Base Map Projectby Heather Kleinman

You want me to draw what?

An artist, I am not. The idea of drawing my property was intimidating at first. To get warmed up, I decided to walk around outside and freehand draw everything before measuring. In this drawing, I clearly think I have much more lawn than I actually do. I also had the misconception that I would have to take ornamental plants out to make room for edibles, but that’s not the case. I have space!

Mapping the Site Properly

I went online to my town assessor’s department, just to see what I could find. I was disappointed there wasn’t more information, but I did find a drawing of the footprint of my house. Next, I took a trip to my local hardware store for a giant tape measure, and arts supply store for paper, ruler, and shape template.

Gathering DataI enlisted my 16 year old daughter to come outside to help me measure. The process was easier than I expected, since we were just walking around and measuring, and my property is only a quarter acre, slightly oddly-shaped rectangle. Trying to figure out exactly where my property line is in the back was a little challenging, since there is no fence and the dividing “line” between my plants and my neighbor’s is ambiguous. I took notes on the first drawing I had made, indicating gutters, downspouts, and the distance from the edge of the lawn to my plant beds. I also wrote down all the major plants and trees, and looked some up online if I wasn’t sure what it was. I had no idea I have two Kousa Dogwood trees, which have edible (albeit sour) fruit. I also kept a log of where the path of the sun is throughout the day. The back deck gets the most sun, then the backyard and south side yard starting around noon, and finally the front with full sun by around 1:30pm. We also get fairly windy because we are only a tenth of a mile from the beach.

Initial MapHere is my first map in pencil. I used 12x18 inch paper, first oriented horizontally until I realized my site is better drawn on the paper vertically. The engineer scale ruler made it easy to transfer my measurements to the page, plus the measurements I got for my house from the assessor’s map. I used the shape template to fill in the larger plants and trees with varying sizes of circles.

Final MapTo finish the map, I went over all the pencil with black pen, and added a directional key.

I thought about adding color and more realistic-looking representations of the plants and trees, but I realized this black and white map makes me feel like I can change those plants and trees, and not feel bound by what is there now.

ReflectionsThis process was very positive for my overall view of my property and what is possible with it. I assumed that I would have to remove existing plants that I enjoy in order to make room for edibles or plants that are more functional, but I am pleased that is not the case. It was also helpful to observe patterns of sun, shade, and wildlife, as well as the cycles of growing and blooming of the plants. I was surprised that I don’t have very many downspouts, and two of them drain right into the ground near the foundation of the house, which doesn’t seem very wise. I plan to look into rain barrels instead. We also have an odd exit pipe into the backyard for our basement sump pumps, which needs to be addressed. The best takeaway for me is realizing that my property has, as The Permaculture Handbook refers to, “a changing tapestry of color and scent throughout the year” (p154). I look forward to adding to it.