Terra Firma Permagardens

Peter’s vision to protect the aquifer by strengthening the ecosystem is important to preserving clean water on Cape Cod. I was inspired to ask him to do work on my property because of the work he has been doing at the Church of the Holy Spirit in Orleans. My property in Brewster lies on two slopes at right angles to each other - which means that when I water anything the water runs down the hill to the street or the bottom of my property. Peter’s plan for runoff mitigation included building a series of terraces made up of enriched soil that helps to capture and redirect the water to the native plants like bearberry and tickseed that he has recommended planting. I am excited about the progress we made this year and look forward to having him do more work in 2025.

Peter has imagined and completed several projects on our small, but hilly, property over the past few years. The most transformative is a rock riverway that funnels water from the roof and deck around the yard to reduce erosion. It’s beautiful and very effective! He has likewise transformed our sandy Cape lawn, paper thin and eroding in places, into a terraced hillside full of interest and delight. Peter is creative, incredibly hard-working and so knowledgeable about how water shapes the landscape, which is the story of Cape Cod. We can’t recommend him highly enough.

The side slope of our house was a sand pit after construction and years of too much clearing. Peter was able to come in and re-create a rolling wooded and grassy hillside that captures the runoff and will stabilize the whole area. He was a pleasure to work with and went above and beyond in the work he did.

My yard was in terrible shape…years of water run off from rain and two downspouts had caused a lot of damage. Peter buried pipes to steer the downspout water down the hill into a saturation hole. He brought in loam/mulch mixture and reduced the incline of the property which he then prepared and seeded, finally laying jute. The final result was a “grass waterway” to gently guide the runoff down into the woods. I am so pleased with the results…he did more than he promised! I am so lucky to have found Peter for this project…he is extremely knowledgeable and was anxious to help me understand how and why the “science” works. Beyond that, he is a lovely gentleman with whom it is a pleasure to work.

We had water building up around the foundation and every time it rained it leaked into the basement. It was a nightmare. We called Peter at Terra Firma Permagardens, and he came over right away to assess the situation. He came up with a brilliant and absolutely beautiful design to divert the water, solving the issue and making it look amazing!!! I highly recommend!