Permaculture

pəːməkʌltʃə/

noun

the development of agricultural ecosystems intended to be sustainable and self-sufficient.

“his forest garden is one of Britain’s best models of permaculture”

Is this simply a phase that will eventually run it’s course. I don’t believe it is. Starting with my back garden there are many types of sustainable and self-sufficient examples of gardening around. My garden is a simple ex-lawn laid with a wood mulch (leaf in the autumn) and planted up with fruit trees, bushes, herbs and flowers. We try to plant up as many perennial plants as possible and those that are annual we allow to die back into the ground bringing much needed nutrients to the plants around them.

Although our garden is small and simple, we believe we have started to embrace sustainability. For example, the soil is a sub-soil placed there at the end of the build of our estate. Up and down gardens have been buying more and more compost to bring the soil up to scratch. We have chosen to mulch and have a long time aim to gradually use forest garden principles to bring the soil up to a good standard. We are experimenting and have built a HugelKultur raised bed. This produces strawberries, flowers and many other plants. Our garden shed has largely been built using recycled 6 x 1 boards and pallets. I am developing a bank of batteries and solar panels to ‘run’ the shed.

Around the UK more and more people are getting the idea and developing projects that we increase sustainability.

The Permaculture Society has said this:

What is permaculture?

Permaculture is a design process. It helps us to design intelligent systems which meet human needs whilst enhancing biodiversity, reducing our impact on the planet, and creating a fairer world for us all. People across the globe are transforming their communities with permaculture. Learn the basics at there permaculture knowledgebase!

Permaculture is conceptual and as such can come in for some criticism. Anything conceptual and radical will. There will always be those who want to keep the status quo and see something like this as some ‘looney lefty’ idea. I believe it is here to stay and for one will be doing everything I can to promote the concept.