The word permaculture comes from 'permanent agriculture', it is a term that was born in Australia in 1978 by the hand of Bill Mollison (biologist) and David Holmgren (ecological design engineer). It is about living with nature in a harmonious way.
“If you give Earth what it needs, Earth will take care of you.”
You can have a productive garden if you know how
David Holmgrem once said: When we work with Nature instead of imposing our will on her, usually the solution lies within the problem.
In the end, it is about creating an ecosystem in which humans and plants coexist in a respectful and beneficial way, in order to provide the needs of both in an adequate way.
And it is that a garden based on permaculture is a garden that takes advantage of aspects of nature such as the sun or the wind and water in order to work in your favor instead of against you. But to get it to benefit from nature like this, you first have to plan well.
10 steps to design a permaculture based gaden
1) Decide where you are going to start your garden
Don't get too obsessed with having the perfect terrain. It's more about the quality of the food you grow than the quantity.
2) Take a look at the soil
Before making any decisions about what to plant in your garden, go out and take a look and see what already exists in that soil you plan to use.
3) Design your garden
A good design will save you a lot of effort, while a poorly designed garden can cause you problems for years and you may end up abandoning it.
4) Install water systems and other infrastructure
Water is a valuable resource that must be conserved and used sustainably. Matabi sprayers are prepared to work in a sustainable way saving on product and water. If you calibrate your Matabi well, your treatments will be homogeneous and your vegetables will look really healthy.
5) Build and prepare the garden
One of the objectives of permaculture is to make the least possible changes in the land in which we are going to work, so once you decide where your garden is going to go, the best option is probably leaf mulch or Hugekultur that we saw last week or planting in terraces.
6) Grow perennials
Perennials are plants that will emerge year after year and will be a regular garden staple and beneficial to your ecosystem. Asparagus or chives among others are a good choice
7) Add annual plants or vegetables
Perennials usually take time to bear fruit and it will surely frustrate you a bit to see your garden half empty. Don't worry, most of the popular and well-known vegetables we enjoy are annuals: Peas, tomatoes, pumpkin peppers ...
Sunflowers are also a great plant to fill a lot of space.
8) Enjoy watching your garden grow and do regular maintenance
Once you've got all your plants in the ground and you've gotten into a routine of watering and caring for everything, take a small step back and appreciate what you have.
9) Composting
As the first season begins to draw to a close, you will likely have a lot of plant matter left over. Now is the perfect time to start composting for additional nutrient-rich soil.
10) Get involved with your community
Meet other gardeners that probably have years of experience and will probably be happy to help you out with your garden
Over time, you will be the one helping others.
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Source: Grocycle
Photo source: Vcgn.com, Rightlivelihoodaward, GuernicaMag and Grocycle
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