Permaculture in Your Garden (and Life!)

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Permaculture is a design philosophy that is commonly applied to gardening, but which can also be applied to larger systems: businesses, educational endeavors, and other life work. In this class, we cover the personalities behind and basic principles of permaculture, introduce resources for learning more in the Portland area, and discuss how permaculture can be applied across disciplines. Folks who have earned or are pursuing the Permaculture Design Certificate or have done self-study in permaculture are welcome; this is a very basic class, but there will be time for all participants to share their experiences with and thoughts about p’culture.

Transcript of Permaculture in Your Garden (and Life!)

PermacultureIndependence Gardens

Portland, OR

Download the handout that goes along with

this slideshow!h!p://bit.ly/yIAjsr

January 2012© Independence Gardens LLC

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Topics We’ll Cover• Permaculture: de!nition• Permaculture: origins• Permaculture: vocab• In gardens• Beyond gardens• Examples• What YOU can do with

permaculture

What We’ll Cover TodayPreview

Got Questions? Please ask as we go along.

http://www.acari-rn.com.br/permaculture.htm

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

What is it?

• Design philosophy– Hard work now means less work later (but don’t put off harvesting something)

• Ethics– Care for people: humans are part of natural systems– Care for earth: natural systems keep us all alive– Return the surplus (also “fair share”): limit consumption to ensure that all have

access to resources to provide for themselves

• Principles (via Toby Hemenway)– Observe. Connect. Catch and store energy and materials. Each element performs

multiple functions/each function is supported by multiple elements. Make the least change for the greatest effect. Use small scale, intensive systems. Use the edge effect. Collaborate with succession. Use biological and renewable resources. Recycle energy. Turn problems into solutions. Get a yield. "e biggest limit to abundance is creativity. Mistakes are tools for learning.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Where did it come from?

• Bill Mollison (☞ that’s him with his wife )

&

• David Holmgren (☞ that’s him with his harvest )

http://greenconnections.wordpre

ss.com/2010/10/01/bill-mollison-the-ultimate-

strategist/ & http://www.weeklytimesnow.com

.au/article/2009/08/05/100145_count

ry-living.html

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

• Bullseye– Zone 0: self/household– Zone 1: most visited,

intensive use– Zone 2: semi-intensively

managed– Zone 3: commerce/farm/

semi-public– Zone 4: minimal care/

public– Zone 5: unmanaged/

“wild”

Key concepts: Zone

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Key concepts: Sector

• Oh well– External

in#uence on a site or situation

– Cannot control it, so must design around it

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

• Relationship– Group of

plants that perform distinct and mutually bene$cial functions

– Most famous example is the “food forest”

Key concepts: Guild

http://climatelab.org/Permaculture

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

• Maximize the edge– "e intersection of two

environments– "e most diverse place in

a system– Where energies and

materials accumulate

Key concepts: Edge

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Permaculture in the garden

• “Close to home”• Native plant backbones with

edibles integrated• A place you want to spend

time• Inviting to other bene$cials,

off-pu%ing to those you want to stay away

http://www.satoridesigns.net/?p=482

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Beyond the garden

• Health & well-being– Body = garden– Everything in relationship

• Living spaces– Green building– Natural building– Re-urbanizing

• Business• Stuff & things

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Example 1• Who: two-busy-person and a big dog household in SW PDX• Goals: create low-maintenance native garden space; grow food• Process: collaborative whiteboard design, zone mapping

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Example 2• Who: young couple in NE PDX• Goals: use existing garden space for edibles; plant rest in natives• Process: base mapping, calendaring, bed-by-bed schedule2009 Planting Plan

Prepared by Independence Gardens LLCh!p://www.IndependenceGardensPDX.com * IndependenceGardensPDX@gmail.com

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Example 3• Who: 4-person family & their pets new to long lot in Woodburn• Goals: food production, play space for two boys• Process: base mapping, plant ID, invasive removal, timeline

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Next steps for you!• Good design requires spending

time in your garden space• If you’re not going to actively

manage a space, design for that• Design and implementation take

time, so make time for both parts• Evaluate...& prepare to re-evaluate• "is is a process and a journey, not

a solution or a destination• Finally, a good design will push

you in the right direction, but won’t change behavior

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Questions?

Tuesday, January 31, 2012