anne's lace, etc...

COST: sliding scale of $10-30, payable at the event. No one turned away if unable to pay. Ideally bring cash or check!

About Seacoast Permaculture's Summer Garden & Homestead Tours: This event is part of the Seacoast Permaculture's Summer Garden & Homestead Tour series. Seeing what others are doing is a great way to get new ideas, learn new techniques and be inspired. The sites chosen are all in varied settings and different stages of development.

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