Casa Blanca Farmstead logo Stanford · Western Cape

Permaculture demonstration garden

We design, nature edits

A garden designed to showcase how permaculture works in partnership with the patterns and rhythms of nature.

Permaculture garden design plan drawn over an aerial photo: a red dashed property boundary enclosing a house, nursery parking, chicken yard, coop, tool shed and nursery, a pond beside a deck, winding paths, swales, and numbered trees and garden beds Aerial drone view of the garden from above: a house with solar panels, winding mulch paths through planted beds, a small pond with a yellow kayak, and outbuildings, surrounded by tall trees A wooden shed with a pole trellis among lavender, orange aloe flowers and a white calla lily in the foreground, with a tall palm rising behind under a blue sky A smiling man and woman in matching blue shirts stand among lavender bushes with a golden retriever sitting in front of them and a black cat at the bottom left A smiling woman in a grey knit sweater holds a wicker basket of chard and a few pink-stemmed stalks in a garden at sunset, with a white house and a palm behind her Two men in caps speak to a group of people, seen from behind, in a garden with a trellis and green foliage People walking through a garden with banana plants, tall purple-tinged grasses, a woven wattle fence and a wooden trellis A stone baboon statue with a small bird on its head stands among tall plants against an orange and purple sunset sky
Casa Blanca Farmstead, Stanford

Where the design leaves the drawing board and comes alive around you.

Designed by Geoff Lawton, implemented by John and Cavy to show what’s possible on an urban property.

John and Cavy are certified permaculture designers (Permaculture Research Institute), trained through Discover Permaculture. Come for a guided garden walk, join a workshop, or let us coach you through the design of your own patch.

Design & coachingFor your own patch
WorkshopsLearn hands-on
Guided garden walksWalk the design
Demonstration gardenSee permaculture working

Our certificates

John’s PDC certificateDigital certificate link coming
Cavy’s PDC certificateDigital certificate link coming

What we offer

The permaculture design plan for the garden: a top-down drawing of the house, food forest, garden beds, paths and pond

Garden design and coaching

Design that fits your land. We’ll help you plan and coach you through your own food forest or garden, from the first sketch to the first harvest.

Two presenters talking to a workshop group in the garden, with a flower-crowned sun hat in the audience

Workshops

Learn by doing. Hands-on sessions in a living permaculture garden, where you can see the design working and ask us anything. Upcoming topics include 18-day hot composting (the Berkeley Method), water management, herb spirals and more.

A guide and visitors on a garden walk among banana plants, tall purple-tinged grasses, a woven wattle fence and a wooden pergola

Guided garden walks

Guided garden walks, by appointment. See the elements of permaculture working together with nature’s patterns and rhythms.

Shoppers browsing stalls under trees and bunting at a seasonal market in the garden, with a woman carrying a woven basket in the foreground

Seasonal Garden Markets

Four times a year, on the solstices and equinoxes, we welcome local food and craft artisans into the garden to celebrate the turning of the season.

Want to walk the garden or join a workshop?

Booking details are on their way. Follow along on Instagram in the meantime.

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Contact: coming soon

Permaculture, shown working in a real urban garden, one season at a time.

At Casa Blanca Farmstead

  • Guided garden walks
  • Workshops
  • Food-forest & garden design
  • Garden coaching

Questions

Where is the garden?

In the heart of Stanford, a heritage village on the banks of the Klein Rivier in the Western Cape.

What is a permaculture demonstration garden?

A garden designed to showcase how permaculture works in partnership with the patterns and rhythms of nature. Walk among swales that grow trees and manage water, herb spirals, composting methods and more. By copying nature's own designs (biomimicry), we speed up the journey to a self-sustaining garden.

Who designed it?

Designed by Geoff Lawton, the internationally respected permaculture teacher behind Discover Permaculture, with John and Cavy, his students, collaborating along the way. Refined and implemented by John and Cavy, who installed the design themselves.

What do you offer?

Garden design and coaching, workshops, guided garden walks, and Seasonal Garden Markets, all in a living permaculture garden.

What are the Seasonal Garden Markets?

Four times a year, around the solstices and equinoxes, local food and craft artisans join us in the garden to celebrate the turning of the season. We aim for the weekend closest to each one. Follow us on Instagram to hear about the next one.

How do I book a guided garden walk?

Guided garden walks are by appointment and suit groups of four or more. We lead the walk ourselves, to help you understand the theory and see the practical side of the design. Allow 90 minutes to two hours. You're welcome to bring your favourite bottle of wine to enjoy afterwards in the dappled shade of our garden boardroom. Email us at irishjk@mail.grokbot.com with your group size and a few preferred dates.

Follow the garden as it grows

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