What is Permaculture?

(Permanenent Agriculture)
or
(Permanent Culture)?

It is the harmonious integration of landscape and people, providing food, energy, shelter and other human needs in a sustainable way.

The 3 Main Permaculture Principles

(You need to practice these to be practicing Permaculture)

1/ Care of the Earth
Eg/ Build soil rather than deplete it

2/ Care of People
Eg/ Provide your own chemical-free food whilst reducing the effort of gardening

3/ Return the Surplus (to the garden or other people)
Eg/ Compost or worm farm your scraps, share your knowledge and excess produce

Permaculture Design

* Permaculture is a design system -think about everything you plant and where you put it!

* Zoning. Plant most-often-visited close to house Eg/ Parsley by door and least-visited at back fence Eg/ Apple tree.

* Maximise sunlight, water and warmth by strategic positioning Eg/ Place heat loving plants in north-facing position against a wall.

* Minimise wind, poor drainage and bare ground Eg/ By screening, building soil structure and planting groundcovers.

* Encourage natural predators (insects, frogs, lizards, birds) by planting fauna-attracting plants.

* Plant living mulches Eg/ Pennyroyal -this also repels Cabbage Moths!

* Select plants that have multiple uses Eg/ Acacia (Wattle) is a windbreak, nectar feeds birds, roots convert Nitrogen in air to a useable form by plants, provides mulch material, is fragrant and aesthetic, wood can be used for firewood/stakes.

* Turn problems into solutions

For example:

Bad drainage? Plant Taro, Watercress, Swamp Pennywort

Dry Shade? Why not use as a storage area, recreation area for the summer, a place to put a worm farm or put a sculpture there?

* Work with nature, not against -emulate natural ecosystems!

What "YOU" can do!

· Plant a Snack Track -pick as you go -strawberries, cherry tomatoes, Chilean guavas, mandarins, sweet peas, mulberries

· Plant Guilds! These are groups of plants that benefit from each other's company. Eg/ Beans, corn and pumpkin -climb beans up corn and underplant with pumpkin to prevent weeds! Or try raspberries, comfrey and peas.

· Fast plants can 'nursemaid' smaller, slower growers Eg/ Lettuce, cabbage and beets shelter tomato seedlings.

· Vertical stacking -fully utilise vertical space. Eg/ Plant root crops (potatoes), groundcover (strawberries), understorey crop (coffee), tall plants (fruit trees), climbers (passionfruit).

· Plant dwarf varieties and multigrafts to allow more diversity in a smaller space.

Commonly-Asked Questions

Is Permaculture suitable for Suburbia?
Yes, you can have a huge variety of edible plants in a small space by utilising vertical space (climbers, roofs, hanging pots). Also, worm farms take up less space than compost bins! Plant dwarf varieties.

Can it look good as well as being productive?
Yes, produce plants have many decorative features Eg/ Cherry blossoms, Cumquat fruits, stems of ruby chard, the dramatic shape of Artichoke. Patterning used for practical reasons can add depth and interest too.

Do I need animals in my system? I don't have the room.
No, you can recycle using compost but you can also use small animals like guinea pigs, worms and quails. You can also invite the wildlife in to help eg. Plant insect attracting plants like Lomandra to attract insect eating birds

More Info?

Books

The Permaculture Home Garden -by Linda Woodrow
Paradise in your Garden -by Jenny Allen
Permaculture, A Designers Manual -by Bill Mollison (for enthusiasts)
Permaculture, Principals and Pathways Beyond Sustainability-by David Holmgren

Websites

www.permaculture.org.au
www.holmgren.com.au

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