The Nature Learning Center’s 2011 Straw Bale Key Hole Garden Design Visual Tutorial

Dean Chichelli from the Nature Learning center builds a Straw Bale Key Hole Garden. I collected materials for the inside of the key hole from daily walks with the dog, which we both enjoyed! My suggestion is to only forage for materials that do the environment no harm or that help aid in the balance of the environment. The algae I removed from the river bed area was during a season when the algae growth was so abundant that it actually starts to choke off the other life in the river. This over growth is usually due to nitrate run off from local orchards, vineyards and farms. Sometimes I get lucky because there are horses that walk the areas I hike. Once in a while I will find horse dung and urine on top of the dried algae which is great for vitamins, minerals and nutrients for the garden’s plant’s roots. There is more detailed info on how to build a Straw Bale Key Hole Garden in older posts here on The Nature Learning Center Blog. Have fun building your garden!