April 2010

When I gave tours at the Gardens on Spring Creek, I would mention that the master plan called for an area featuring a permaculture garden.  Most people confessed to not having heard the term much less know what it meant or how to integrate its principles into their landscape.

I’d explain that the term is composed of two words, permanent, from the Latin "permanens" meaning to remain to the end or persist throughout, and culture, meaning the cultivation of land, or the intellect.

Furthermore, I’d explain that it’s an approach to everyday living that integrates plants, animals, landscape, and structures into a sum much more productive than any of its parts.  This stable, natural world model produces a diverse, complex eco-system where all of the elements efficiently interact in mutually beneficial ways.

An example of this is letting the wind-blocking tendencies of a juniper satisfy the sheltered requirements of edible currants.

The planning, design, and maintenance of this methodology focus on enhancing environmental sustainability within a permanent agricultural and cultural system.  When correctly designed, such a system will become increasingly diverse, resilient, and self-sustaining while conserving soil, water, and energy.

Philosophically, it’s a way of doing ones’ life that shows an ethic of caring for the earth and working with nature in thoughtful observation and action. Attention is given to both the short and long term effects of what is done. The intention and challenge is to co-exist and still leave the earth a better place than how we found it.

By observing a natural eco-system, we can learn to mimic nature and create a man-made eco-system that is beneficial to the whole environment, where everything is inter-connected, symbiotically sustaining all living things within the system.

Permaculture promotes a harmonious integration of the land with people - providing food, energy, shelter, and material and non-material needs.

Its principles can be utilized on your property regardless of the size.  This design tool emphasizes relationships which will evolve over time. Practical application includes

• incorporating edibles in your landscape to reduce the number of miles that food travels to get your kitchen table
• improving the health of the soil and using organic practices to sustain edible crops and the rest of your landscape, which lessens the need for chemical use
• when possible, raising chickens or other critters which provide local foodstuff, natural pest control methods, and soil and compost materials
• encouraging pollinators such as bees and beneficial insects to moderate unwanted insect pests
• using traffic and weather patterns along with the wisdom of Xeriscape, to create plant and functional use zones within your landscape

Ultimately, this results in a multi-functioning, balanced and harmonious system that has a natural look and feel, increasing yields and wildlife habitats while reducing the impact on our resources.

As with all systems, we have to adapt them to what practically works for us and our unique situation.  Yet it’s another way to dance more lightly on the planet.