From My Garden to Yours

While interacting with the reality surrounding us at our homes, with our families and in our communities, we frequently practice the principles of permaculture. By developing an understanding of this both naturally simple yet complex system, we can improve our lives and the planet at the same time. Even as the worst corporations tout the green banner in their marketing schemes, we can quietly prove our worth and help make the world a better place.

The first step of permaculture is awareness. Just by reading this column today, you are now aware that there is something out there. At home, take a moment, step back and look at your context. Compare the best areas of the environment to the parts that need improving. See how the various functions of spaces meet and interact. Recognizing that the lawn does not grow well under the big oak tree is the first step to winning the battle of growing grass where grass won’t grow. Set up a patio and picnic table in the shade and enjoy this micro zone instead of spraying more fertilizer on sparsely growing turf.

While observing, look at the boundaries as both limits and design components. The view into the neighbor’s yard (and their view into your yard) could be manipulated with either a stockade fence or blueberry hedge. A hedge of native blueberry plants would produce most of the intended view control and a delicious return on investment. Growing a food crop easily trumps an energy-intensive, nonproductive property line.

Available resource management is where money can be saved. Sun, soil, water, time, biomass products and structures form relationships that should work toward building a dynamic homestead. The expense of watering and fertilizing a lawn just for appearance’s sake is untenable in today’s world. Utilizing these resources to grow a food crop will cost less and produce more.

Maintaining the interactive aspects of a permaculture system requires less work. Sending a valuable resource like leaves and lawn trimmings to the landfill has far too many costs involved to even list. Use the leaves from the oak tree to mulch the blueberry bushes and to start a compost pile. The mulch will conserve water and eventually improve the soil. And it is easier to spread the mulch than to bag and drag. Eventually, earthworms will become established, attracting birds looking for dinner. These avian visitors might even stick around and eat a few insect pests that bother us while we are enjoying our patio under the oak tree, now that we have all this free time provided by permaculture.