Organic Gardens with Permaculture

By thinking about how we use our resources – food, energy and shelter – it is possible to get more out of life by using less. This is the essence of permaculture: a way of living in our households gardens and communities that is productive and ecologically sound.

A central theme in permaculture is designing systems that produce food, using multi-purpose plants – food for both humans and animals, for example – and animals that recycle nutrients and keep down weeds

At first, a permaculture garden may seem disorganized, with trees and vegetables growing ‘all over the place’ amid piles of compost – but this unruly look is bound to appear when nature is doing most of the work Despite the look, permaculturalists do work in a highly organized way, creating garden zones that spread out from the house. Herbs are planted close to the kitchen door, so you can nip out and snip fresh leaves as you need them The next zone holds the vegetable garden, with plucked vegetables (beans) closer than dug vegetables (potatoes) Beyond that are the fruit trees which only need to be harvested annually

Not only do trees provide food for humans and animals – they also act as noise and dust barriers, keep us cool, retain moisture and shelter birds. And birds, in turn, help reduce insect pests The ground in an organic garden is rarely dug: instead, the soil is constantly mulched, and a vast army of earthworms aerate the soil.

The humble backyard hen is a star player in the organic garden These feathered ‘tractors scratch and manure a patch ready for planting, supply fresh eggs, create manured straw and dispose of kitchen scraps. Some people believe animals such as hens, fish and guinea pigs are essential, but successful permaculture gardens have been created without them.

The word ‘permaculture’ was coined in 1978 by Bill Mollison, an Australian ecologist, and one of his students, David Holmgren, in their landmark book Permaculture One. Formed from the words permanent agriculture, the philosophy has evolved to encompass many strategies for a more sustainable way at life. Beyond the basics, permaculture promotes constructing energy-efficient buildings, treating waste water and looking after the health of your land By creating holistic systems to reduce waste in energy and materials – both human and envi¬≠ronmental – we can all actively conserve our dwindling resources

Permaculture gardens are suited to being used as community gardens. Many permacultre groups run demonstration plots and give tours and lectures to intrigued local enthusiasts and school groups.

While it might sound complicated, permaculture is not hard, but it does call for planning. However, just think – by implementing a few ‘organic’ ideas you could help create a better environment in your own backyard!