A Reddit video is garnering a lot of attention for demonstrating the satisfying transformation of a simple piece of land into a future food forest, with the help of cleverly placed ditches.
It's the kind of project that looks like a ton of work, but the payoff is huge. The result was a perfect example of how a bit of planning can create a low-maintenance, thriving landscape. The video, posted to Reddit's r/Permaculture community, detailed the start of a big project.
"Last week we started with the earthworks on the new food forest site," the original poster wrote. "Super exciting times!"
The clip showed several people digging long, shallow trenches that followed the natural contour of the land, trenches also known as swales. (Click here to watch the video if the embed does not appear.)
So what exactly is a swale? Think of it as a smart ditch. According to the sustainable drainage resource Susdrain, swales are designed to slow the flow of and hold rainwater, allowing it to soak into the ground instead of running off without direction.
This simple technique is a powerful tool for managing water, preventing erosion, and watering the plants that will eventually grow in that area.
This type of smart landscaping is gaining traction. One farmer showed how a similar low-cost project transformed his land into a greener, more resilient space. Homeowners are getting in on the action, too, building clever drainage solutions in their backyards.
It's part of a larger movement of people transforming bland patches of grass into beautiful, productive landscapes. There's a wealth of valuable information on the trend for anyone interested in rewilding their yard.
Of course, digging up an entire yard can seem daunting. One user asked if the process could damage the roots of existing trees.
The original poster explained their cautious approach: "We carefully planned and mapped the swales as such to avoid disturbing the existing (mango) trees too much."
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Mowing the lawn 🏡 Other users were simply impressed by the hard work.
"My back hurts just looking at them," one person commented. "Tell them to bend their knees instead!"
"Haha nice observation! They are seed pickers by profession and normally work in the trees heights so I guess this was a little out of their usual habitat," the original poster replied. "We worked at a comfortable pace taking time in between to stretch and play with Lisa the donkey."
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